Trees Programme
Iberdrola has promoted the planting of 8 million trees since 2020 through its Trees Programme
Nature Climate action Biodiversity
The Iberdrola Group has promoted the planting of approximately eight million trees since 2020 through its Trees Programme, which operates in multiple countries. The company remains committed to promoting the planting of 20 million trees during this decade, capturing approximately 2.36 million tonnes of CO₂ over 30 years.
We are aware that the planet we inhabit is a home shared with millions of species. At Iberdrola, we are committed to caring for it and therefore integrate the sustainable management of natural capital into all our policies and investments. We are convinced that a company that is leading the energy transition, as we are, must also lead the protection of ecosystems.
What is the Trees Programme?
The Iberdrola Group’s Trees programme is a global initiative through which we promote the conservation and planting of millions of trees in all the countries where we operate. In this regard, the programme makes a decisive contribution to mitigating and compensating for habitats affected by the construction of new infrastructure, promotes voluntary initiatives to reverse deforestation and encourages research and awareness-raising in collaboration with stakeholders.
The plan forms part of Iberdrola's commitment to promoting biodiversity and preserving healthy ecosystems as key elements of sustainable growth. As a result, since 2020 the Group has promoted the planting of approximately 8 million trees, which will capture 2.36 million tonnes of CO₂ over 30 years.
This programme is structured around three lines of action that help mitigate and compensate for habitats affected by new infrastructure and reverse deforestation, both on Iberdrola-owned land and on third-party land. Learn more about each of them below:
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Natural heritage conservation
Its objective is to mitigate and compensate for habitats affected by the occupation of land by new infrastructure.
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Natural regeneration and value creation
Its aim is to reverse the loss of forest cover through projects and tree-planting initiatives on both Iberdrola-owned and external land. This area includes:
- Projects promoted by Carbon2Nature, comprising more than 770,000 trees.
- Projects promoted by the Group's foundations, such as the Defence Forest plan of Fundación Iberdrola España, which includes the planting of more than 100,000 trees on firing ranges and military training grounds belonging to the Spanish Army.
- In 2022, the Forest Seeks Village to Grow challenge was launched through PERSEO's international start-up programme, in collaboration with Start-up Olé and with the support of the European Commission. This pioneering programme aims to promote the recovery of natural areas in depopulated regions of Spain and Portugal by transforming burned or unused land into forests.
- Development of planting projects on Iberdrola-owned land.
- Partnerships on reforestation projects with other organisations and stakeholders.
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Social value: research and awareness
This area seeks to promote shared knowledge by encouraging research projects with different stakeholders and developing awareness-raising initiatives.
- Continuation of Iberdrola's International Corporate Volunteering Programme, through which thousands of trees have been planted and seeded in recent years.
- Launch of research projects in collaboration with stakeholders.
- Development of awareness-raising initiatives. The company will explore additional actions with NGOs, customers and other groups.
- Iberdrola joined the World Economic Forum's 1t.org Corporate Alliance with the commitment to plant 20 million trees to restore, regenerate and enhance the value of ecosystems.
The programme includes a monitoring plan for reporting on and tracking all these actions.
Trees Programme
Purpose
Promote the planting of 20 million trees by 2030
To capture ~ 6 million t of CO₂ in 30 years*, equivalent to those emitted by 6,000,000 diesel cars per 5,800 km
Timeline
2.5 million
3,125 football fields**
8 million
10,000 football fields**
20 million trees
25,000 football fields**
- 1
= 200,000 trees - 1
= 625 football fields
Branches of the programme
Preserving natural heritage
Mitigate and offset the habitats affected by the occupation of new infrastructures
Social value: research and awareness
Fostering shared knowledge by encouraging research projects with Stakeholders and developing awareness raising initiatives
Replenishing and creating natural value
Correct forest loss by carrying out projects and initiatives to plant trees on land belonging to Iberdrola and on third-party properties
In line with the major international strategies
*Estimation based on 0.3 t of CO₂ /sq ft in 30 years
**Plantations 1100 ft/ha. Football field: 105 x 68 m
In line with the major international strategies
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
Iberdrola's Trees programme is aligned with the European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which proposes planting three billion additional trees by that year, while fully respecting ecological principles.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The programme is also aligned with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), which emphasises the need to restore forests, soils and wetlands and create green spaces in cities to mitigate the effects of climate change and meet the emissions reduction targets set for 2030.
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
Iberdrola's Trees programme is aligned with the European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which proposes planting three billion additional trees by that year, while fully respecting ecological principles.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The programme is also aligned with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), which emphasises the need to restore forests, soils and wetlands and create green spaces in cities to mitigate the effects of climate change and meet the emissions reduction targets set for 2030.
