Abertis reduces emissions by 25% in 5 years and aims to achieve 50% by 2030.

The commitment to sustainability among companies operating in international markets is increasingly decisive. Abertis, a leading global group in infrastructure and mobility management, has successfully completed its first decarbonization and improvement plan for social relations and corporate governance (ESG). The company's sustainability strategy roadmap has been implemented over the last three years (2022-2024) with the deployment of various projects that have made it possible to accelerate the decarbonization strategy . In the last five years, it has reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are the company's direct emissions and indirect emissions associated with purchased energy, by more than 25%.

The company plans to double the reduction achieved by 2030, reaching 50% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Regarding Scope 3 emissions, which occur in a company's value chain outside its direct control but are linked to its activities, Abertis's goal is to reduce them by 22% over the next 5 years. Furthermore, in terms of overall GHG emissions, the reduction compared to 2023 was 8.9%.

The ESG Plan 2022-2024 was the Spanish multinational's first operational tool for deploying its sustainability strategy toward 2030. Over the past three years, the group has achieved all its environmental, social, and governance goals, installing 776 electric charging points, achieving 72.8% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources, and commissioning 62 solar plants across eight business units. Furthermore, it has managed to reduce Scope 3 emissions linked to purchasing and services, and significantly increased the use of recycled materials to 16%.

The Abertis Group's decarbonization targets have been externally validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an internationally recognized organization that certifies its alignment with international scientific standards for combating climate change. For multinationals receiving investment, implementing an ESG plan is essential to operate sustainably and responsibly, given that these factors are increasingly being considered in investment decision-making. This improves the company's reputation by demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

Proof of Abertis's good reputation has been the success of two consecutive bond issues recently closed, totaling €1.1 billion. The latest, for €600 million, was placed on June 30th among qualified international investors with an oversubscription of 3.5 times the initial volume. Strong demand facilitated financing terms for the coupon at 3.125% with a 2030 maturity date, which has improved the company's objectives. The previous issue in May was for €500 million of hybrid bonds, placed with a 4-times oversubscription rate among almost 200 institutional investors. This transaction, together with the €750 million issued in November 2024, completed the partial refinancing of €1.25 billion of hybrid bond stock. This reaffirms market confidence in both Abertis' financial strength and efficient balance sheet management. This is supported by its strong ESG performance, which projects a more positive international image that attracts investors concerned with sustainability.

After completing the first cycle of its ESG strategy, Abertis is now embarking on its new 2025-2027 plan, which builds on its achievements while also aiming to deepen key lines of action such as energy efficiency, sustainable innovation, and digitalization. Company sources indicate that this new plan incorporates more demanding objectives and new cross-cutting projects that reinforce the company's sustainability ambition.

By 2024, 72.8% of the group's direct energy consumption would already come from renewable sources, up from 67.6% the previous year. In countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, and Chile, green energy consumption has already reached 100%. "We are fully committed to more fluid and sustainable mobility and are putting all our efforts into reducing emissions, decarbonizing our infrastructure, and ensuring the fluidity of land transportation," says Georgina Flamme, Director of Institutional Relations, Communication, and Sustainability at Abertis. To achieve this, digitalization, innovation, and the use of renewable energy have become key tools, she adds. "Advancing the use of green energy is one of our main goals, and we are working to ensure that 100% of our electricity consumption comes from clean energy in the coming years," Flamme concludes. The group also recycles and recovers around 86% of the waste generated globally, exceeding the 50% target and with the challenge of maintaining this figure above 80% by 2027, thanks to improved sorting and recycling processes derived from highway management, thus boosting the circular economy.

In 2024, the company updated its general infrastructure management policy with the aim of promoting the sustainable development of its activities and the maintenance of its infrastructure through the circular economy and innovation. In that year, 11% of the materials used in pavements were of recycled origin. France stands out, where the use of recycled asphalt (RAP) has reached 43%, while in Italy it remains close to 30%. In Chile, the average is around 9%, and in Brazil, tests are being conducted to increase the use of RAP in future repaving projects.