Ihobe has included its most relevant achievements in the management report for the first quarter of 2012 - 10 May, 2012.
The increase in companies adhered to the Eco-efficiency Programme, the presence of Udalsarea 21 at the ICLEI World Congress 2012, the presentation of the Green Public Procurement and Contracting Programme of the Basque Government, the contribution of Ecoeuskadi 2020 at Río+20 or the incorporation of Euskaltel as a member of the Basque Ecodesign Center are some of the key developments included in the Ihobe Management Report. This report is an informational document on the activity carried out by this public agency during the first quarter of 2012.
Ihobe’s Eco-efficiency
Programme for Basque Companies 2010-2014 has easily exceeded the
target of 450 member companies, and has focused during this first quarter on
evaluating with partner companies and entities the year of operation and
implementing the most demanded instruments and mechanisms. The “Support for
strategic and technological decision-making” service, included in the
programme, has tripled its use during this period, and companies value its
usefulness in 8.6 points out of 10.
Regarding the Basque Network of Municipalities for
Sustainability,Udalsarea
21, February saw the first meeting of the Ekitalde (working group) on
water, led by the agency URA. The meeting was
very well received, and included the participation of 14 town councils and 2
regional entities. Furthermore, Udalsarea 21 was present at the ICLEI World Congress 2012, a
meeting prior to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,
Río+20, to be held in June in the Brazilian city of Bello Horizonte.
To mark the Río+20 meeting,
Ihobe is working on the Basque contribution to this summit as the technical
secretariat of Ecoeuskadi
2020, the Basque Sustainable Development Strategy. For this reason, it has
organised a seminar in Bilbao for Tuesday, 8 May, and will then open an online
participation process through its website.
Another achievement included in the report is the
presentation by the Basque Government of the Green
Public Procurement and Contracting Programme to associated departments
and entities, held on 21 March. The goal of this programme is to ensure that,
by 2014, 100 per cent of purchasing and contracts in these Basque Government
departments and public entities incorporate environmental criteria.
News regarding the Basque
Ecodesign Center is that on 18 January the first meeting of the
Executive Committee was held, under the chairmanship of the Regional Minister
of the Environment, Pilar Unzalu. This committee is formed by the companies Cie
Automotive, Euskaltel, Fagor, Gamesa, Iberdrola, Ormazabal and Vicinay Cadenas.
In the meeting, the action plan for 2012 was approved. This plan includes 29
projects, ranging from collaborative actions between Basque Ecodesign Center
companies, to defining new business models and projects related to supplier
traction.
Source:www.ihobe.net
10 May, 2012.