Almost 25% of Iberdrola's workforce participates in volunteering activities
Nearly 25% of the Iberdrola group's workforce participates annually in the solidarity actions organised by the company within the framework of its Volunteering Programme. Since it was launched in 2006, close to 10 million people have benefited from the actions promoted by the company in 24 different countries.
In the last year alone, the number of volunteers has increased by more than 30%, reaching 17,000 people, who have invested more than 62,000 hours of work in 750 activities promoted by Iberdrola.
In recognition of its international corps of volunteers, the Iberdrola group held an event in Madrid to recognise the most outstanding professionals for their involvement in the company's volunteer projects.
The awards, presented by the Chairman of the Iberdrola group, Ignacio Galán, went to professionals from Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Greece who have actively participated in environmental volunteer programmes, training and integration of vulnerable groups, promotion of sustainable development, or promotion of the safe and healthy use of electricity, which are representative of the main axes of Iberdrola's Volunteer Programme.
In his speech, Galán thanked all the volunteers for their solidarity and commitment and advocated that in companies "social aspects should weigh as much as economic ones". The Chairman of Iberdrola also reminded everyone of their responsibility "to leave a better world than the one we inherited". "Let us not go through life destroying, but building a better world, which includes aspects such as the fight against climate change, more equal opportunities and social justice as the basis of our relations", he said.
At this event, Iberdrola's chief executive was accompanied by some of the presidents and representatives of the social organisations with which it collaborates to develop its Volunteer Programme, such as the Spanish Cancer Association, the Envera Association, the Tomillo Foundation, the ECODES Foundation and the Prodis Foundation.
As part of this event, the Food Bank also wished to recognise Iberdrola's solidarity work by giving the company's name to one of the corridors of the warehouse at its headquarters in Madrid. President Galán received the "Calle Iberdrola" plaque from the President of the Madrid Food Bank Foundation, Francisco García, who stressed that "the collaboration of a company of Iberdrola's size is an extremely important support for us in meeting the needs we are trying to cover, which are very extensive".
PIONEERING, DIVERSE AND GLOBAL VOLUNTEERING
This first edition of the Iberdrola group's international volunteer awards is part of the International Volunteer Week that it organises every year simultaneously in the main countries where it operates. Under the slogan 'Together we build the world we want', the company will carry out up to 130 solidarity activities for which more than 8,000 volunteers have already registered.
With its International Volunteer Programme, the Iberdrola group aims to motivate its professionals to participate in social projects aimed primarily at vulnerable groups, improving the environment and sustainable development.
Iberdrola's volunteering programme has been the only Spanish company to be recognised as a pioneering practice by the United Nations in its Transforming Lives and Communities report, published in September 2021. This programme has already been awarded by IMPACT2030 with the 2018 Innovation Award in recognition of its innovative approaches to advancing the SDGs through its human capital.
