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, has signed today in León four collaboration agreements to develop projects that promote employment and the environment in Castilla y León. The vice-president of the Bierzo County Council, Belén Fernández; the general director of the Cartif Foundation, José Ramón Perán; the president of the Progress, Employment and Services Foundation in Salamanca (Premysa Foundation), Antonio Caldera; and the secretary general of the Union of Ranchers and Farmers of León (UGAL-UPA), Matías Llorente, have signed the respective collaboration agreements for a total amount of 1,892,246.42 euros.

In addition to the projects of the Castilian-Leonese entities, the initiatives of the State Federation of Transport, Communications and the Sea of UGT, the Healthy Life Association, the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA), the National Association of Aggregate Manufacturing Companies (ANEFA) and PEFC Spain, will be aimed, in part, at workers in Castilla y León.

These four initiatives aim to promote business initiatives in the environmental sector as well as the use of renewable energies and the environmental improvement of agricultural and livestock farms.

The objective of the project proposed by the Bierzo County Council is to develop business initiatives in the environmental sector of the region, including workers in the agricultural and livestock sectors, the agri-food processing industry and the tourism sector. In addition, it will include advisory actions related to energy saving and efficiency processes in companies and business projects in the environmental sector.

The initiative to be carried out by the Cartif Foundation aims to promote the use of solid biomass as a renewable energy resource within the forestry, agricultural and wood industry sectors in Castilla y León. This is intended to train people and promote employment in the rural areas of the Autonomous Community. Likewise, through this initiative, personalized advice will be provided on the energy use of biomass, the creation of companies in the forestry, agricultural and wood industry sectors, thus contributing to the generation of employment.

The project of the Progress, Employment and Services Foundation in Salamanca (Premysa Foundation) is aimed at generating a comprehensive model for sustainable development in rural areas that guarantees the conservation of natural heritage, the environmental training of workers and the creation of companies. In addition, it proposes to develop several studies on the feasibility of different types of plants destined, both to the use of renewable energies, as well as to mycological production and the replanting of goats.

The initiative proposed by the Union of Livestock Breeders and Farmers of León (UGAL-UPA) aims to promote energy saving and efficiency on farms and develop the production of biomass for first and second generation biofuels, respecting the biodiversity of agricultural areas. It will also develop individualised environmental advice to agricultural and livestock farms, for their environmental improvement.