ll Edition Companies and Climate Change

Leading experts from NH, IKEA, ENDESA and REPSOL present the latest trends in the II Course Companies and Climate Change

The program for the second edition of Companies and Climate Change - October 14 to December 15, 2011 - has been expanded to include training sessions on the latest trends in the new Green Purchasing policy, CSR and European Directive New Regulations (third European phase).
The classroom sessions will feature leading experts from companies committed to climate change: Luis Ortega Cobo - Corporate Director of Environment and Engineering NH Hotels, Jose Luis Pastor - Head of Power and CO2 Trading & Origination ENDESA, Mercedes Gutierrez - Sustainability Manager at IKEA Iberia, and Jose Luis Tejera Director of Strategic and Corporate Development AENOR, among others.
The course 100-hour includes 40 hours of lectures and 60 hours of classes on-line, the latter including the resolution of case studies, tutorials and virtual media. It is aimed at professionals who manage aspects of climate change, including:
- Executives and managers responsible for emissions trading in regulated firms or those to be potentially regulated by the new European Directive
- Executives and managers of non-regulated companies but with an environmental and social commitment
- Engineering and Consulting Professionals interested in providing technical assistance to large companies
- Professionals from legal and economic entities
- Corporate Social Responsibility directors and managers
- Those who have responsibility for Sustainability in large organisations

Domestic Projects

Methodologies for Domestic Projects

As a result of the provisions set out in Bylaw 13/2010, obtaining carbon credits in projects involving GHG emission reduction in the national territory will soon be a reality. IIMA is now studying the feasibility of adapting the French methodologies referenced by EcoSecurities. The methodologies were inspired by similar ones used in the Kyoto Protocol for the following sectors: road transport, manure management, methane capture at landfills, wastewater treatment and energy efficiency. Once studied they will be adapted to the Spanish market and posted on its website, probably in Spring 2012.

Green Purchasing

Conference on Green Purchasing organised by IIMA and INCLAM CO2

On 23th September, IIMA Consultora together with INCLAMCO2 conducted a seminar on the proposed inclusion of the Carbon Footprint in Public Procurement. The event took place in Tecniberia, the Association for Engineering in Spain.
The objective was to propose a scheme that, from the State Administration, aims to introduce principles for sustainability in public spending. So far eight sectors: events, transportation, maintenance and minor works, furniture, office equipment, paper and publishing, cleaning products and services and electricity, must provide the carbon footprint for scopes 1 and 2, together with a plan for improving their footprint in order to qualify to compete in public procurement tenders.

IIMA Team Day

IIMA Team take to bicycles for the environment

Last July the IIMA team participated in International Bike Week by taking their bikes to participate in activities dedicated to raising awareness about the environment. The initiative was supported by BioBike, provider of the widest range of two-wheeled electric vehicles in Madrid.

CO2-Pipelines – Training period

IIMA develops a new line for CO2 pipelines

IIMA has launched a specific training plan (2011-2012) to incorporate the peculiarities of these buried pipes, which differ in various aspects to conventional oil and gas pipes with which the company usually works. For example, a leakage can cause catastrophic effects; the pipelines fracture longitudinally along hundreds of meters as a result of the sharp drop in temperature that caused by the leak, this releases a highly-cooled gas mass that can remail for long periods of time long in valleys and depressions. In Europe, these types of environmental impacts are unknown. However, in the U.S. and Canada there are over 2,500 km of CO2 pipelines, used to improve the extraction of oil and gas (Enhanced Oil Recovery, EOR).

Martorell-Figueras gas pipeline. Cartagena-Puertollano oil pipeline.

Construction begins on the Martorell-Figueras gas pipeline and on the restoration of the Cartagena-Puertollano oil pipeline.

After more than 4 years of negotiation construction finally begins on the Martorell-Figueras gas pipeline.
The difficulty in handling this project has been due to the territorial complexity of the affected area, which has been subject to fierce public opposition to its execution. Once all difficulties were overcome and all permits and licences obtained, promoter ENAGAS has initiated construction of the southern section of the project. IIMA will coordinate the implementation of the environmental monitoring plan during the execution of works.
Additionally, restoration work begins on the Cartagena-Puertollano oil pipeline. On finishing construction, REPSOL, the project developer, will begin restoring the 350 km pipeline. IIMA, who have managed the restoration projects for all sections of the pipeline, will also undertake its management.

REDD

Participation in the Working Group on REDD in the province of Salta, Argentina

Alejandro López-Cortijo, CEO of IIMA Consultora, participated in the Working Group on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) organised by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in the province of Salta, Argentina. Along with other national and international experts, and with the involvement of the local government with the minister at the head, the Group looked at the potential for REDD in forest areas such as Chaco Salta.

IIMA Consultora is currently developing a REDD project near Rivadavia, located within the Chaco region, and experience to date is contributing to improving the REDD mechanism in the province. The conservation of forests through economic compensation, due to their role as carbon sinks, can aid the current administration policy in halting the degradation and disappearance of forests.

Argentina has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world: during the twentieth century 70% of its native forests were lost. North-eastern provinces have been hardest hit, with special emphasis on the Chaco forests and Yungas jungle.

Yela-Villar de Arnedo Pipeline

Study of breeding fauna

A requirement for the Environmental Impact Statement for the Yela-El Villar de Arnedo pipeline (250 km) promoted by Enagás is a detailed analysis of the fauna that could potentially be affected in the spring breeding period prior to the commencement of works. This is to ensure that adequate measures are taken against any possible negative effects. Working with the different administrations (Castilla La Mancha, Castilla León, Navarra and La Rioja), consultants from IIMA specialised in fauna have conducted an exhaustive field study of the existing breeding wildlife.

The length of the pipeline implies affecting a wide diversity of habitats associated with different species: steppe areas with Montagu's Harrier, Little Bustard, or Dupont's lark; cliff-nesting areas with eagles, golden eagle owls; forest areas with booted eagles, hawks or falcons ...This diversity of species and habitats has forced the adoption of different sampling methodologies proposed by IIMA team and validated by the different administrations. The results are vital to prevent the spread of diseases to protected species and to ensuring the project's environmental integration.

Natural gas storage

Air quality stations for the CASTOR project

IIMA Consultora continues to work on the project of natural gas storage CASTOR, north of Castellon. 

In 2010, COBRA-CASTOR awarded IIMA a technical assistance project which included the development of air quality stations (for approval by the administration), the technical requirements for putting the project out to tender, and the technical evaluation of suppliers. 

Following on from this project, in May 2011 COBRA-CASTOR once again put their trust in IIMA to oversee the provision of the air quality stations in order to ensure compliance with the technical requirements of the project.
One of the conditions applied for granting environmental authorisation of the CASTOR natural gas storage project north of Castellón was the requirement to install two air quality stations, one at ground level and the other on the marine platform, as a control during operations.

Bird census

IIMA Consultora develops a census monitoring plan for the Lesser Kestrel in Guadalajara

On behalf of the Service for Protected Areas and Biodiversity of the Provincial Delegation of Agriculture and Environment Guadalajara (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla la Mancha), ornithologists from IIMA Consultora are monitoring various colonies of Lesser Kestrel in several municipalities of the province of Guadalajara.

Censuses are conducted by counting the number of breeding pairs and nests occupied. The results will be used to determine to what degree artificial nest boxes previously installed by the Service of Protected Areas and Biodiversity have been accepted, and also to determine the population of the species in this area. This information will provide the administration with the necessary measures to adopt in order to ensure the regional viability of the species.

Wineries for Climate Protection Conference

The wine sector commits to reducing its impact on climate change

The wine sector is very aware of its vulnerability to climate change. Wine producers’ concerns were evident at the recent National Wine Fair (FENAVIN), in which Alejandro López-Cortijo CEO at IIMA Consultora, and Manuel Sánchez-Brunete, director of agri-food projects at INCLAMCO2, presented the possibilities for the carbon footprint in this sector. Additionally, these concerns were the focus of the Wineries for Climate Protection conference, which took place in Barcelona on June 10.

Carbon Expo 2011

Carbon Expo 2011, Barcelona

Carbon Expo, the leading annual platform for emissions trading and carbon reduction technologies, takes place between 1 - 3 June in Barcelona. It is a meeting point for different interest groups within the carbon sector: financial corporations, government representatives, development organisations, academic institutions and consultants, among others. This year marks the eighth edition, which coming between the latest COP16 in Cancun and COP17 in Durban makes it a strategically important event.

For Teresa Ribera, Secretary of State for Climate Change for the Spanish government, Carbon Expo “is the right place and the right time to foster an open, fruitful debate among specialists, and that is how we have approached this year’s event, highlighting the opportunities offered by financing actions against climate change, adopting a broader outlook than that provided by carbon financing"

IIMA Consultora will attend the event to participate in various workshops and seminars.

Corporate Social Responsibility

United Nations Global Compact

At IIMA Consultora we are aware of the responsibility an organisation has towards its stakeholders, and for years we have implemented actions in the area of CSR in collaboration with employees, customers and suppliers. As such we have now signed up toGlobal Compact, the initiative developed by the United Nations with the aim of achieving a voluntary commitment to social responsibility entities through the implementation of Ten Principles. These requirements are set in the field of human rights, labour, the environmental and anti-corruption. Implementation of these principals in organisations is based on the idea of ​​continuous improvement which must be reflected in an annual progress report.

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Carbon Footprint

Participation in the OECC Carbon Footprint Working Group

IIMA Consultora is participating in the Public Administration Working Group looking into the inclusion of the carbon footprint in government procurement. One of the Group’s key objectives is to ensure that carbon footprint integration is flexible and does not imply a major disruption to the business.
Currently in development phase, the final proposal will define carbon footprint inclusion for both product and organisations, scope, the contracts and products to which it is to be applied, and the manner in which these requirements will be incorporated into the bidding process

Sustainable transport

Supporting National Bike Week along with Biobike

In anticipation of Bike Week (13-17 June, Barcelona) and Green Team Britain (18-23 June), the IIMA team will exchange public transport for bicycles to support the efforts to reduce CO2 and other contaminants emissions in Madrid. The incentive has the support of Biobike (http://www.biobike.es/), provider of the widest range of two-wheeled electric vehicles in Madrid.

Domestic Projects

IIMA follows the milestones as they evolve

Domestic Projects for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are gaining ground in Spain as a possible solution for organisations in diffused sectors whose activity is not subject to the EU scheme of allowances within the national territory. The incentive to be applied has yet to be defined; via direct financial compensation, delivery of emissions allowances, through the extension of obligatory monitoring and emission limits to previously unregulated sectors, or through a domestic market of emission allowances (a cap & trade system).

EU and national legislation governs the execution of domestic projects. Countries such as Britain, France and Portugal, have been implementing domestic projects for a long time under different mechanisms. In Spain it is still necessary to determine which operating model to follow.  

Algete-Yela Pipeline

Completion of construction of the pipeline Algete-Yela

IIMA Consultora has completed the Environmental Technical Assistance for the Algete-Yela pipeline, which runs for approximately 87 kms through the provinces of Madrid and Guadalajara. IIMA monitored its compliance with the requirements established in the Environmental Impact Statement under the Environmental Waste Management Plan, and has conducted Environmental Monitoring.

During construction, the IIMA team ensured the work was carried out with the utmost respect for the environment; with minimal particles emission, conservation of topsoil, waterway protection, and respect for covering vegetation, among other courses of action. Because of crossing high-value areas for steppe birds, particular care was taken whilst working in the area. 

Carbon Footprint in the Wine Sector Conference, Fenavin 2011

Alejandro López-Cortijo, CEO of IIMA Consultora, and Manuel Sánchez-Brunete, director of agri-food projects for INCLAM CO2, presented the possibilities for carbon footprint to the wine sector at the Feria Nacional del Vino held in Ciudad Real.

At the major wine trade fair in Spain, this technical conference on May 10 brought together producers and technicians interested in the potential of the carbon footprint and its implementation possibilities for their products and organisations. The presentation looked at the various initiatives that are emerging around carbon footprint calculation at government level and in particular in the food industry, and explored the requirements that large European retail chains such as Tesco in the UK and Casino in France are beginning apply to products offered for sale. 

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Jatropha in Brazil

Sustainable jatropha cultivation en Brazil

IIMA Consultora is conducting a feasibility study for the cultivation and production of biodiesel from jatropha in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The Jatropha curcas L. species is widespread in tropical areas where there are harsh weather conditions of low rainfall and high temperatures, and thrives on infertile land. These characteristics coupled with the high rate of oil production from its seeds, make jatropha cultivation a valuable complement to existing family farming in the Brazilian Northeast. 

A team from IIMA travelled to Rio Grande do Norte, to conduct the field study into the possibilities for jatropha cultivation and the development of the associated infrastructure for the production of biodiesel. With the aim to determine whether sustainable development would be possible in the areas proposed, areas occupied by agricultural and natural vegetation were excluded thus avoiding competition with food production and the natural ecosystems. 

Training

New edition of online Carbon Footprint Course

Business and social interest in the carbon footprint is growing, particularly as far as its impact on organisations, their products and services. Consumers are more aware of the impact of their actions on the environment, which is why the volume of emissions of greenhouse gases which result from commercial activities is becoming an important criterion in the 

decision making process. Government administrations are working on legislation to harmonise initiatives at both regional and national level, and understanding the application of carbon footprint has become a powerful tool for environmental professionals.

 After the successful first edition of the online course on Climate Change and Carbon Footprint, IIMA Consultora  are joining forces once more with the Institute for the Environment to deliver a second edition in the months of May and June. 

Castellnou-Tivissa Pipeline

Environmental Monitoring of Castellnou-Tivissa Pipeline

IIMA Consultora has been commissioned to conduct the environmental monitoring of the Enagás duplicate Tivissa Castellnou Pipeline, which runs through the provinces of Teruel, Zaragoza and Tarragona. 

The IIMA team has monitored the correct execution of the works in terms of environmental responsibility. A particularity of the project was the existence of populations of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in a number of water courses. This species is a classified as a pest and the administration was worried about its control. To address this issue a protocol for disinfection and cleaning was designed and implemented under the supervision of the IIMA Environmental Technical Assistant. Additionally, execution of the project included the control and maintenance of track restrictions in protected areas, management of construction waste, topographic restitution of the affected area, and the implementation of the Environmental Restoration Project. 

Steppe birds

Steppe bird census in Ciudad Real

Under the SPA (Special Protection Area) EU initiative, IIMA Consultora has developed the "Steppe areas of the Montiel countryside". Located in Ciudad Real, the steppe bird census was initiated by Repsol as a compensatory measure for the Cartagena-Puertollano oil pipeline. Winter and breeding populations of different species, such as the Little Bustard and Kori Bustard, have been studied as well as a productivity census of the latter species. The sampling was conducted in five areas within the SPA and one external area determined relevant due to its high ornithological value. 

Steppe birds belong to the vertebrate group with the highest number of endangered species, with Spain being the country with the most important population within Europe. Studies of their populations are essential for the planning of conservation measures. 

UNIT 4

IIMA Consultora participate in the ICT for Sustainability Management Conference organised by Unit4

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is an invaluable management tool for organisations in different industry sectors, saving costs through more controlled processes, inputs and outputs. As such, the diagnosis and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) is becoming increasingly important as a result of more stringent government regulatory standards and pressure from interest groups. The application of advanced ICT in 2020 could lead to a reduction of 15% in global emissions (7.8 Gt CO2e), according to the SMART 2020 report "Towards a Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age" (GeSi - GlobaleSustainability - Initiative, 2008). 

Organisations are now aware of the need to include sustainability in their performance management, and software companies are starting to offer business management solutions. On May 25 in Seville, Alejandro López-Cortijo, CEO of IIMA Consultora, will take part in a working group organised by UNIT4 presenting opportunities for efficient carbon footprint management, corporate sustainability, and other mechanisms for the compensation of GHG emissions. 

FENAVIN

IIMA Consultora presents at FENAVIN 2011

Alejandro López-Cortijo, CEO IIMA Consultora, has been named as a speaker at the FENAVIN 2011 national wine fair.
His presentation on the "Carbon Footprint in the Wine Sector" will take place on May 10^th at10:00. Alejandro will be joined by Manuel Sánchez-Brunete, Agri-Food Project Director at INCLAMCO2.
The fair, held every two years and which this year celebrates its sixth edition, is according to Felix Solis, President of the Spanish Federation of Wine " a very professional show that has become an inescapable reference for our country because of its capacity to bring together wineries, purchasers and professionals". In 2009 FENAVIN attracted more than 1150 wine exhibitors, 80,000 visitors and representatives from 50 countries.

Collaboration with MediaResponsable CSR

IIMA Consultora calculates the carbon footprint for the XX and XXI Jornadas Corresponsables

On March 14, IIMA Consultora attended the XX Jornadas Corresponsables in Madrid. The Secretary of State for Employment, Ministry of Labour and Immigration, Mari Luz Rodriguez, opened the event which was organised by MediaResponsable to present their 2011 Annual. IIMA has been commissioned to calculate the carbon footprint of the event, which attracted more than 600 attendees, and whose emissions will be offset. On 29 March the XXI edition takes place in Barcelona, the carbon footprint will also be calculated by IIMA.

Jatropha in Brazil

Jatropha cultivation in Rio Grande, Brazil

IIMA Consultora has been selected to develop Terms of Reference for the preparation of a proposal for the development of a Feasibility Study for Jatropha Cultivation and Processing in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil). IIMA is committed to supporting opportunities in emerging countries, to which we can now add Brazil to our existing work in Argentina. 

Committed to Brazil

Cluster Services for Sustainable Construction in Brazil

IIMA Consultora is participating in the Cluster for Sustainable Construction Services, which brings together businesses in the construction and engineering sectors with a strategy for development based on Sustainability, Innovation, and clear international vocation. The cluster constitutes the entity ASC Projetos Sustantavéis for the development of business opportunities in Brazil. Its presentation will take place in early April in Sao Paulo, with the participation of representatives from major local companies and from the different administrations.

Capio maintains its confidence in IIMA for the new Hospital de Collado-Villalba

Following on from the technical assistance project for the Nuevo Hospital de Móstoles, IIMA Consultora, in collaboration with CAPIO Sanidad, have now embarked on a new project for the Hospital de Collado-Villalba.

In mid-September IIMA was awarded three projects tendered by the regional administration and required for the environmental impact evaluation: a hydro geological study of the site, an environmental recovery and landscape integration project, and a study of the air quality.

The key requirement of the hydro geological study and the environmental reclamation project development has been the period of performance, limited by the deadline for the submission of the constructive project. With effort and dedication, this has been reduced by more than 50% in relation to the deadlines initially planned, without affecting the quality of the work. IIMA has once again managed to meet expectations, contributing, in this case, to the proper design of the constructive project and to safeguarding and improving, as far as possible, the botanical values of the plot and its surroundings.

The study of sound particles will not start until June 2011, the date scheduled as the first summer period for carrying out the works.

Alejandro López-Cortijo, CEO of IIMA Consultora, presents at the II Fingerplus Forum

IIMA Consultora participated in the second edition of the International Fingerplus Forum for Engineering, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and the Environment, held on 13th and 14th October in Madrid.

IIMA attended this meeting, which introduced an innovative approach to the green economy and its development, with Tecniberia, represented by the President, José Luis G. Vallvé and Vice President, Pedro Canalejo.

Alejandro López-Cortijo presented a project on the expansion of the Jatropha curcas cultivation, whose seeds serve as raw material for the production of second generation bio-diesel, in sub-Saharan region of West Africa.