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The global biotech ethanol company

Community involvement

Abengoa Bioenergía promotes and carries out activities and actions with general-interest purposes, focusing on education, culture and science. Abengoa Bioenergía believes that the innovative enterprise is a necessary and effective tool to move towards a society committed to sustainable development. On the other hand, the company is involved in actions promoted by Abengoa mainly through its Focus Foundation.

All these actions are aimed at contributing to improve the surrounding environment not only in the economic aspect but also in social and environmental terms and, therefore, the interest and well-being not only of the people who work at the company but also every individual, organization and community around it.

Europe

Abengoa Bioenergía’ related companies abide by the values of corporate social responsibility in every aspect of their daily operation naturally integrated to the company's strategy, culture and organization. To that end, they foster and contribute to the development of the following activities:

  • Contribution to the organization of training courses.
  • Cooperation with Universities.
  • Support to environmental awareness initiatives.
  • Involvement in cultural associations, participation in fairs and conventions.
  • Support to the activities of associations.
  • Support in the organization of local festivals.
  • Sponsorship of youth sports teams, events and equipment.
  • Improvement in the maintenance of services in those areas where the plants are located.

United States

A series of activities have been planned in the United States in order to promote the good name of the company and provide it with public recognition through activities of a social nature. These efforts include contributions to civil and charitable organizations, involvement with local schools and universities, participation in events, improvement of safety and appearance of production plants and environmental awareness.

Some of the activities developed are:

  • Money donations to renowned organizations, as for example, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, among others.
  • Participation and promotion for civic organizations, such as the Chambers of Commerce, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, youth sport teams, elderly associations or support to schools, encouraging their employees involvement in these activities.
  • Organization of special support activities such as the program “Adopt a Family”, participation in “S. G. Komen Race for the Cure”, contributions to provide dictionaries to local schools.

Brazil

Abengoa Bioenergía Brasil has planned a number of corporate social responsibility-based activities to integrate the company to the local communities. These activities are aimed at contributing to improve the economic, social and environmental surroundings, as well as the interest and well-being not only of the people that work in the company but also of the community.

The following are significant projects launched in this year:

  • Support to workers who lost their jobs through the delivery of a basic food basket.
  • Donation of uniforms and sport material for the children and youth football school, promoting the dedication of employees to those activities.
  • Donation of diapers for elderly associations of the region.
  • Support to environment awareness initiatives.
  • Donation of food and uniforms to associations that support low-income families through internal social responsibility campaigns.
  • Improvement in the maintenance of the internal and external areas of the different plants.

Human rights

Abengoa Bioenergía, as a subsidiary of Abengoa (signatory of the United Nations Global Pact since September 2002), provides for the fulfillment of the 10 basic principles in this pact.

These 10 principles are founded on universal conventions and protocols: two on human rights, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; four on labor, based on the International Labor Organization (ILO) in connection to Work Principles and Rights; three on the environment, supported by the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; and one on the fight against corruption, based on the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Based on the fact that the basic principle of all activities is the respect of the fundamental Rights of individuals and their social environment, Abengoa Bioenergía and its subsidiaries:

  • Support and respect the protection of the International fundamental human rights, within its scope of action.
  • Ensure that companies have no participation in human rights violations.
  • Support freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining negotiations.
  • Support the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory work.
  • Support the effective abolition of child work.
  • Support the elimination of all practices of discrimination in any form of work or occupation.
  • Maintain a preventive approach that encourages the proper use of the environment.
  • Foster initiatives that promote a better environmental responsibility.
  • Encourage the development and promotion of environmentally friendly technologies.
  • Work fighting corruption in all forms, including extortion and bribery.