SHARM EL-SHEIKH (EGYPT): The integration of the Sustainability and Finance areas is having an "incredibly effective" result for ACCIONA, said José Manuel Entrecanales, Chairman and CEO of the company, during a speech at COP27.
At an event organized by the We Mean Business Coalition in the framework of the climate change summit being held in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), he indicated that thanks to this pioneering decision –taken in April 2021– the company has been able to advance faster in the implementation of decarbonization policies, executing them with the same rigor as the financial indicators. José Manuel Entrecanales gave as an example of the effectiveness that the company has quadrupled its green bond financing.
José Manuel Entrecanales also advocated the defense of the objective of limiting global warming to +1.5ºC. "To give up this objective would be a terrible mistake," he insisted.
During a conversation with Fernando A. González, CEO of CEMEX, ACCIONA's Chairman defended the implementation of resilient, mitigating and adaptive infrastructures to face the devastating effects of climate change.
He recalled that ACCIONA has a strong presence in infrastructure aimed at mitigation, as is the case of its Energy business – "we are the first global company in the sector that is 100% renewable," he recalled– but that the company is also working on projects focused on improving resilience, giving as an example the construction of anti-flood channels for rivers or other ventures of a social nature. "They are all important," he said.
At another point in his presentation, he emphasized the need to address measures that mitigate the effects of climate change on the availability of water resources. "It is the most problematic issue from a social point of view", he said. Mr. Entrecanales advocated for public-private cooperation to address the issue and recalled that companies can make available to public administrations the latest cutting-edge technologies available to improve the efficiency of water services.
ACCIONA is a global company, leader in the provision of regenerative solutions for a decarbonized economy. Its business offer includes renewable energy, water treatment and management, eco-efficient transportation and mobility systems, resilient infrastructures, etc. The company has been carbon neutral since 2016. ACCIONA recorded sales of €8.1 billion in 2021 and has a business presence in more than 60 countries.
