Corporate Policy

Ihobe 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 management

Adopting 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 language

Involving, 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 suppliers

Building 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 identity

Weaving 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 Functions

• 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.

• 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 Structure

Ihobe 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.

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS

• Representing 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:

Our History

The 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.