Iberdrola's International Corporate Volunteering Programme is a global initiative that is in line with the Group's values and our general sustainable development policy. It was born in 2006 as part of our commitment to encourage the involvement of our teams in the realities of the most disadvantaged in society, turning them into agents of change. 

In 2022, more than 16,800 volunteers participated in the Corporate Volunteering Programme - 38% more than the previous year -. This solidarity energy helped more than half a million people. 

Iberdrola, with the victims of Ukraine

Since the beginning of this humanitarian crisis, Iberdrola has activated its 12,000 volunteers - 8,000 in Spain - so that they can collaborate in different lines of action and has launched the Volunteers for Ukraine programme to channel the solidarity of the company's professionals and transfer their aid in the most efficient way to the people affected. 

Through this programme, Iberdrola has sent more than eight tonnes of humanitarian material donated by its employees in Spain to Ukraine in March 2022. Among the basic necessities provided are first aid, orthopaedic, hygiene and sanitary products, as well as shelter, food, warm clothing, blankets and quilts. In addition, the group has sent the country a first batch of 20 generators to maintain the operation of special services such as hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants.

The company is also raising funds, doubling the amounts donated by its employees, which will be given to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide shelter, immediate food and emergency care to the thousands of people who are leaving Ukraine and massing at the borders.

Finally, the company also supports Ukrainian refugees arriving in Spain through its Iberdrola with Refugees volunteer initiative, which aims to help them adapt, promote their integration and improve their autonomy. Since 2015, this initiative has already assisted more than a thousand refugees from other armed conflicts, such as Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan and Mali.

International Volunteering Week

In 2022, the Iberdrola group celebrated the celebrates the 11th edition of its International Volunteer Week. Under the slogan "Together we build the world we want", during the week from 1 to 9 October we brought together more than 7,000 volunteers - 40 % more than the previous year - to develop a set of solidarity initiatives related to care for the environment, the fight against climate change, the inclusion of vulnerable groups, and social assistance. Activities were planned in all the countries where we are present, from Spain  to Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Portugal and Japan, which participated for the first time in this solidarity initiative.

As in the previous year, employees were able to participate in International Volunteer Week through face-to-face or online activities. Thus, volunteers and their families carried out various actions with other groups, such as people with disabilities, young people, women in vulnerable situations, refugees and the elderly, bearing in mind that, as a new feature this year, we will plant a tree for each volunteer who participated, an initiative that will help to recover forest mass in areas that have been affected by fires.

This year, there were more than 90 solidarity initiatives, including the "Dorsal Solidario" project, a global challenge to help families in need. The aim is to complete a route (walking, running or cycling) to encourage physical activity among participants, as well as to nurture the spirit of solidarity among our employees. Every five kilometres run or walked and every 15 kilometres cycled is converted into a food basket that will benefit almost 8,800 people. 

During this week, many activities were carried out related to Iberdrola's commitment to caring for the environment and supporting vulnerable groups, such as reforestation, recycling, cleaning beaches and seabeds, and water care, among others. The initiatives also included online challenges and donations of food, clothing, hygiene products or school kits for children at risk of exclusion.