Greetings from the General ManagerAs the public environmental management company of the Basque Government, IHOBE is in a unique position to support the department that drives the economic policy and competitiveness of the main economic sectors in the Basque Country. Our expertise in key areas such as circular economy, climate change, soil protection and biodiversity, will be essential to promote the recovery of the Basque Country following the COVID-19 pandemic, in alignment with the European Green Deal. The European Green Deal is one of the main mechanisms for steering a way out of the crisis and achieving a more sustainable future. The Basque Government transfers the spirit of this commitment to the Basque Country through the Basque Green Deal. The main areas of this economic and environmental roadmap are: Climate Ambition, Clean, Safe and Affordable Energy, Circular Economy, Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Construction, Sustainable Mobility, Farm to Table, and Zero Pollution. We must all work together to make sustainability an intrinsic part of product and service development. The governance of the transformation process must explicitly recognise the role of sustainability as a factor of competitiveness. To achieve this, innovation must be promoted by improving sustainability in the smart specialisation strategy, and a common set of tools must be developed to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between socio-economic agents on the subject of sustainability. This is enshrined in the purpose of the Department for Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment: “accelerate an economic revival, creating jobs by harnessing digital, ecological, and social-health transformations as opportunities improve the competitiveness of the productive structure, and integrate environmental criteria into all sectoral policies, not as a condition, but as a competitive factor to create value.” It is precisely here that Ihobe is aligned and plays a key role in the deployment of this legislature’s programme. Our approach is comprehensive. The new Ihobe Strategic Plan 2024 covers the entire cycle of public policies and is based on innovation, to contribute to the environmentally sustainable development of the Basque Country and our proportional share of the overall Sustainable Development Goals as a reference, embodied in the Basque Country Agenda 2030. We are committed to sustainability!Alexander Boto Bastegieta General Manager
Corporate PolicyIhobe aims to improve the environment, integrating environmental criteria in sectorial policies as a sustainable and competitive element of value for our country and its organisations. We are an exemplary and innovative public organisation that fosters environmental improvement in the Basque Country, in collaboration with public administrations, companies and citizens. We seek to become an environmental benchmark in the Basque Country and work towards the international positioning of the Basque Country as an advanced region in environmental friendliness and sustainability. The SDGs 2030, set out in the Basque Country Agenda 2030, are our reference to align our activity with a universal, integrated and transforming action plan to foster sustainable human development. To do so, we integrate and address the expectations and demands of the different stakeholders and we use this Corporate Policy to carry out our activity in line with the following four pillars:Advanced public managementAdopting advanced Corporate Governance practices, achieving efficiency and continuously improving the activities we develop through the adoption of sustainable practices, administering our resources responsibly and effectively.Managing risks that may affect the fulfilment of the organisation’s objectives, minimising these risks and taking advantage of opportunities.Fostering the appropriate safe, sustainable and healthy work conditions to protect our people and our suppliers and clients, ensuring the integration of risk prevention in all levels of our activity.Fulfilling the requirements set out in the regulations and legal frameworks that are applicable to us or those that we voluntarily adopt.Motivated and responsible people, committed to equality and the basque languageInvolving, motivating and gaining the satisfaction of our people, through leadership and professional development. Commitment to standardisation in the presence, use and management of Basque by our organisation and its staff.Establishing measures aimed at ensuring the equal treatment of men and women in the workplace and in employment quality, as well as the entity’s external actions and specific actions to prevent and address sexual and gender harassment. Addressing the needs of our clients in collaboration with our suppliersBuilding a sustainable relationship with our suppliers and ensuring equal treatment and the principle of concurrence through transparent, objective and impartial processes.Transparent communication to different stakeholders of relevant and accurate information on the activities carried out to address and satisfy their demands. Continuously adding value to our clients through trust and ongoing dialogue. Promoting a network of alliances and fostering innovation as part of our identityWeaving a network of alliances based on trust and mutual success. Fostering creativity, inspiration and innovation management as a future guarantee and lever for competitiveness improvement. Systematising the training, analysis, enhancement and dissemination of useful information through the Monitoring and Intelligence process to provide added value to our clients. Working to protect the environment and prevent contamination from a sustainable approach, through exemplariness and involvement of all Ihobe people in environmental and social improvement, beyond our activity.
Ihobe FunctionsIhobe, the environmental management agency of the Basque Government, performs the functions set out in its Articles of Association: Under the guidelines of the Department responsible for the environment, contribute to the deployment of the current and future environmental policy and to the extension of the sustainability culture in the Basque Autonomous Community, mainly in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, soil and air quality, waste, sustainable production and consumption, and the urban environment. Support the Department responsible for the environment in the design and implementation of environmental policies, as well as environmental restoration, control and management actions. Manage and disseminate environmental awareness, along with fostering ecoinnovation in the Basque Autonomous Community. Cooperate with the Public Administrations, companies and the public to deliver activities to drive the environmental goals of the Basque Autonomous Community. Implement actions as a partner entity of the Department responsible for the environment, to manage the subsidies awarded by the Department, in full compliance with current legislation. Any others related to protecting and improving the environment in the Basque Autonomous Community.Ihobe may carry out the following operations, inter alia, in order to comply with its corporate purpose: Hold stakes in the share capital of companies, whether public or private, with the prior authorisation of the Basque Government, and as per the terms and conditions established in each case, whose activity is related to the environment. Enter into agreements with public institutions and companies to sponsor own and third-party actions aimed at cooperation for sustainable development, environmental awareness-raising and communication, environmental education, and, in general, activities linked to environmental improvement. Award subsidies in full compliance with current legislation. Receive subsidies and guarantees from the General Treasury of the Basque Country and from other public institutions and entities of the Basque Autonomous Community, as well as from the autonomous and state public sector. Receive loans from private and public financial entities.
Organizational StructureIhobe is strategically structured as a public corporation that pursues excellence in advanced management. The organizational structure for the period 2020-24 revolves around 4 operational areas that, in coordination with the strategic directions and the general management, lead the different projects aimed at the environmental improvement of the Basque Country in terms of climate action, circular economy, and environmental sustainability.The Board of Directors is the representative and management body of the Company. The powers of the Board of Directors are set out in the Articles of Association, and include: BOARDS OF DIRECTORSRepresenting the company in any type of acts and contracts. Approving the annual Management Plan, which shall include the budget proposals, and carrying out partial assessments of its execution. Approving the corporate social responsibility of the Company and implementing control and supervisory functions of its degree of application.Members:Pursuant to the Ihobe Articles of Association, its Board of Directors is made up of a number of members of no less than 3 or over 7.CHAIRMs. Arantxa Tapia OtaeguiMinister for Economic Development, Sustainability and EnvironmentDEPUTY CHAIRMr. Aitor Aldasoro IturbeDeputy Minister for the Environment MEMBERSMr. Javier Agirre OrcajoEnvironmental Administration DirectorMEMBERSAlberto José Fernández González Director of Technology and Strategy MEMBERSAne Etxenausia AramburuzabalaDirector of Tax AdministrationMEMBERSOlga Martín GarcíaAclima General DirectorNON-EXECUTIVE SECRETARYMr. José Antonio Armolea SolabarrietaLawyer and Coordinator of the HR and General Administration Unit.GENERAL MANAGERAlexander Boto Basteguieta
Our HistoryThe history of Ihobe is the result of a trajectory of shared work with companies and public administrations to contribute to environmental improvement and a higher quality of life for the Basque citizens. Since its establishment in 1983, Ihobe's activity has focused on environmental improvement by integrating the environmental variable into Basque public policies, turning environmental sustainability into a competitive element for Basque companies, and promoting the sustainable development of the territory.
2024 Strategic Plan We are a public entity attached to the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment of the Basque Government, who works to improve the environment by integrating environmental criteria into public policies. We work with Companies, Public Administration and Citizenship and the levers on which we rely are: Innovation, Digitalization, Advanced Project Management and Cooperation. We support policies to move towards sustainability. We promote networks and alliances to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences. We propose approaches and methodologies to accelerate climate and environmental action. Value proposition. Ecological transition Objetives OE1. Integrate environmental sustainability into public policies. OE2. Deployment of instruments into Circular economy, Climate change, Soil protection, and Environmental sustainability policies.OE3. Achieve becoming a reference in the transfer of applied knowledge. OE4. Mobilize sustainable action to companies, public entities and citizens. Alliiances and Networks 2023 Ihobe AlliancesORKESTRA CONFEBASK ACLIMA NEIKER UPV-EHU EUSKALIT BC3 Fundación cursos de verano BRTA Strategic networksUdalsarea 2030 Basque Ecodesign Center UrbanKlima 2050 Pyme circular Red Ekoetxeak Under 2 coalition Regions4
2023 Management PlanIn accordance with the 2021-24 Strategic Plan, Ihobe structures its action through the Management Plan, which annually lists the projects implemented by the different areas making up the publicly-run company. The document transfers the strategic lines to the day-to-day activity of the Ihobe technical staff by means of setting targets in order to quantify results, and, consequently, for the continuous improvement of the organisation. Deployment in projects Urban Klima Instruments of the Plan and of the Act of Energy Transition and Climate Change Soil Protection Strategy Instruments Green Employment Instruments of the Circular Economy and Bioeconomy Plans and Waste Management and Prevention SMEs towards Circular Economy Sustainable action in the Basque public sector Support for VISA in infrastructure management and soil processing Management of the Ekoetxea Environmental Centres Network and deployment of its Strategic Action Framework Citizen commitment and action in the environment field Support for the development of environmental planning Environmental eco-innovation Support to Ekogarapena Financial and advanced management Digital Transformation Ihobe Communication People Ihobe Public body 2023 Figures €11.4 billion budget. 72 people 100.000 Ekoetxeak visits. 150 trained young people. 1800 companies mobilized. 550 shares of public entities.
2022 MemoryIhobe provides the main indicators of the activities carried out during the year 2022 by the public environmental management company. Download The corporate report, available in both web format and as an independent publication, provides a comprehensive overview of the previous year, allowing for an assessment of the level of achievement of the objectives defined in the annual management plan.In addition to the corporate report, the progress of Ihobe's activities is regularly communicated through quarterly reports, which enable the tracking and evolution of projects structured within the operational areas of the public company.
Ihobe Save 28/03/2023 Ihobe Ihobe manages to mobilise nearly 3 euros on environmental investment for every euro of its budget executed The public company attached to the Basque Government's Department for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment published the most important data on its work in 2022 today in its corporate report, including all the initiatives and actions carried out during this period to promote sustainable environmental policies through its operational divisions devoted to environmental sustainability, climate change and the circular economy.
Ihobe Save Ihobe Ihobe celebrates 40 years leading climate action, local sustainability and circular economy in the Basque Country 26/01/2023
Ihobe, Ihobe International Save Ihobe, Ihobe International Ihobe is recruiting for Urban Klima 2050, the Basque Country’s biggest climate action project for the next few years 05/08/2022
Ihobe Save Ihobe Ihobe allocated €70 million to environmental investments in Basque industry in 2021 28/04/2022
Environment, Ihobe Save Environment, Ihobe Ihobe publishes its 2020 Environmental Statement and renews its EMAS registration 09/03/2022