The Minister of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa, presided today in Ourense, the signing ceremony of five collaboration agreements between the Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain under the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, and the Galician Forestry Sector Association (ASEFOGA), the Galician Aquaculture Cluster (CETGA), the City Council of Ourense, the City Council of Vigo and the Galician Business – University Foundation (FEUGA) for a total amount of 2,317,437 euros. This investment will serve to develop five projects that promote employment and good environmental practices in Galicia.

The agreements have been signed by the director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Ana Leiva, and by the secretary general of the Galician Forestry Sector Association, Jacobo Feijoo; the president of the Galician Aquaculture Cluster, José Soutollo; the mayor of the City Council of Ourense, Francisco Rodríguez; the mayor of the City Council of Vigo, Abel Caballero and the general director of the Business Foundation – Galician University, Francisco Javier López.

The Biodiversity Foundation, as the managing body of the European Social Fund (ESF), is allocating 14.8 million euros this year to finance 32 projects aimed at improving employment and the environment, through the Empleaverde Programme. Five of these initiatives will be developed in Galicia.

These initiatives aim to improve the environment and promote the development of sustainable business activities in sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, graphic arts, the chemical industry or shipbuilding in Galicia.

The objective of the project proposed by the Galician Forestry Sector Association (ASEFOGA) is to promote and enhance traditional agricultural farms, the implementation of renewable energies and new technologies in rural activities, as well as the development of business activities that take advantage of the competitive potential in disadvantaged areas and in those included in the Galician Natura 2000 Network. In addition, the project includes advisory actions for workers who carry out their activity in the Galician rural environment.

The initiative of the Galician Aquaculture Cluster (CETGA) aims to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the aquaculture sector, with a strategy based on the definition and implementation of eco-efficient processes and technologies, as well as on increasing the qualification of workers and technology providers. Likewise, through the project, a study will be developed to identify critical points of eco-efficiency in the facilities of the aquaculture sector and its workers will be advised in relation to their improvement.

The project of the City Council of Ourense is aimed at promoting the eco-entrepreneurial culture in the rural and industrial sectors of the province of Ourense, so that the different business activities are adapted to new technologies and new companies are created in the environmental sector. In addition, it includes several face-to-face advisory actions for the implementation of environmental quality and energy efficiency systems in companies, as well as for the development of new business initiatives.

The initiative presented by the City Council of Vigo aims to improve the employability in the environmental sector of different groups of workers, while creating a new forest culture and contributing to the conservation of peri-urban forests. Likewise, through this project, a study will be carried out to determine the new professional profiles needed in the environmental sector of the City Council of Vigo.

The project of the Galician University Foundation – Business (FEUGA) aims to promote the sustainable development of companies through eco-innovation actions and their business modernization, contributing to the implementation of management systems and new technologies respectful of the environment, in addition to the training of expert environmental managers in companies in key productive sectors of the Galician economy. This initiative also includes a personalised diagnosis of the existing environmental innovation needs of companies in the shipbuilding, graphic arts and chemical industry sectors, as well as advice on the implementation of eco-innovation projects.