Iberia Supports Two Environmental Projects in Latin America as Part of its Sustainability Strategy

• The airline participates in two projects in this region, one focused on the creation of new natural reserves in Guatemala and the other on community forest management in Ucayali, Peru.

• Thanks to the activities carried out with the indigenous communities of Peru, around 560,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions are cut per year, while protecting almost 120,000 hectares and endangered species.

• In the project in the Guatemalan Caribbean, more than 700 jobs have been created, more than 1,300 people have benefited and 30 high-value species have been protected, while generating 610,000 carbon credits each year.

• Iberia will also charter special flights for major cruise companies, tour operators and incentive trips.

Latin America plays a key role in Iberia's sustainability strategy, and the airline, as part of its emissions offset programme, participates in two important climate and environmental projects in the region, one located on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and the other in Ucayali, Peru.

The first of these, in Izabal (Guatemala), aims to develop a network of ecotourism zones and ecological reserves by maintaining existing natural forests threatened by deforestation, while supporting the productive use of the land, avoiding harmful practices and helping the local population.

This project entails the creation of more than 700 jobs, more than 30% of which are carried out by women, while more than 1,300 people in the area have already benefited from the arrival of healthcare services. Likewise, this project contributes to the conservation of 30 species of high-value fauna. As for its environmental footprint, it generates an average of 610,000 carbon credits each year.

For its part, the Nii Kaniti initiative, in Ucayali (Peru), seeks to improve the livelihoods of thousands of families, particularly women, generating additional income through forest management in the area, where seven indigenous communities belonging to the Shipibo-Conibo and Catataibo ethnic groups live, surrounded by an area of almost 120,000 hectares of tropical forest. The projects focuses on the conservation and protection of this area from deforestation and the support for the development of local businesses, the implementation of proper land use, and the promotion of resource-management skills.

The Nii Kaniti projects stands out because it has a high environmental impact, since it cuts around 560,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, while supporting the conservation and protection of three threatened animal species: the jaguar, the blue-headed macaw and the tapir.

The two projects that Iberia has chosen to support are certified by the VCS and the CCBA, and have a positive impact on several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"Sustainability underpins Iberia’s entire corporate strategy, and a key part of our efforts involves generating prosperity not only with the development of our operations, but also through employment, economic contributions and doing our bit to improve the quality of life of different communities. This project is a clear example of that effort”, says Teresa Parejo, Iberia's Head of Sustainability.

Offsetting our Carbon Footprint

Iberia's participation in this project is materialised through the emissions offsetting  programmes that it launched last year, both for corporate and private clients, which gives them the chance to calculate the carbon footprint generated by the trips they make and contribute to offsetting those emissions through this project and another one in Guatemala.

The Iberia Group has developed its emission-offsetting platform in collaboration with CHOOOSE, a participant in IAG’s Hangar 51 start-up accelerator.

Iberia Joins the Green & Human Consortium

Iberia recently announced its participation in the Green & Human consortium in the category of major promoter, with the aim of promoting and supporting more responsible and sustainable tourism. The airline thus joins the more than 80 companies in the association, being recognised as a tourism companies with a long history and experience, and which shares its commitment to the sustainable development of tourist destinations.