News

2018-04-06 00:00:00.0

Called for 13 April at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao

Iberdrola’s Annual General Meeting is certified as a sustainable event for the third year running

Torre Iberdrola se convierte en un Palo de Lluvia

Both AENOR and the Regional Basque Government, through Ihobe the Basque public environmental agency, have confirmed that the entire event has been organised and will be run based on a series of environmental, social and economic criteria

This will involve undertaking specific actions such as hiring people in vulnerable situations and implementing measures guaranteeing wheelchair access to the event

The Iberdrola’s Annual General Meeting, called for 13 April at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao has, for the third consecutive year, been certified as a sustainable event, in fact ever since the company became the first listed on the Ibex 35 index to receive this recognition in 2016.

What this means is that all the processes involved in the Annual General Meeting, which is a meeting involving Iberdrola’s highest governing body, -from planning to holding and then dismantling it- are carried out based on sustainability criteria, with the aim being to maximise Iberdrola’s contribution to the local economy, to improving the environment and to being socially committed.

This has led to AENOR certifying that the company’s General Shareholder’s Meeting meets the requirements of the ISO 20121 voluntary international standard for sustainable event management.

Furthermore, via Ihobe, its public environmental agency, the Basque Government has awarded the Group’s 2018 General Shareholder’s Meeting the ‘Erronka Garbia’ seal of environmental approval, which certifies the company’s exemplary conduct in key aspects of environmental sustainability in organising the event and its sociocultural commitment to maximising the positive impacts it is capable of generating.

These certifications are a response to Iberdrola’s Sustainability Policy, which establishes, among other aspects, that the group’s events must strictly comply with all specific requirements -particularly, legislation in the area of health and safety, noise, waste disposal, privacy and protection of personal data-, encouraging accessibility, inclusion and non-discrimination in both their planning and execution.

Objectives and measures for a sustainable AGM

In this respect, and in particular reference to the AGM, Iberdrola has established the following objectives:

To ensure the event is accessible to each and every member of its workforce.
To minimise the event’s carbon footprint and energy consumption.
To improve the employment opportunities for people who experience discrimination or are from vulnerable backgrounds.
To increase the reuse of the waste generated by the General Shareholder’s Meeting.
To minimise the indirect environmental impact -environmental footprint- of the event.
To cooperate with the local community.
To improve the communication and participation processes throughout the event.
To increase awareness of sustainability among everyone involved.
To promote cultural heritage throughout the event.

In order to achieve all the above, Iberdrola will be performing numerous specific actions. For example, these will include guaranteeing the accessibility of groups with different disabilities -via the use of subtitles and the deployment of magnetic loop systems to help attendees hear and follow the proceedings, promoting sustainable transport by allowing all the citizens of Bilbao to travel free on the tram on the day of the event, compensating for the CO₂ emissions generated by holding the General Shareholder’s Meeting and using recyclable and reusable materials.

Furthermore, individuals who find themselves in vulnerable situations will be hired to help at the event and equal employment opportunities will be promoted by way of the recruitment, as far as possible, of an equal proportion of male and female stewards and hostesses.

Also, for those shareholders with young children who wish to attend the AGM, an on-site crèche service will be provided within the Euskalduna Conference Centre complex.