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World Environment Day: Enel’s contribution to the #OnlyOneEarth movement

World Environment Day: Enel’s contribution to the #OnlyOneEarth movement

On this World Environment Day, at Enel, we are spreading awareness of the importance of saving our planet and ensuring that we are resilient in the fight for a healthier Earth to live on.

 

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The late astronomer Carl Sagan once said: “The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding. Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home." To put the universe into perspective, think of the following: there are approximately 285 galaxies for each person on Earth and scientists estimate that there are at least six billion planets in our galaxy alone. With all this said, there is only one place we call home, and that is Earth.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

This year we are joining the #OnlyOneEarth movement in raising awareness of the necessary actions that must be taken to ensure that we are all contributing to the healing of the planet.

Since the birth of Enel, we have made it our mission to ensure global prosperity through ethical practices, environmentally friendly processes and an overall goal to drive sustainable progress to ensure decarbonization. Here’s a peak of some of the methods in which we are making our mark to create a better Earth for all.

For many years, the Enel Group has seen decarbonisation and the circular economy as a single theme, focusing on renewable sources, electrification and a circular approach across the entire supply chain.

From measurement, target and co-innovation with our suppliers, to the circular innovations of our giga factory for photovoltaics in Sicily, to a second life for batteries as in Melilla, to the reuse of 100% of the plastic from old generation meters in the new ones that replace them.

 

Biodiversity matters

Sustainability also implies corporate responsibility. In relation to new energy plants, and in particular renewable ones, the potential exposure to a biodiversity risk is highlighted starting from the phase of feasibility analysis, taking into account the geographic proximity of the sites to protected or important biodiversity areas, and the potential presence of endangered species. At Enel we have renewable plants all over the world, and with this, we ensure the management and protection of biodiversity in the surroundings of our production sites.

Through periodic monitoring and safeguarding of local species based on our knowledge of the area, we are constantly trying to mitigate environmental impact by optimizing our processes through our business lines and at Group level.

 

Consciousness along business lines

Throughout the different business lines at Enel, we strive to constantly challenge the status quo through different collaborations, initiatives and programs.

Enel Green Power (EGP) is no stranger to creating new processes that change the way we work as a Group. It has launched an experimental program on agrovoltaics, involving nine solar plants in Spain, Italy and Greece. The objective of this program is to demonstrate the coexistence of large solar plants with agro-zoological activities, thus promoting the conservation of local biodiversity. This unique approach promotes better shading and reduction of water stress due to less direct solar radiation on the crop itself. Starting in 2022 and moving forward, this program will safeguard local species through categorization, monitoring and necessary action.  

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EGP has also made investments in the project WaVE (Water Value Enhancement) to generate renewable energy while reducing the use of water for the production of electricity as much as possible and optimizing the use of resources in its plants. Through the circular approach of reusing wastewater, using seawater, or even wastewater from other plants, instead of precious freshwater, and by leveraging different innovative technologies, the business line has been able to lower its water usage across Chile, Panama, Spain, Italy and more.

 

Environmentally friendly startups

At Enel, we strongly believe that startup collaborations and co-creation can help drive sustainable growth. One of the many startups we work alongside is Prati Armati®, whose technology tackles soil erosion with a seed mix consisting of several deep-rooting herbaceous plants. The startup’s slogan is “Nature saves itself” and with this in mind it has been able to turn infrastructure and facilities into powerful CO2 absorbers, which are protected from hydrogeological instability, require no maintenance and make the natural landscape once again hospitable to life.

Another example of a startup that is well on its way to reducing the world’s carbon footprint is Optibus. In collaboration with Enel X, the startup uses an AI software platform to generate quality transit schedules for electric public transportation through data-driven planning. Read the full story on the Optibus technology and how it is helping ensure the success of the implementation of e-buses in many cities and thus help reach the goal of carbon-neutrality.

 

We are #OneEarth

Slowly but surely, overall awareness of the importance of maintaining a better planet for us to live on is growing. As a collective community, we have the responsibility to take transformative action toward the protection and restoration of our planet. Take inspiration and learn you can help make sustainable living the default option by joining the #OneEarth movement.

At Enel, we will continue to be resilient in our path towards the energy transition. Learn more about this commitment through our 2021 Sustainability Report. We may be a small speck in the universe, but this is our home and every small action counts. Together we can create a better future.