Back 28/12/2019 Business

Greenalia forest awarded the “Fair Wood” certification recognizing the company’s commitment with the fair trade of forest products

Greenalia is a leader in sustainable clean energy in Galicia (biomass, wind and solar) and one of its subsidiaries has recently been awarded the “Fair Wood” certifications for its wood and forest residue trading operations.

This seal, created and promoted by the COPADE Foundation, is the first global Fair-Trade Certification for the forestry sector. Its main goal is to foster the development of sustainable markets for wood and its sub-products.

With this seal corporations are certified when they handle forestry resources responsibly and after being audited in aspects such as: the wealth creation in the rural economy, their compliance with labor regulation and their environmental commitments and stewardship.
COPADE Foundation via its “Fair Wood” certification recognizes Greenalia Forest’s commitment with sustainability, rural development and the promotion of small independent forestry landowners and business agents. The seal further recognizes Greenalia’s contributions to the growth and development of small and medium sized forestry producers and timber growers in Galicia and Asturias (Autonomous Regions).

The Fair Wood seal requires compliance with both environmental sustainability and internal corporate social responsibility requirements, together with fair trade commercial practices between the company and smaller producers.

Greenalia Biomass Power, another subsidiary of the Greenalia Corporate Group, generates energy through Biomass Generation Facilities, and its main goal is to use solely PEFC, FSC  and Fair Wood certified forestry resources mainly from forest harvesting residue. Renewable Energy from biomass has huge potential for development in Spain. We need to highlight that, apart from the CO2 capture, it contributes to the care and renewal of Spanish forests and countryside, with significative reduction of wildfires.

“Greenalia’s Corporate Group’s pursuit of excellence, in all of their environmental quality control procedures, is reinforced with their commitment with positive social impact and local community sustainable development initiatives. We hope that other agents in the wood and forestry sectors follow their lead so we can achieve our goal of full compliance in the market with ethical/fair trade standards across the wood and forestry industries.” Javier Fernández, COPADE Foundation’s Director.

Manuel García Pardo, Greenalia’s CEO received the certification proudly stating that: “As renewable energy producers we are proud of our business model based in sustainability. With our business practices we address climate chance directly as one of today’s most pressing challenges.

As part of our businesses’ core objectives we seek to create positive impact in society, with special attention to our local communities, and to award maximum protection to our rural environment and the cultural heritage present in our project sphere of influence. We are strongly committed to rigorous transparency and solid business ethics and believe in policies that take care of our people and that help us promote and attract new talent. This is why the Fair Wood Certification is another important step that takes us closer to our sustainable goals.”

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