SPAIN - The Chairman of Iberdrola Ignacio Galán received the BBK Sustainable Competitiveness award in Bilbao.

The Chairman of Iberdrola received the award in the presence of the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Basque Government, Idoia Mendia, the President of the General Assembly of Bizkaia, Ana Otadui, and the top representatives of the BBK and El Correo, which organised the first edition of the Sustainable Competitiveness awards.

Galán highlighted Iberdrola's roots in the Basque Country: "Iberdrola's activity contributes more than 2% to the Basque economy as a whole. Many of our main suppliers are here, accompanying us in our global expansion, forming a business network around Iberdrola that employs more than 17,000 people in this land".

Iberdrola is developing many innovation projects at the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub in Bilbao, in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. From its headquarters in Larraskitu, 65 companies from all over the world are developing 120 innovative initiatives to make electricity grids the backbone of decarbonisation.

The Chairman of Iberdrola expressed his gratitude for this recognition that "encourages us to continue advancing along this path, demonstrating that the fight against climate change is an engine for growth and a source of job creation, as shown by the incorporation of 5,500 people into our company in the last 12 months".

Reflecting on Iberdrola's promotion of equality, Galán stated that 34% of the company's positions of responsibility are occupied by women. "However," he concluded, "we have made a lot of progress, but there is still a lot to do, and we are committed to moving forward with more enthusiasm".

Source: Iberdrola