The recent United Nations COP25 conference on climate change held in Madrid marks a before and after in matters of business strategies and policies regarding the environment.
At the Climate Summit, the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres supported a scientific roadmap for limiting an increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial levels, reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
As for Ferrovial, the company participated by presenting innovative technologies for the decarbonization of sectors and the role of industry:
“The challenge we’re facing is enormous: managing to get to 1.7 tons of CO2 emissions per capita, with countries like the US at 16, China at 8, and Spain at 6. Either something disruptive and transformative must take place, or it's not going to happen. To achieve this, companies have to participate. When you look at emissions, almost 40% come from buildings, and a third from transportation, and for Ferrovial, those are key sectors. We need to look at how we can contribute and provide the right solutions. Without cooperation from everyone, it's not going to happen.”
The Green Commitment Gains Ground
The economic system is facing the challenge of generating sustainable, affordable, environmental, and social value. To do so, emerging businesses must make their way in an environment that is not without its share of uncertainty and difficulties. Taking on the sustainable challenge wouldn’t be possible without help from official bodies. There are support networks such as the eco-friendly entrepreneurship network Red emprendeverde (ReV) – a project from the Ministry of Environment’s Fundación Biodiversidad, which has been working on the creation and consolidation of new companies that drive a fair ecological transition since 2011 – and the Spanish Green Growth Group (Grupo Español para el Crecimiento Verde, GECV) – an association that promotes public-private partnership to face environmental challenges.
Both provide training, accompaniment, mentoring, and technical advisory services.
In addition, eco-entrepreneurs must consider two figures for their financing: business angels and crowdfunding. AEBAN (the Spanish Association of Business Angels) or WA4STEAM (the International Association of Women Business Angels) are two examples of companies that cover investments in a high-risk start-up’s early stages.
Companies leading green entrepreneurship
At Ferrovial, our mission is improving the future through sustainable infrastructure and ecological mobility services. We are leaders on the Down Jones Sustainability Index in the construction and engineering sector, and we’re working on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for the 2030 Agenda.
Environmental awareness is also becoming increasingly visible at emerging companies such as Ecoalf, GreeMko, Dialis Oil, Ekomodo, Ciclogreen, and Myogas, all of which are a part of the Red emprendeverde.
More information
You can download the full article published in spanish in Nuestra Nebrija magazine
