The Secretary of State for the Environment and the EU Commissioner for Employment discuss new business and job creation initiatives with young entrepreneurs.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Federico Ramos, said today that Spain has an “excellent opportunity to develop and create jobs in the green economy sector” during a working meeting with the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor.

Ramos, together with the director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, received the Commissioner today and held a meeting with young entrepreneurs who have received the support of the Foundation to develop their business initiatives and who have detailed their projects.

In his speech to the young people, the Secretary of State declared that “the green sector is an excellent opportunity for the growth of the economy” and highlighted the role of the Biodiversity Foundation, which, “depending on the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, is in direct contact with citizens, companies and non-profit entities”. Ramos also valued that it promotes “the entrepreneurial spirit and shows business opportunities in the environmental sector”.

For his part, Andor has learned about the employment and entrepreneurship projects in the environmental sector, framed in the Emprendeverde Network, and has shown his support for the creation of green employment, which he has considered an opportunity within the framework of the European Union (EU).

The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, presented the Empleaverde Programme, a specific programme to support green jobs that has been developed since 2007 with co-financing from the European Social Fund (ESF); and the Emprendeverde Network, a meeting place for entrepreneurs and investors to promote new business initiatives.

The five young entrepreneurs of the Emprendeverde Network who have presented their business projects to the European Commissioner were: Kepa Solaun, from Factor CO2, a global initiative that provides ideas and services in the face of climate change; Elena Peyró and Alberto López from JoinUP taxi, a company that has developed innovative mobile phone applications for taxi sharing; Agustín Valentín-Gamazo, from Enviroo, the first job portal specialized in the environmental sector; Ana Tejedor, from Kai Marine Services, a strategic consultancy, aimed at helping the economic sectors that work at sea; and Marta Rueda and Alberto Romero, from Fluff, who manufacture environmentally friendly toys to prevent children’s fears.

800,000 RECIPIENTS

The Biodiversity Foundation promotes the Empleaverde Programme, co-financed by the ESF. This programme supports the creation and promotion of green jobs and entrepreneurship. It has a budget of 40.9 million euros, which is managed through calls and its own projects such as the Emprendeverde Network.

Within the framework of the calls, the Biodiversity Foundation has worked to date with more than 300 organisations involved in 141 projects, through which it has reached more than 800,000 recipients and 35,000 trained workers. The projects have contributed to the creation of almost 1,000 companies or economic activities linked to the environment and have generated more than 400 direct jobs.

Redemprendeverde was launched by the Biodiversity Foundation in April 2011. It is a specialized and integrating network, which was born with a structure open to the incorporation of entrepreneurs, investors and those interested in entrepreneurship. The Emprendeverde Network currently has more than 3,800 members.