Iberdrola Adds More Than 1,800 Biodiversity Actions, According to Its 2024 Report

Iberdrola has presented its global 2024 Biodiversity Report with the data and projects carried out in each country, detailing more than 1,800 actions in the last 2 years and more than 4,000 in the last 5 years.

In the foreword to the document, the company's executive chairman, Ignacio Galán, refers to three of the pillars on which Iberdrola's commitment rests: the climate action plan, the diversity plan and the circular economy plan.

In addition to the goal of being neutral in CO2 emissions in all the company's plants by 2030, there is also the goal of having a net positive impact on biodiversity in the same year.

Biodiversity is essential for the balance of ecosystems. Therefore, proactively favouring it helps us to guarantee environmental stability and, with it, the resources and quality of life of future generations.

Iberdrola publishes this Biodiversity Report so that its stakeholders are aware of the Group's actions, in accordance with the commitments made in the Biodiversity Policy approved by the Board of Directors in 2007, last amended in December 2023.

The launch of the Biodiversity Plan in 2022 set a positive Net Impact Target and has driven numerous actions such as the launch of Carbon2Nature, Iberdrola's participation in the United Nations Biodiversity Conferences and a 30% increase in the number of actions carried out.

In this way, the company is a pioneer in the implementation of metrics at the group level to measure the net balance of our activities and in the implementation of recommendations for the disclosure of the management of risks related to nature and biodiversity.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risks Report, biodiversity loss is one of three most serious risks facing the planet over the next decade, along with extreme weather events, critical changes in Earth systems, and scarcity of natural resources.

This could lead to a decline in global GDP of $2.7 trillion per year by 2030. This economic downturn would have a devastating effect on livelihood, security, welfare and equality.

Effective management of biodiversity-related risks by companies is an increasingly important task; not only because of the impact they can have on business management, but because they can benefit from a competitive advantage in access to markets, capital and resources. Iberdrola is at the forefront of companies in terms of transparency in the reporting of their risks, impacts and actions to improve nature.

Protecting biodiversity and its ecosystems around the world

In the United States, Avangrid has used ECOncrete eco-engineered articulated concrete block mattresses at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm in Massachusetts to protect submarine cables and create environmental conditions that encourage the growth of marine flora and fauna. These marine mattresses include a bio-enhanced mix, surface area and design ? based on nature ? optimised to create habitats for a wide range of marine organisms, thus increasing species richness, reducing invasive species dominance and increasing biodiversity. A $3 million fund has also been established at this farm to develop and demonstrate innovative methods and technologies to improve the protection of marine mammals and support regional monitoring efforts as the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts and the United States grows. This fund provides opportunities to discuss new methods and technologies in the project or to establish infrastructure, facilities, or programs that enhance regional marine mammal monitoring or serve as documentation for marine mammal research.

In addition, Avangrid maintains collaborations with 19 wildlife recovery organizations, such as the Oregon Zoo Foundation, for the recovery of California Condor populations or the collaboration with Maine Mammals for the recovery of marine mammals. It should also be noted that the Condor conservation project includes technological monitoring through radio frequency transmitters and geofences, with the aim of establishing when the wind turbines should be stopped to avoid collisions.