Abengoa is an international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the infrastructures, energy and water sectors.

Company applying innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environmental industries whose business model has the following features:

• The creation of new businesses assisting in the combat against climate change and contributing to sustainable development;
• Maintaining a highly competitive human team;
• A strategy of permanent value creation, with the generation of new opportunities, defining the current and future businesses according to a structured procedure;
• Geographical diversification on markets offering a greater potential;
• And investment efforts in connection with research, development and innovation activities

And this is structured around three axes:

• Sustainability
• Transparency and rigor in management
• Fostering entrepreneurial spirit

Sustainability at Abengoa

Abengoa understands sustainability as the management procedures linked to the reduction of negative impact associated to its business activities and also the increase of positive impact in the countries where the organization operates, always considering the expectations of stakeholders.

sustainability translates into a method of managing businesses which has an equal impact on the design of the strategy of the organization, decision taking and the management of operations.

Scope and commitment

Abengoa guarantees full integration of sustainability in the entire organization and the availability of supervision mechanisms allowing the company to detect non-compliant behavior.

Moreover, considering that companies play a fundamental role in fostering a responsible business fabric, Abengoa makes sustainability policies and commitments extensive to its supply chain irrespective of the industry or geographical areas where these are located.

Goal

The main goal of sustainability at Abengoa is fostering responsible management inside and outside the organization.

Strategic lines

Based on the principles and values supporting responsible management, including the ten principles of the Global Compact that Abengoa has accepted as its own commitment, the following action lines have been designed:

Economic scope

• Strengthening and verifying the mechanisms set out to combat corruption and foster a culture of ethics and integrity among employees in completing their activities.
• Advancing the use of reporting channels (internal and external) among employees and the remaining stakeholders as the suitable tools to report any activities, practices or behavior contrary to the values of the organization, the code of conduct, to this policy or to any of the internal rules of Abengoa (NOC) to the most senior members of the organization.
• Offering the market and stakeholders transparent and true information on activities and impact.
• Fostering the economic development of the communities in which Abengoa operates through measures including purchases from local suppliers and hiring local employees.
• Consolidating and updating the Global Risk Management System and tools available for their appropriate control and effectiveness as the Risk Maps, thus guaranteeing excellence in management and decision-making
• Promoting technology development and constant innovation of solutions for sustainable development in order to favor the creation of value and increase the competitiveness of companies.

Social scope

• Guaranteeing the health and safety of own employees and contractors at all the facilities of Abengoa through awareness-raising actions and a culture of prevention, driving management approaches based on information and training for employees, allocating the most suitable resources and constant supervision of work procedures to ensure they are met and to reach a zero-accident rate.
• Assuring the protection of Human Rights in connection with all activities conducted by the company and by its supply chain.
• Fostering gender diversity and equal opportunities and treatment for men and women in the organisation, stimulating measures that guarantee non-discrimination whatsoever and the promotion of under-represented groups at the workplace, giving them more visibility.
• Ensuring that Abengoa’s professionals are skilled enough to achieve the goals of its Strategic Plan
• Committing to social development of the communities in which the company operates via collaboration projects with NGOs and local institutions. Investing in education to benefit the integration of the most vulnerable collectives and offering them the tools and resources needed for their economic, cultural and social development.
• Cultivating corporate volunteering actions among employees at Abengoa and their families to make them part of the commitment of the organization to social development while at the same time bolstering projects with their contributions.
• Advancing a culture of sustainability within the organization, favoring communication and training in matters relating to any of the topics contained in this policy.

Environmental scope

• Appropriately and efficiently managing the impact caused by the company’s activities on the environment via management systems designed for this purpose, which must be implemented at all companies within the organization.
• Guaranteeing commitment to the protection of the environment for all activities, beyond compliance with current legislation in force.
• Fostering the efficient use of resources and promoting the purchase and use of recycled or certified materials.
• Reducing the impact on the environment of the life cycle of the products and services of Abengoa, including the supply chain and the production of raw materials.
• Encouraging proper waste management, advocating the reduction of the sources of the above and promoting the utmost reuse of such waste.
• Championing the combat against climate change, inside and outside the organization, and designing specific programs for the suitability and reduction of the effects of this change, also establishing internal carbon pricing.
• Collaborating with other organizations to attain greater understanding and awareness of environmental protection and sustainability of economic development.

Management and verification tools

To guarantee suitable implementation of the sustainability strategy in the organization, Abengoa has management systems for non-financial management information allowing it to gather reliable and consistent data for performance in the various areas of responsible management. The appropriate operation and use of systems, in addition to the accuracy of data is supervised internally by a specialized team.

Moreover, the company has supervision and control mechanisms involving the senior officers of the organization to guarantee the alignment of decision taking with the internal policies and rules governing the operation of Abengoa, including this sustainability policy.

Furthermore, Abengoa relies on independent external auditors to complete supplementary tasks of verification and assurance on a financial and non-financial level, thus guaranteeing the reliability of the information offered to the market and to stakeholders.

Communication to stakeholders

Abengoa makes dialogue channels available to stakeholders, adjusted to their specific requirements and information needs, additionally permitting the company to gather reliable information on their expectations.

Furthermore, as part of its commitment to transparency, since 2002 Abengoa has annually been publishing a Sustainability Report verified by an independent third party. The report, in addition to providing information on the performance of the organization in the three sustainability scopes, also offers an integrated account of the business model of Abengoa and the medium- and long-term strategy lines and targets to be achieved by the organization.

Furthermore, the website provides regular updates on relevant information concerning sustainability and Responsible Management Balance Sheet, which is a scorecard including the most relevant non-financial indicators for the organization verified by an independent third party.

This document was unanimously approved at the meeting held by the Board of Directors on 27 July 2015.

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