Corporate volunteering
A global social action community
Volunteering Corporate social responsibility Social action
The Iberdrola group's International Corporate Volunteering Program was created to channel our employees' spirit of solidarity and to encourage their participation in social projects aimed at integrating vulnerable groups into society, improving the environment and sustainable development.
Iberdrola's International Corporate Volunteering Programme is a global initiative that is in line with the Group's values and our general sustainable development policy. It was born in 2006 as part of our commitment to encourage the involvement of our teams in the realities of the most disadvantaged in society, turning them into agents of change.
In 2022, more than 20,000 volunteers participated in the Corporate Volunteering Programme. A solidarity energy driven by our Foundations, which allocated more than 20 million euros to their social action projects.
Iberdrola, with the victims of Ukraine
Since the beginning of this humanitarian crisis, Iberdrola has activated its 12,000 volunteers - 8,000 in Spain - so that they can collaborate in different lines of action and has launched the Volunteers for Ukraine programme to channel the solidarity of the company's professionals and transfer their aid in the most efficient way to the people affected.
Through this programme, Iberdrola has sent more than eight tonnes of humanitarian material donated by its employees in Spain to Ukraine in March 2022. Among the basic necessities provided are first aid, orthopaedic, hygiene and sanitary products, as well as shelter, food, warm clothing, blankets and quilts. In addition, the group has sent the country a first batch of 20 generators to maintain the operation of special services such as hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants.
The company is also raising funds, doubling the amounts donated by its employees, which will be given to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide shelter, immediate food and emergency care to the thousands of people who are leaving Ukraine and massing at the borders.
Finally, the company also supports Ukrainian refugees arriving in Spain through its Iberdrola with Refugees volunteer initiative, which aims to help them adapt, promote their integration and improve their autonomy. Since 2015, this initiative has already assisted more than a thousand refugees from other armed conflicts, such as Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan and Mali.
Proud of Iberdrola's volunteers
20,495
Volunteers
2.49
Millions of direct beneficiaries
904
Actions
91,202
Hours
812,840
Menus delivered to vulnerable families
383,000
m2 cleaned of "rubbish"
14,570
Trees planted
Datos relativos a 2023.
International Volunteering Week
The Iberdrola Group celebrated the 12th edition of its International Volunteer Week in October 2023. Under the slogan Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva., more than 8,000 volunteers have joined in to participate in some 130 solidarity activities related to environmental care, the fight against climate change, the inclusion of vulnerable groups, and social assistance. This initiative is faithfully participated in all the countries where we are present: from Spain
to Brazil, the United StatesExternal link, opens in new window. , the United KingdomExternal link, opens in new window. , MexicoExternal link, opens in new window. , Portugal and Japan.
Annually, employees can participate in International Volunteer Week through face-to-face or online activities. In this way, volunteers and their families can carry out various actions with other groups, such as people with disabilities, young people, women in vulnerable situations, refugees and the elderly.
One of the most important solidarity initiatives is the "Dorsal Solidario" project, a global challenge to help families in need. The aim is to complete a route (walking, running or cycling) to encourage physical activity among participants, as well as to nurture the spirit of solidarity among our employees. Every five kilometres run or walked and every 15 kilometres cycled is converted into a food basket that will benefit almost 8,800 people.
During this week, a multitude of activities are carried out related to Iberdrola's commitment to caring for the environment and supporting vulnerable groups, such as reforestation, recycling, cleaning beaches and seabeds, and water care, among others. The initiatives also included online challenges and donations of food, clothing, hygiene products or school kits for children at risk of exclusion.
"We should not go through life destroying, but rather building a better world, which involves aspects such as the fight against climate change, more equal opportunities and social justice as the basis of our relation."
Ignacio Galán
Executive Chairman of Iberdrola
Volunteer of the Year Awards
Within the framework of European Volunteer Week, Iberdrola has been organising a day since 2023 in which it awards the most outstanding professionals for their involvement in the company's volunteer projects with the International Volunteers of the Year Awards.
In its first edition, held in Madrid, Executive Chairman Ignacio Galán presented the awards to 4 participants from the international volunteer corps, resident in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Greece, for their contribution to environmental volunteer programmes, training and integration of vulnerable groups, promotion of sustainable development, and promotion of the safe and healthy use of electricity.
Contributing to the achievement of the SDGs
Iberdrola has launched a new social project, My Social Footprint, with which it intends to measure the impact of the social actions of its employees on society, thus taking another step forward in its commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through the volunteering website
, each employee can find out how many people they have helped with their work, how many hours they have dedicated to each SDG and how many actions they have carried out to contribute to creating a better world.
Iberdrola's Corporate Volunteering Programme is aligned with the SDGs, especially with SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 10 (reducing inequalities).
Awarded for our volunteering
Iberdrola was the only Spanish company in the energy sector to be included in the Transforming Lives and Communities report, published in September 2021 by IMPACT2030 in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships. The report recognises the company's Corporate Volunteering Programme as a pioneering practice to harness the skills, passion and experience of its employees in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Iberdrola's International Corporate Volunteering Programme has already been awarded an Innovation Award 2018 by IMPACT2030, an award that recognises innovative approaches by companies that leverage their human capital, through corporate volunteering programmes, to advance the achievement of the SDGs. Specifically, as the judging panel has highlighted, the company has been recognised for being "an enterprise that innovates to educate, inspire and unite employees around the SDGs in their community, and offers them opportunities to become agents of change and make an impact," as well as for "its exceptional commitment to mobilising the volunteers to work towards the SDGs."
In 2016, the company received a Special Mention on the part of the King of Spain, on the occasion of the celebration of the first decade of its International Program. And in 2015, it was awarded the prize for the most Caring Company (Empresa Solidaria) of the year on the part of International Cooperation.
Taking the SDGs to school
Iberdrola, in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Community of Madrid and Samsung, has made available to all schools in the Community of Madrid the initiative ODS al Cole
, a multi-company corporate volunteer project regarding Volunteering and Strategy, promoted by Iberdrola, which aims to transfer the importance of the Objectives of Sustainable Development for primary students.
The initiative consists on a guided workshop with explanatory videos and two activities for the children in order to discover the SDGs, reflect on the world in which we live and make proposals for daily actions to be able to carry out.
Iberdrola strengthens its commitment to corporate volunteering
Iberdrola has joined the board of Voluntare, the top Spanish-speaking international Corporate Volunteering network.
With this decision, our company is strengthening its commitment to Corporate Volunteering as a means for promoting Social Responsibility. It is doing in by joining this international network, which is found in both Spain and Latin America and which has an infrastructure that facilitates teamwork and joint advancement and encourages the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
* Neoenergia, S. A. is 50 % + 1 share indirectly owned by Iberdrola, S. A.
** AVANGRID, Inc. is 81,50 % owned by Iberdrola, S. A.
