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
Mission, Vision and ValuesMission To catalyse the generation and dissemination of environmental knowledge. To work with companies, the public sector and at grassroots level. To contribute and play an active role in improving the environment. To share knowledge and resources, from a standard of excellence and social responsibility. Vision Ihobe seeks to be an effective contributor and expert advisor of the Basque Government, and shares its expertise with society and the stakeholders of the sector in order to foster solutions and services in line with the environmental targets of the BAC. Ihobe is a catalyst for environmental knowledge, and drives and fosters its generation and contributes to its dissemination. Values Credibility and involvement. Effective management and teamwork. Foster trust in change. From our environment and to our environment.
Strategic objectivesFive main strategic objectives underpin Ihobe's environmental actions: Conserving ecosystems Improving environmental quality Sustainable management of resources and waste Citizenry and public-private co-responsibility Streamlining and simplifying environmental administration
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.
Progress ReportsThe Basque Government overall strategy sets some major environmental challenges to be addressed by 2024. Ihobe is already tackling these, and they will determine future projects such as climate action, protecting our natural assets and boosting a circular economy.Since December 2020, Ihobe has had a new Management Plan 2021 approved by its Board of Directors chaired by Arantxa Tapia, advisor for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment.These reports present a summary of the most significant areas for Ihobe during the first quarter of the year.
Commitment to Equality Several years ago, the Ihobe management team and staff decided to take a step further to specify and systematise its commitment to gender equality, which is set out in the III Plan for Gender Equality and the Gender Perspective 2018-2020. This plan, which is framed within the responsible governance strategy of this public entity and with its action plan, assumes a strategic commitment to integrate specific actions in the management of the organisation. Those actions showcase the gender commitment from an approach based on planning, coordinating and allocating resources to implement and assess the plan, by seeking to impact our workers and society.Ihobe’s III Plan for Gender Equality has 29 objectives and 21 actions grouped into four blocks, following the guidelines of the VII Plan for Gender Equality in the Basque Autonomous Community, and including: Good governance Empowerment Social and economic transformation Lives free from gender violence. Since 2015, Ihobe has been recognised by Emakunde, the Basque Institute for Women, as a “Partner entity for gender equality".
One of Ihobe's hallmarks is its focus on ongoing cooperation with other public and private organisations. The relationship is based on trust, proximity and, above all, on the conviction that these dynamics of environmental policy cooperation is to the general benefit of Basque society overall. Ihobe works closely with the following entities: Environmental Policy and Strategy EEA, European Environmental Agency EPA Network, European Network of the Heads of Environment Protection Agencies DEFRA-Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (United Kingdom) RIVM-National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Netherlands) Institute of Economics Applied to the Company of the University of the Basque Country Regions4 Sustainability Development ENEC Contaminated soil Common Forum on contaminated land in the European Union OVAM-Public Waste Agency of Flanders Sprilur-Company for the Promotion and Management of Industrial Land Elika, Basque Foundation for Agri-food Safety Environmental Product Innovation UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme Beaz Bizkaia School of Engineering of the University of the Basque Country AENOR-Spanish Standardisation and Certification Association Visesa-Vivienda y Suelo de Euskadi, S.A. Basque-Navarra Professional Association of Architects Mondragon UnibertsitateaEREK, European Resource Efficiency Knowledge Centre Eco-efficient industry IZAITE - Association of Basque Companies for Sustainability Aclima - Environmental Industry Cluster of the Basque Country Envirowise (United Kingdom) Entorno Foundation. Kimika-Basque Chemical Industry Cluster Responsible Administration IVAP - Basque Institute of Public Administration Biodiversity ENCA-European Nature Conservation Agencies Network Inbio-National Biodiversity Institute (Costa Rica) Waste Catalan Waste Agency Wrap-Waste & Resources Action Programme (United Kingdom) Climate Change BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change EVE - Basque Energy Board The Climate Group Eco-innovation: Innobasque-Basque Innovation Agency Tecnalia Orkestra, Basque Institute of Competitiveness Deusto Foundation Ecodes Kutxa Eranet Susprise Eco-Innovera IPTS-Institute for Prospective Technological Studies of the European Commission´s Joint Research Centre (JRC) Municipality and Local Sustainability ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Xarxa de Ciutats i Pobles cap a la Sostenibilitat de Catalunya CEA-Vitoria-Gasteiz Environmental Education Centre Eudel-Association of Basque Municipalities Ura - Basque Water Agency Knowledge transfer University of the Basque Country – Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) Management Excellence Euskalit-Basque Foundation for Excellence NSF-Novia Salcedo Foundation EqualityRed de Entidades Públicas para la Igualdad de Mujeres y Hombres BAI Sarea.
Ihobe is a publicly-owned company coming under the Basque Government's Ministry of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment. The Ministry also includes the Housing Office and the Territorial Planning Office.. Ihobe’s Board of Directors is the management authority that represents this publicly-owned company and is made up of a minimum of three members and a maximum of seven, appointed by the General Meeting of Shareholders. Ihobe is structured around a General Management Division and three operational areas - Administration, Communication and Technical -, along with a total of 12 management units.
: Ihobe’s Board of Directors is the management authority that represents this publicly-owned company and is made up of a minimum of three members and a maximum of seven, appointed by the General Meeting of Shareholders.Participants: Pursuant to the Ihobe articles of association, its Board of Directors is made up of no less than 3 and no more than 7 members. CHAIR Ms. Arantxa Tapia Otaegui Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment DEPUTY CHAIR Ms. Amaia Barneo Martín Deputy Minister for the Environment MEMBERS Mr. Javier Agirre Orcajo Environmental Administration Director MEMBERS Alberto José Fernández González Director of Technology and Strategy MEMBERS Ane Etxenausia Aramburuzabala Director of Tax Administration MEMBERS Olga Martín García Aclima General Director NON-EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Mr. José Antonio Armolea Solabarrieta Lawyer and Coordinator of the HR and General Administration Unit. GENERAL MANAGER Alexander Boto Basteguieta
IHOBE IN FIGURES Ihobe is made up of 50 professionals 36 Women 14 Men Average age 47 years old Higher education qualifications 78% Staff on reduced working day 44%
Results with customers DEPLOYMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, KNOWLEDGE GENERATION AND AWARENESS RAISING Stakeholder Projects, initiatives and results obtained COMPANIES 177 Basque companies working on Ecodesign: 105 ISO 14006 Ecodesign standard certified, 38 with the European ecolabel and 34 with environmental product declaration 9 major companies partners of the Basque EcoDesign Center and 12 ecoinnovation projects implemented 648 participants in the training, information and sharing best practices sessions. 371 delegates at the “Ecoefficiency-Ekosteguna Thursdays” 75 Ekoscan certified organisation, 1277 ISO 14001 certified and 88 companies EMAS registered 7 reports on environmental trends 9 new technologies included in the Basque List of Clean Technologies with an investment of €1,827,122. 19 circular economy demonstration projects 1263 environmental consultations processed by the free Environmental Information Service - Ihobe-Line. MUNICIPALITIES 10 municipal innovation projects on climate change, natural capital and the circular economy in the Udalsarea 21 “Berringurumena 2016” call 5 Udalsarea 21 working groups OTHER AUTHORITIES 54 greened specifications by Basque institutions (450 in total) 1 new greened product/service category (42 in total) GENERAL PUBLIC • 1,429,152 visits to the Ihobe website, 7,997 subscriptions to the newsletter and 12,020 social media followers With respect to Ekoetxea Urdaibai, Txingudi and Peñas Negras: 73,705 visits and 431 activities organised, with an average satisfaction rating of 9.2. Visited by 20,379 students in the School Educational Programme 302 appearances in the media
Impact of our projects Ihobe produces an annual Customer Management Report, which seeks to globally analyse all aspects related to managing its customers – companies, municipalities, other authorities and the general public (Ekoetxeak visitors) - and to set out the main conclusions of that analysis. In 2016: Companies The global satisfaction of companies with the Ihobe services was 7.9 out of 10 Municipalities The global satisfaction of the municipalities with the Ihobe services was 7.7 out of 10 Ekoetxeak visitors The global satisfaction of the visitors to the Ekoetxeak centres was 9.25 out of 10 Improvement measures After analysing the global customer satisfaction, new needs and expectations were identified, resulting in a final proposal for a plan of action setting out the improvement measures to be implemented in 2017. The main customer requirements are set out below. Companies Corporate customers continued to seek a pooling of experiences and a transfer of applied knowledge, with greater specialisation and an approachable and sectoral format to build relationships. As regards the action projects (demonstration, ecodesign, ecoinnovation), they asked for prior mentoring by Ihobe to help identify the key stakeholders and existing opportunities and barriers right from the design stage. Fundamentally, companies lacking resources (SMEs) asked for support for environmental monitoring (legislation, technology, market). Municipalities The Municipalities customers prioritised aspects where they believed further work was needed even though they had been developed in 2016. The aspects identified are as follows (in decreasing order): Applied technical knowledge and guidance Innovation, initiative and creativity Anticipating needs Team work Coordination and dialogue with the stakeholders Proximity and accessibility Local authorities also called for support in seeking funding. Possible sources of finance to meet the objectives of Us21 and its members were therefore analysed. Ekoetxeak visitors General Public customers (Ekoetxeak visitors) saw the need to expand the promotion of activities organised at the different centres, along with advertising them. Public authorities The requirements of the Public authority customers (participants in the Green Public Procurement Programme) remained unchanged, but they reorganised their priorities. They thus requested advice on greening specification and training both on precise aspects aimed at specific stakeholders and general training on Green Public Procurement as priority aspects.
Ihobe Save 26/01/2023 Ihobe Ihobe celebrates 40 years leading climate action, local sustainability and circular economy in the Basque Country Ihobe, the Public Society of Environmental Management of the Basque Government, turns 40 in 2023. The entity celebrates its anniversary by highlighting its path and the numerous milestones, services and networks or agents with which it has collaborated. “The people who have worked here during these four decades have placed Ihobe as a reference point in the design and deployment of the environmental policies of the Basque Government,” said Alexander Boto Bastegieta, its current general director, on...
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