Abengoa has established the implementation of environmental management systems based on the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard as a strategic objective for all group companies. The aim is to mitigate any negative environmental impacts the company’s products and services may have, and includes lowering the consumption of natural resources, and minimizing wastes and emissions generated by the company.
Practically all of Abengoa’s activities fall under the scope of an environmental management system in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard, and all significant environmental impacts are identified according to each company’s internal procedures. The percentage of certified Abengoa companies totaled 88.18 % in 2011.
As far as measuring and monitoring environmental impacts and controlling associated operations are concerned, the company requires that all activities with significant environmental impact be covered under a Monitoring and Measurement Plan, as well as an Operational Control Program.
Furthermore, in 2011 Abengoa implemented the Environmental Sustainability Indicator (ESI) system. The system was also incorporated into the ISMS to enhance business management, enabling the company to measure and compare the sustainability of its activities in order to establish improvement targets.
The ESIs unify the different environmental management systems of each company based on the ISO 14001 standard, allowing information to be consolidated in order to establish common policies and objectives.
The indicator system covers the following categories of environmental concerns:
The primary objectives of the system are as follows:
In short, the indicator system will facilitate environmental risk detection and coverage by determining aspects which have, or could potentially have, a significant impact on the environment.