MITMA Group companies, including Ineco, have joined the STEAM Alliance for female talent. On 9 February, the signing ceremony of the protocol took place with the Ministers of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and Education and Vocational Training, Raquel Sánchez and Pilar Alegría, respectively, and the presidents of Adif, Renfe, ENAIRE, Aena, Puertos del Estado and Ineco, Sergio Vázquez (third from the left). 

Under the slogan ‘Girls in Science’, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is promoting this initiative in the public and private sectors to “encourage the interest of girls and young women in disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics” (STEAM).

Supporting the STEAM vocations of girls and women in education is a priority issue not only for the United Nations, which includes it in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also for the European Union and the government of Spain, which has included it in the Digital Spain 2025 Agenda. Meanwhile, Ineco has made equality one of the pillars of its strategic business plan.

One of the most efficient ways to respond to the social and environmental needs of our society is to design transport infrastructure and urban spaces that incorporate all of the variables that contribute to inclusive and sustainable mobility; mobility, moreover, that not only corrects existing imbalances but also creates spaces that are more integrated and humane.

We begin this edition with a clear example of this approach: namely, the improvements being made to Avenida Alfonso Molina in A Coruña. The works form part of an action proposal drawn up by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, in line with the urban development policies of the EU, the 2030 Agenda and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

All of these advances are made possible thanks to Ineco’s specialist teams and their outstanding technical and technological qualifications

2021 is the European Year of Rail, which celebrates a mode of transport that is sustainable, smart and safe. In a number of articles in this new edition, we highlight the benefits that railways bring for people, the economy and the climate. Cutting-edge satellite technology in pioneering innovation projects for railways in Europe, the modernisation of the Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line (a key part of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Corridor), the link between Sol and Gran Vía stations in Madrid serving 22,000 users per day, and the use of clean energy in level-crossing protection systems: all of these developments exemplify the tremendous technical and digital progress being made by a mode of transport that is on track for a bright future.

This drive to develop infrastructure that will help to bring about social and environmental improvements is also evident in the work carried out in the airport sector. The updating of the Master Plan for Simón Bolívar Airport in Santa Marta (Colombia) paves the way for a future expansion that will give a major boost to tourism and the economy in the north-eastern region of the country, while LEED Gold certification will make Kuwait International Airport a global benchmark for sustainability with regard to this type of transport infrastructure.

All of these advances are made possible thanks to Ineco’s specialist teams and their outstanding technical and technological qualifications. One such example is the group of cyber-security experts, whose continuous support plays a vital role in responding to the challenges of the digital environment. You can meet our cyber-security experts in this edition of ITRANSPORTE. These teams also represent an enormous social and human commitment. Ineco’s 2030 Agenda Commission, for example, focuses all of its talent on helping the company achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Historically, the planning and construction of roads has focused on cars and car-based mobility, and applied traffic-centred criteria such as capacity, speed, user comfort and safety. However, in recent years the integration of road infrastructure into the urban landscape, and attempts to minimise the impact on pedestrians, has given rise to new initiatives and an approach more in keeping with today’s world, in which environmental sustainability and quality of life for citizens takes precedence.

The integration of new roads with other, cleaner forms of mobility that are experiencing growth (e.g. cycling) requires a more congenial and human approach

The United Nations’ New Urban Agenda makes it clear that in order to improve sustainability, simultaneous progress is required in environmental, social and economic terms. In order to make a positive impact on our surroundings it is vital that these three elements are integrated with a holistic vision. Sustainable development must therefore proceed in parallel with economic development, the improvement of citizen well-being and ecological balance.

Making cities greener, more accessible, quieter and cleaner requires an approach to reform that is based on the analysis of multiple criteria. The integration of new roads with other, cleaner forms of mobility that are experiencing growth (e.g. cycling) requires a more congenial and human approach. However, transforming communication routes, which sometimes cut off and mutilate the urban environment, can be a complex challenge due to the fact that the existing infrastructure and buildings are themselves a constraint.

The study carried out by Ineco on a 1.4-km section of Avenida Alfonso Molina incorporates the construction of paths that will organise and provide solutions for the shared use of the road by drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Moreover, the humanisation of road margins in the urban environment makes it clearer to drivers that they are entering a new environment and should adapt their driving accordingly, e.g. by reducing their speed when they approach crossings and paying closer attention to their surroundings. This also helps to improve road safety in the urban environment.

The Spanish Urban Agenda identifies 10 primary goals which, in turn, involve the achievement of 30 specific objectives.

In recent years, and in line with the changing approach to the issue of roads in the urban environment, Ineco has been incorporating humanisation measures into the road-related projects that it carries out. Such considerations were taken into account when drawing up the construction plans for Improving the capacity of Avenida Alfonso Molina (highway AC-11), which comprises the main route of access into the city of A Coruña in north-west Spain.

Improvements to Avenida Alfonso Molina in A Coruña

The project’s main aim is to solve the congestion problems of a particular section of the road by increasing its capacity and improving connectivity, while at the same time improving the integration of the infrastructure into the urban environment and taking into account the key criteria of equal, fair and sustainable development as specified in the Urban Agenda.

The study proposes the incorporation of paths and walkways shared by pedestrians and cyclists, which would enable coexistence with the road’s vehicular traffic while ensuring adequate levels of road safety and permeability of the road margins.

The road was build in the mid-20th century and is wide, with three lanes in each direction and, in certain sections, a service road on either side. At its far north-western end the road ends at the port of A Coruña, almost at the entrance to the city’s old quarter.

The paths designed by Ineco allow for the segregation of vehicles and cyclists, unlike at present. / INFOGRAPHIC_MITMA

When it was built, the road passed through the rural population centres outside the city and provided a new link between the city and the countryside. Traditionally, transport routes had run parallel to the sea in the bay of A Coruña. Over time, other urban planning projects, such as the construction of residential buildings in Elviña and Barrio de las Flores and the industrial estates of Matogrande, Someso and Parque Ofimático, have increased traffic pressure in the area, as has the addition of traffic from the AP-9 highway.

The plan drawn up by Ineco focuses on a 1.4-km (approx.) section of Avenida Alfonso Molina that lies on the outskirts of the city, between Avenida San Cristóbal (AC-10) and the connections to highways AP-9 and AC-11. As stated above, the plan’s main aim is to solve the traffic problems for the section in question. According to the available data, in 2016 this section was used by 124,037 vehicles per day, of which 5.1% were heavy vehicles. Currently, this translates to a Level of Service (LOS) F while entering the city and LOS E while exiting. This results in regular traffic jams and hold-ups at peak times and during specific events, which in turn causes a large number of accidents of various types.

Elevation of the walkway to resolve the intersection of the pedestrian route above Avenida García Sabell at junction 2 (POCOMACO-Matogrande).

At present, large numbers of pedestrians use the road margins, owing to the presence of several shopping centres, hotels, residential buildings and bus stops. The plan incorporates the environmental adaptation of the road margins and the inclusion of paths enabling complete integration between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring they can all transit through the area in safety. Moreover, the walkway design ensures the permeability of the road infrastructure.

The aim is to increase the humanisation of the section by improving the transit process for pedestrians and cyclists, thereby enhancing their safety and transit experience. The plan also aims to provide both residents and passers-by with a more congenial and attractive environment through the use of physical, visual and acoustic separation. Generally speaking, it is a plan of an eminently urban nature, in which the concept of functionality takes precedence over mobility. The study sought to achieve a balance between the regulatory requirements and recommendations (including the Accessibility Code published by the government of Galicia’s ministry of Social Affairs and the document published by the Spanish ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (MITMA) on Accessibility in urban public spaces and developing viable solutions whose costs are not disproportionate.

The connection to pedestrian access points near the bus stops and walkways ensures transverse permeability throughout the entire section

Shared use of the road

Prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users and enabling them to interact with the road in harmony and safety, while providing a quality environment, is one of the priority aims of this action. The area in which the work will be carried out has a gentle gradient of around 5%.

Wherever possible, the paths have been designed with a different elevation to the AC-11 in order to provide a clear differentiation of uses and protect the path users. The plan has made efforts to adapt the road’s longitudinal section to the accessibility requirements, with maximum gradients of 8% and the placement of horizontal intermediate platforms to serve as rest areas where necessary.

The plan includes a review of the bus stops in order to ensure they remain connected to the road and the paths without any interference to or from pedestrians above the road.

A maximum width of five metres was established as a design criterion; however, this was not always possible owing to the fact that buildings and related installations limited the amount of space available on the road margins.

One of the design priorities was to ensure sufficient transverse permeability for the road by incorporating three new walkways and connecting the paths to the existing bus stops, whose design would be adapted in line with current standards with regard to the space required for bays and shelters to protect users.

The plan also takes into account the lighting of the paths and bus shelters, in order to enhance users’ comfort and safety.

Environmental and landscape restoration

Plan of the landscape integration measures for the section of road between the AC-11 and the AC-14.

One of the project’s central aims is to increase the humanisation of this particular section of Avenida Alfonso Molina by improving the transit process for pedestrians and cyclists in their designated zones, thereby enhancing their safety and transit experience. To achieve this, we have physically, visually and acoustically separated the vehicular traffic from the new path and garden areas, in order to provide residents and passers-by with an environment that is more congenial and attractive.

With regard to landscape integration, we have identified 12 zones on the right-hand margin and nine on the left-hand margin where work will be carried out. The selection of species to plant in the garden requires a prior analysis of climatic conditions, the aesthetic and design approach that is to be followed (factors such as colour, leaf fall, texture, appearance, etc.), shade requirements, and references from other areas on Avenida Alfonso Molina where gardens have already been planted, as well as an analysis of the requirements specified by A Coruña Council with regard to:

• Specific requirements of the species chosen.
• Resistance to climatic conditions: water requirements, exposure to sunlight, wind resistance.
• Resistance to environmental conditions: urban pollution, suitable geographical location and altitude.
• Ecological and physiological characteristics: soil properties, texture, moisture, growth rate and longevity, transplanting period and level of difficulty, disease and pest resistance.
• Landscape characteristics and other factors of interest owing to their functional utility: suitability regarding the combination of species; criteria related to colour and seasonal variation; suitability for creating or improving the acoustic conditions of the urban environment; suitability as providers of shade; considerations regarding the production of fruit and seeds and interference in paved areas.

As the area is highly anthropised, the project is not expected to have any significant impact on the existing fauna (wood pigeons, swallows, blackbirds, sparrows and mice).

Likewise, the existing historical and artistic heritage has been respected and none of the current architectural elements (hórreos –traditional raised granaries–, the Seat building, the Coca-Cola factory and the church of San Vicenzo de Elviña) will be directly affected by the project.

Within the context of the ongoing global health crisis, we must all play our part in the search for innovative, solidarity-based solutions that will enable us to lay the foundations for a solid and sustainable recovery. To help meet this critical challenge, at the national level, Ineco is firmly committed to aiding the efforts of the Ministry of  Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda by providing technical support to help implement the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

The main aims of this Plan are to modernise the economy, restore economic growth and create jobs, and as such, it will play a key role in consolidating and boosting the activities of the engineering and consultancy sector, which will have to offer a sound and technologically innovative response to the challenges that are looming in the short and medium term.

These are challenges that our company is tackling head-on, following a positive end to the 2020 financial year and prospects for 2021 that allow us to remain fairly optimistic, based on most solid guarantee of all: the enormous talent of our professionals. The award that one of our team recently received from the Madrid Association of Civil Engineers, along with the development of the innovative EOS project to help make flight procedures safer, are clear examples of Ineco’s entrepreneurial and forward-looking response capacity.

At Ineco we are firmly committed to aiding the efforts of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda by providing technical support to help implement the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan

At the international level, the contracts we have recently signed – such as the one for the Tren Maya, in Mexico, not only boost Ineco’s economic outlook for the coming years, but also reinforce the leading role played by Spanish engineering around the world.

Further examples of our strength and competitiveness include the commission to produce the Master Plan and design for what will become the second-largest airport in Greece, at Kasteli on the island of Crete; and the extension of the renovation works on the rail link between Samsun and Kalin, in Turkey.

This work is the result of the knowledge we have acquired through the projects we have implemented in Spain over recent decades. Among them, the addition of gauge changeovers to the high-speed rail network: a highly successful experience, particularly useful in terms of helping us export our know-how to other countries. At the international level, examples include highly specialised projects such as the development of new rail regulations for the Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado de Chile (EFE).

We have also made progress in fulfilling our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs: a commitment that continues to encourage us to promote actions and initiatives designed to improve quality of life for society as a whole. This has led us to continue supporting solidarity-based projects such as IngenioSOS which has helped to improve essential services in Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, South Sudan, India and Haiti over the course of its two editions.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results. With our vocation for innovation and the solid capacity to adapt that we have demonstrated since the very beginning, the current situation has allowed us to consolidate the strengths that set us apart, design new services that respond to emerging needs, and offer the best from our primary asset, the team that makes up Ineco. In short, we are moving forward, growing together.

The role and talent of Spanish engineering has meant that, for the first time in the more than 50 years of our history, we are now operating on all five continents. We have made our entry into Australia as part of the technical team that is promoting the modernisation of Sydney’s commuter network, drawing on Ineco’s extensive experience in the railway sector. In addition to this project, which is a symbolic milestone for all of us, Ineco was also awarded contracts with Rail Baltica and the works for Vilnius airport, both in Europe, the sustainability study for Dammam airport and the integral management of the plan for the Kuwait international airport expansion, in Asia, and the project recently signed in Costa Rica, on the American continent.

In Spain, we continue to focus our work on continuing to grow together with our clients and shareholders, contributing to the maintenance of essential services that seek to guarantee sustainable development, such as the services provided in Spain for Aena related to its carbon footprint and the fight against climate change,the work for ENAIRE, which for the first time successfully tested remote operation of SACTA, and the works and installations for Adif that will enable it to improve the quality of the service and advance in the efforts to bring high-speed rail to Extremadura.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results

Ineco’s commitment to developing its talent has enabled it to continue to grow its position as a ground-breaking transport engineering and consultancy firm in the design of innovative and cutting-edge projects. One clear example of this is the international Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award given by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems, which recognises Ineco’s ground-breaking work in Spain using the BIM methodology in a GIS environment when designing a new stretch of highway. Accordingly, this edition includes an article on linear infrastructure projects in several countries where we are applying the BIM methodology. We also cover the Innova Award awarded to Ineco for the EOS project, a software product with unique features previously unavailable on the market.

Lastly, within the framework of our Agenda 2030 Plan, we highlight the importance of Ineco’s compliance programme, an example of our firm commitment to ethics that forms part of our Atenea Strategic Plan, guaranteeing respect for the law and trust amongst our stakeholders. Compliance is a culture that enables us to continue growing together to continuously improve our company, avoiding risks and producing legal security.

The amendment of the Spanish Criminal Code means that legal entities, such as Ineco, can be held criminally liable for certain criminal offences, for those actions or omissions in the course of their business carried out by any of their employees, managers or members of their Board of Directors, on its behalf and for its direct or indirect benefit. In order to prevent criminal proceedings from being brought against the company or any of its employees, the company, in accordance with its Standards of Integrity, Transparency and Commitment, has implemented a Programme for the Prevention of Criminal Accusations, or Compliance Programme, the aim of which is to guarantee the duty of vigilance and control in the company, as the only way of protecting itself from possible criminal charges in the event of irregular conduct.

Compliance is the specific function that enables companies to detect and manage the risks of criminal non-compliance with the internal and external regulatory obligations of their business sphere, mitigating the risks of criminal charges and possible penalties or sanctions arising from non-compliance. This function is carried out by means of a series of appropriate procedures and the establishment of policies of actions in certain areas, making it necessary to implement a series of rules and internal controls in the company.

The Organisation and Management Model provides a structure for prevention of infractions through the creation of the Regulatory Compliance Committee (CCN), as well as an obligation to report or denounce, through the creation of the Compliance Channel for complaints or inquiries and a training programme on compliance.  The CCN is made up of six members appointed by the Board of Directors, and is the body responsible for resolving all doubts or queries raised by employees, as well as for investigating complaints about possible prohibited conduct. They operate in confidentially and independently. All members have undergone compliance training in order to enable them to perform their duties more effectively.

The Compliance Channel

Ineco has a Complaints and Queries Channel (Compliance Channel) available on its intranet, where employees can report to the CCN any events or conduct of which they are aware that are suspected to fall outside of the company’s ethical standards and could constitute a criminal offence. Since the implementation of the Compliance Programme, 100% of the staff has been invited to take part in the training programme,  Plan for the Prevention of Criminal Accusations, which is compulsory for all members of the company, including workers, managers and members of the Board of Directors, as well as temporary staff. Specific training has also been introduced for the staff of subsidiaries and branch offices. This Organisation and Management Model applies to Ineco, as a legal entity, as well as to the following individuals: company directors and managers; executives, either individually or as members of a professional association; and workers, regardless of their position or the type of employment contract, including interns and staff provided to the company by temporary employment agencies. In addition to the above, the Organisation and Management Model for the Prevention of Criminal Offences has been extended to Ineco’s suppliers, through the publication on the corporate website of the company’s Catalogue of Prohibited Conduct, and a responsible statement that all suppliers must sign and submit as part of the administrative documentation of each procurement dossier.

Ineco is firmly committed to ethics, and creating a genuine culture of compliance is part of the company’s DNA. Ineco’s Compliance Programme has a dual value: it guarantees respect for legality and trust in its stakeholders, and it is a mechanism for exonerating or mitigating the company’s criminal liability if certain criminal offences are committed by members of the organisation. In its desire for ongoing review and improvement, and within the scope of the objectives set out in the Atenea Strategic Plan, the CCN has proposed two new actions: the implementation of anonymous reporting in the Compliance Channel and the preparation of a statement of responsibility.

Compliance is a culture that not only avoids risks and creates legal certainty, but also helps to improve the company. Ineco is compliance.

With its 30-year contract to manage six airports in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Aena Internacional has strengthened its leadership in the world and is helping to build new air bridges in a strategic sector vital to the development of the country’s tourism and economy, while at the same time strengthening relations between Spain and Brazil.

Ineco, which provided technical support to Aena Internacional during the entire concession process, will continue to collaborate on both the Operational Readiness and Transfer and subsequent stages, thus strengthening its long history as a technical consultant in Brazil, a country in which the company is carrying out other projects such as supervision of new trains for the São Paulo Commuter network, which is also covered in an article in this issue.

Also in the international sphere, our railway specialisation has taken us to different continents, as reported in the article about the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) carried out for the improvement of the Panama City Metro and safety studies conducted for the Makkah-Madinah high-speed line in Saudi Arabia.

In Spain, the works on the high-speed line to Galicia also involve building bridges – both figuratively, because of the crucial importance of improving connections with the Region of Galicia, and literally, because of the construction of the large viaducts and other special works that are required, including the ones described in a report in this issue on a section that presents enormous technical complexity.

We also dedicate space to innovation with the RONIN road safety tool and the implementation of a pilot project using the ground-breaking integration of BIM and GIS technology in Spain’s road sector.

Ineco’s commitment to building bridges between training and the exercise of the engineering profession, supporting the development and attraction of talent, has led us to organise, together with the Spanish Institute of Engineering, the first edition of the Awards for Excellence in Engineering Student Internships. These awards are based on performance during a series of theoretical and practical courses that will enhance the training of future engineers and enable them to contribute to increasing the prestige of Spanish engineering.

Similarly, and as part of our unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda, we will be building charitable bridges with volunteer projects that we carry out in our CSR section, in which we highlight three projects already underway in India, South Sudan and Haiti.

With women accounting for 38% of its workforce of more than three thousand professionals and 27% of the employees in its management structure, Ineco is a company that boasts a high level of participation by women in its organisation and a firm commitment and ties to effective equality.

Since 2009, the company has had an Equality Plan with goals and strategies that aim to achieve effective equality between women and men. To achieve this, Ineco has set in motion a range of initiatives and measures aimed at reconciling work and family life, removing all signs of inequality and preventing sexual or gender-based harassment.

Some of the most important measures include the creation of an Equality Committee to monitor progress in this area, the establishment of a channel for sharing ideas and proposing suggestions and the publication of a guide for using non-sexist language in order to avoid discrimination, prejudice and derogatory terms when interacting with people.

In line with these actions, in 2015, the Concilia Plan was agreed upon with the legal representation of the workers, establishing 18 measures to facilitate work-life balance, grouped into four areas: organisation of work time; time off, absences and breaks; corporate benefits; and personal and professional development. The measures include all kinds of initiatives, such as parking spaces for pregnant employees, medical care and corporate services for first-degree relatives, summer camps and day-care centres. With regard to equality, the company promotes increased flexibility of the workday through the implementation of a teleworking system, shared work programmes and the effective application of flexible working hours. These measures are an essential element to achieve a balance between professional and personal life, and to ensure the retention of talent in the company.

The response by staff to these measures has been exceptional, as demonstrated by the fact that thus far, more than 2,200 requests have been made and a total of 436 Ineco professionals benefit from teleworking.

Ineco’s commitment to and relationship with equality is absolute and, although much remains to be done, progress has been significant in terms of aspects such as reducing the wage gap between women and men by more than 40% since 2012.

Engineers by air, land and sea

On 8 March, to mark International Women’s Day, Carmen Librero, president of Ineco, organised a seminar entitled Engineers by Air, Land and Sea, in which women professionals from the sector, including some from outside the company, shared their stories and experiences.

Carmen Librero began her talk by recalling how certain freedoms and rights that until recently were unthinkable, have been achieved, and she paid tribute to Pilar Careaga, who in 1929 became the first woman in Spain to obtain an engineering degree and work as a qualified engineer in Spanish industry.

Since 2009, the company has had an Equality Plan with goals and strategies that aim to achieve effective equality between women and men

Attending this seminar and contributing their stories and experiences were Isabel Maestre, director of the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency, former recipient of the Women and Technology Award for best professional development, and founder and vice president of the association Ellas Vuelan Alto (Women Fly High); Carmen de Andrés, Spain’s first female civil engineer and president of business management at Creatividad y Tecnología; Pilar Tejo, naval engineer, former winner of the AINE Award from the Association of Naval Engineers, director of Teirlog Ingeniería; and Sara Gómez, doctor of industrial engineering and first female director of UPM School of Industrial Engineering and advisor to the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering, where she leads the Women and Engineering project. Representing Ineco were engineers Marta Molinero, Cristina González and Noelia Soriano.

‘In’ Women’s Programme and the 2030 Agenda

Promoted by the Equality Committee, in April, Ineco launched its IN Women’s Programme, in which a group of 11 women with high potential, selected through an evaluation process, will participate in a 12-month mentoring programme. They will receive advice and guidance from certified internal mentors and participate in different workshops focused on addressing key aspects for their development. They will also have the opportunity to share experiences with other women in the business sector, all with the maximum support of those responsible.

This new initiative is part of the organisation’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda and gender equality and highlights the work of all the company’s
professionals.

The first edition of the ‘IN’ Women’s Programme

PHOTO_ELVIRA VILA

The president of Ineco, Carmen Librero, along with 10 of the 11 participants selected for the programme, which received applications from 50 candidates.

“If we all join forces, we can really change things”

1 How many institutions and NGOs has Ineco collaborated with in the last decade?

More than 100, without a doubt. But the important thing isn’t quantity; it’s the quality of the projects obtained thanks to the involvement of the company and employees. The social value generated by this joint work is incredible.

2 Is it difficult to persuade senior executives to get involved in CSR projects?

Not at Ineco. When faced with a sound project that is aligned with our strategy and requirements, senior management has always supported these initiatives. They have always been aware of the benefits they represent for any company.  In addition, Ineco, as a state-owned company, has to set an example.

3 WHICH ARE MORE CONVINCING, RATIONAL OR EMOTIONAL ARGUMENTS?

Decisions are made by people, based on that balanced combination of emotion and rationality that we all have to a greater or lesser extent. In order to persuade, it is essential to generate trust, a feeling that is hard to create if one isn’t scrupulous in their work.

4 How do you reconcile the different functions you perform for the company?

The truth is that they fit together perfectly. My work in the president’s office and management committee enriches the vision to define a CSR strategy that is aligned with Ineco’s general strategy.

5 Is money important?

I would be lying if I said no. Yes, it is important, but it is not the sine qua non. There are great examples in which other elements such as institutional partnerships, personal effort, creativity and passion have replaced the scarcity of resources with extraordinary results, especially with regard to institutional relations and CSR.

6 What’s your most exciting current project?

Giving the final push to Ineco’s commitment to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and increasing awareness of it. If we all join forces, we can really change things.

The Agenda has 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets that range from the elimination of poverty to combating climate change, education, women’s equality, environmental protection and the design of cities. Each goal has specific targets that have to be achieved in the coming years and, to do so, all of the agents –governments, the private sector, civil society and citizens– have to play their part.

These goals are unique in that they urge all countries, whether rich, poor or middle-income, to adopt measures to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognise that initiatives to end poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that promote economic growth and address a range of social needs, including education, health, social protection and employment opportunities, while combating climate change and promoting environmental protection.

Although the SDGs are not legally binding, many governments have adopted them as their own and established national frameworks to achieve them.

On 18 June 2018, the Spanish Government created the post of high commissioner for the 2030 Agenda reporting directly to the prime minister and holding the rank of undersecretary, who will be responsible for coordinating initiatives to ensure fulfilment of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.

Also in 2018, the Cabinet approved the 2030 Agenda Implementation Action Plan: Towards a Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development, which involved the participation of all ministries, regional governments, local bodies and civil society organisations.

Ineco, as part of its corporate social responsibility activities, has joined this initiative, reinforcing its commitment to the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda by incorporating them into the company’s general strategy. The company has also undertaken to spread awareness of the Agenda through external and internal campaigns to ensure that its more than 3,000 employees and stakeholders are aware of it and can work towards fulfilling these goals.