TREES PROGRAMME

Iberdrola promoted the planting two million trees in 2020 and 2021, a number that will increase to 20 million in 2030

#nature #climate action #biodiversity

The group promoted the plantation of two million trees in seven countries in 2020 and 2021 as part of its Trees programme. The company is committed to planting 20 million trees during the next decade — with the primary objective of reaching 2.5 million by 2022 and 8 million by 2025 — to capture approximately 6 million tonnes of CO2 within 30 years.

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The Trees programme intends to plant 2.5 million trees by 2022, 8 M by 2025 and 20 M by 2030. Video voice transcription (Spanish version) [PDF] External link, opens in new window.

The plan is part of Iberdrola's commitment to protect biodiversity and care for healthy ecosystems as crucial elements for sustainable growth. In this regard, the group, an international leader in the fight against climate change and a global leader in renewable energies, has set out to achieving zero net biodiversity loss by 2030, working to ensure that new facilities deliver a net positive impact on biodiversity, where possible.

When it comes to reforestation, the Trees programme will be decisive in mitigating and compensating habitats in which new infrastructures are built, promoting initiatives to reverse deforestation, and encouraging research and awareness in collaboration with Stakeholders. In this regard, in the last 10 years, the company has been carrying out mitigation, compensation and volunteer actions to grow 4.12 million trees around the world.

In 2020 and 2021, some of these actions were:

Iberdrola has planted 3,600 trees and shrubs around the car park next to the Iberdrola Campus in Madrid, sponsored the planting of 17,000 trees in Chinchilla in Albacete province, and is behind several volunteer initiatives that have led to the planting of 7,690 trees.

Spain
Iberdrola has planted more than 456,000 trees. The reforestation in the surroundings of the Cortes-La Muela and Villarino hydroelectric plants stands out. The volunteer initiatives that have allowed the planting of more than 6,800 trees.
The group's British subsidiary, ScottishPower, funded the planting of nearly 640,000 trees in 2020 and 2021 as part of the habitat managing and monitoring plans of wind farms. These are in addition to the nearly 1.2 million trees planted until 2019 covering a total area of 9,049 hectares. In addition, volunteer initiatives that have planted 420 trees.

United Kingdom
The group's British subsidiary, ScottishPower, has planted more than 626,000 trees around wind farms such as Kilgallioch, Hare Hill Extension or Glen App, among others. From Corporate Volunteering actions, 420 trees have been planted.
La filial de Iberdrola en Estados Unidos, AVANGRID¹, contribuyó a la creación y el establecimiento de nuevos humedales, incluida la plantación de 969 árboles para mitigar los impactos de humedales asociados con los proyectos de gas de su distribuidora RG&E.

United States
The US subsidiary AVANGRID¹ contributed to the creation and establishment of new wetlands, including the planting of 969 trees to mitigate impacts associated with RG&E gas projects.
Its Brazilian subsidiary, Neoenergia²,carried out the planting of more than 540,000 trees, especially for the creation of Permanent Preservation areas around hydroelectric power plants. In addition, its distributors reforested more than 75 hectares with nearly 95,000 trees and other plants native to the region.

Brazil
Its Brazilian subsidiary, Neoenergia²,has promoted the planting of around 550,000 trees, of the more than 817,000 that were planted in total. Especially in the surroundings of hydroelectric plants and in the reforestation of its distributors, in which 82 hectares were reforested with more than 100,000 trees of plants native to the region.
One important project involved planting more than 40,000 trees in the perimeters of the Topolobampo III and Baja California power plants, which has entailed the recovery of more than 70 hectares in total. In addition, volunteer initiatives have made it possible to plant 3,000 trees.

Mexico
More than 52,000 trees were planted around the perimeters of the Topolobampo III power plant and Baja California, which has meant the recovery of more than 70 hectares in total. Volunteer initiatives have led to the planting of 3,000 trees. 
A Iberdrola plantou mais de 245.000 árvores em diversas ações de conservação com o objetivo de melhorar a disponibilidade trófica em áreas florestais e a conectividade entre florestas de ribeira e outras formações florestais, assim como para promover a conservação de espécies vegetais nativas.

Portugal
Iberdrola has carried out various reforestation actions as a measure to compensate the Támega complex with more than 247,000 trees. The measures promoted benefits from the Creation of Priority Habitat, planting of native species and cork oaks, recovery of riparian vegetation, improvement of river courses, and revegetation of slopes.
Iberdrola has planted more than 65,000 trees in its project to promote ecosystems near the Pyrgari and Mikronoros wind farms.

Grecia

Iberdrola has planted more than 65,000 trees in its project to promote ecosystems near the Pyrgari and Mikronoros wind farms.

WHAT IS THE TREES PROGRAMME?

Iberdrola's Trees programme.
Iberdrola's Trees programme.


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BRANCHES OF THE TREES PROGRAMME

The Trees programme will branch into three main courses of action:

 Branch 1: Preserving natural heritage

The aim is to mitigate and offset the habitats affected by the occupation of new infrastructures.

  • The company has already identified opportunities to plant 4.8 million trees between 2020 and 2030. In 2020 and 2021, 1,55 million trees were planted in seven countries.
  • Work will also be done to identify additional actions linked to new investments.

 Branch 2: Replenishing and creating natural value

The intention is to correct forest loss by carrying out projects and initiatives to plant trees on land belonging to Iberdrola and on third-party properties. This branch includes:

  • Projects carried out by the group's foundations, such as the Forest Defence External link, opens in new window. plan by Fundación Iberdrola España, which involves planting over 80,000 trees in the Spanish army's shooting ranges and military practice grounds. In 2020, 17,000 holly oak trees and pines were planted on 20 hectares of the Chinchilla Shooting range.
  • In 2022, the Forest seeks village to grow up in challenge was launched, through the PERSEO international start-up program and in collaboration with Start-up Olé and with the support of the European Commission. A pioneering program to promote the recovery of natural spaces in depopulated areas of Spain and Portugal through the conversion of burned or vacant land into forests.
  • Operating tree planting projects on Iberdrola land.
  • Collaborating in reforestation projects with other organisations and Stakeholders.

 Branch 3: Social value: research and awareness

The goal is to foster shared knowledge by encouraging research projects with Stakeholders and carrying out awareness raising initiatives.

  • Continuation of Iberdrola's International Corporate Volunteering Programme, through which 10,000 trees were planted and sown in 2020 and 2021.
  • Several research projects will be implemented in collaboration with Stakeholders.
  • Organising awareness raising initiatives. The company will be exploring other initiatives with NGOs, customers, etc.
  • Iberdrola collaborates in the Re-Plant Madrid initiative External link, opens in new window., to act for the damage caused by Filomena.
  • Iberdrola became part of the World Economic Forum's 1t.org Corporate Alliance with the commitment to plant 20 million trees to recover, regenerate and promote the value of ecosystems.

The programme includes a follow up plan to report on and monitor all these actions.

IN LINE WITH THE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES

 SDG 15: Life on Land

Iberdrola's Trees programme is very much aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the United Nations 2030 Agenda, especially SDG 15, which involves promoting the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halting deforestation, restoring degraded forests and substantially increasing afforestation and reforestation globally.

 EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

The plan also ties in with the European Union's 2030 Biodiversity Strategy External link, opens in new window., which seeks to plant 3 billion new trees in the next decade according to fully eco-friendly principles.

 UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

This project is equally relevant to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration External link, opens in new window. (2021-2030), which highlights the need to replenish forests, soils and wetlands and create green areas in cities so as to mitigate the effects of climate change and achieve the target set to reduce emissions by 2030.

1Avangrid, Inc. is 81.50 % owned by Iberdrola S. A.

2Neoenergia, S. A. is owned indirectly by Iberdrola S. A. with 50 % + 1 share.