The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain, under the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Ana Leiva, and the Minister of Employment, Local Development and Equality of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, María Isabel Guerra, have signed a collaboration agreement today in Las Palmas for a total amount of 493,840 euros. This investment will serve to develop a project that will promote employment and good environmental practices in the Canary Islands.

The Biodiversity Foundation is the managing body of the European Social Fund (F.S.E.) and in 2008 it allocated 14.8 million euros to finance 32 projects aimed at improving employment and the environment, through the Empleaverde Programme. One of these initiatives is the one that will be developed in the Canary Islands.

In addition to the Cabildo de Gran Canarias project, the initiatives of the Healthy Life Association, the National Association of Aggregate Manufacturing Companies (ANEFA) and PEFC Spain, will be aimed, in part, at workers in the Canary Islands.

According to the objectives of the 32 approved projects, it is estimated that more than 13,000 workers will be trained, some 300 enterprises or business activities in the environmental sector will be created or started and more than 300,000 workers will be involved in the activities of the projects.

Through this programme, the Foundation manages the funds allocated to it by the Operational Programme for Adaptability and Employment of the European Social Fund (F.S.E.) for the period 2007-2013. The empleaverde programme has set goals for the period 2007-2013 to support more than 50,000 people and promote the creation of 1,000 companies in the environmental sector. To this end, it has a total allocation for the years 2007-2013 of 44.1 million euros, of which the European Social Fund co-finances 80% or 50%, depending on the regions in which they are developed.

The objectives of the Empleaverde Programme are: to promote and improve employment; increase the skills and qualifications of workers; to promote the creation and modernization of companies; adapting economic activities to environmental regulations; and promoting sustainability in economic activities.

Environmental improvement in the tourism and services sectors in the Canary Islands

In addition, through this project, advice will be provided to the recipients in their workplaces, accessing a large number of companies from all sectors of activity present on the island of Gran Canaria.