The United Nations dedicates one of its sustainable development goals to water resources, SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation. Hand in hand with technology companies committed to sustainability such as Aquara, water becomes an engine that helps to transversally improve all the SDGs. The company explains with data how its activity positively impacts the 2030 Agenda of Aragon.

On September 25, the World Day of Action is celebrated, which recalls the date of 2015 in which all countries approved the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that make up the 2030 Agenda, the road map for a world better.

There is therefore less than a decade left to meet the ambitious goals of the SDGs. To achieve this, the contribution of all social actors and public-private collaboration are essential, and companies such as Aquara work on this path, which has sustainable development as a fundamental part of its corporate DNA.

Aquara has been dedicated to the management of the integral water cycle in Aragon for more than 30 years and serves the needs of more than 700,000 inhabitants on a daily basis. Managing a resource as essential as water, linked to multiple aspects of social welfare and the environment, places the company at the forefront of the great global challenges we face. Because of all the UN SDGs, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation is surely the most transversal of all and the one that is most closely related to the rest of the 2030 Agenda.

“The pandemic has shown the connection of all the challenges that the SDGs represent and the extent to which global society is vulnerable. The sum of all, the third sector, administrations and companies is what will allow us to emerge stronger. We have the 2030 Agenda as a lever to advance towards the future we want and, in this context, the water sector is key to guaranteeing green reconstruction and territorial and social cohesion ”, says Laura de Vega, Director of Sustainable Development at Aquara .

THE SDGs in Aragon

Without a doubt, the SDGs have gained visibility and presence in the public life of our Autonomous Community. Already in 2018, the Government of Aragon approved the Aragonese Sustainable Development Strategy, which offers a global vision and operational measures for its implementation, and Aquara works in line with this approach, pretending to be an active part of the transformation in the municipalities in which it operates.

The Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda of the Government of Aragon, Fermín Serrano, explains the progress that Aragonese cities and municipalities have made in terms of contributing to the SDGs: “Water-related issues have always been prevalent issues in Aragon and, in not a few occasions, controversial. In recent years, a great effort has been made, both in rural and urban areas, to consider water as a necessary resource to be preserved and used in a sustainable way. We also highlight the international meetings held in Zaragoza in relation to water, its governance and its innovation. Water will continue to be an essential element in the economies and social progress of a good part of the countries of the planet and its inclusion as one of the Goals was absolutely necessary. Certainly, in the coming years many issues related to water will have to be reviewed for their full participation in sustainability ”.

To be an active part of this contribution, Aquara works within the framework of a Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development that "allows us to promote the fight against climate change, the preservation and access to water, the protection of biodiversity and social advances in human rights. to water, equity and health ”, explains the manager of Aquara, José Ignacio Heredero.

In this sense, the company's 2020 Sustainable Development Report, recently published, details the commitments and achievements obtained with respect to the UN SDGs, grouped into the five main areas of responsibility of the company: People; Planet; Prosperity; Peace, justice and strong institutions; and Alliances.

But it is also possible to review the 17 goals one by one and see to what extent SDG 6 for Water is related to all the others and contributes to their improvement. On a date like today, when the day dedicated to the SDGs is celebrated internationally, it is worth seeing how the efficient management of water resources by the hand of Aquara helps the fulfillment of the entire 2030 Agenda in Aragon.

SDG 1 End of poverty

Aquara has the purpose of guaranteeing water to 100% of clients in vulnerable situations. Therefore, thanks to the social tariffs put in place, there are 47,082 Aragonese families protected against this situation and three out of every four clients have access to a bonus or social fund. In 2020, 21,285 euros were allocated to social rates and there were 62,569 euros financed without late payment interest.

SDG 2 Zero hunger

Water has an ancient relationship with food. Without water there is no agriculture, of course, but currently there are more fields where water resources are related to the primary sector. Within the wastewater treatment process, dehydrated sludge is obtained, which was previously nothing more than unused waste. Applying circular economy models, Aquara revalued a total of 821 tons in 2020, allocating them to agricultural fertilizers.

Another of Aquara's direct actions in relation to SDG 2 is the alliance set up with the Zaragoza Food Bank through which the company will donate one euro for each new addition to its digital bill.

SDG 3 Health and well-being

As has been seen during the pandemic, people's health is closely related to the health of the planet and access to clean water has been essential as a hygienic measure before the virus. But it is that, in addition, Aquara has made the digital platform COVID-19 City Sentinel available to the Aragonese municipalities.

It is in a tool for graphical visualization of data on the evolution of the virus in wastewater, which makes it easier to trace the origin of SARS-CoV-2, which allows to anticipate the appearance of possible new outbreaks. This surveillance system was implemented in the municipality of Calatayud.

SDG 4 Quality education

Aqualogía is the water education program for primary school children launched by Aquara six years ago. Due to the pandemic, the digital transformation was accelerated by adapting the program to the virtual environment, thus maintaining educational and awareness-raising efforts. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 21 virtual workshops have been held in educational centers in Calatayud, Ricla, Alcañiz, Sobradiel, Épila and Villamayor.

SDG 5 Gender equality

At Aquara, quality, inclusive and diverse work environments are guaranteed. In 2012 the company's first Equality Plan was launched, making an effort to promote women and encourage female talent in the company. As an example of this effort, there are currently 46.6% women in leadership positions in the company.

SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation

As a leading company, Aquara applies responsible management of water resources in the integral water cycle. It works to reduce water losses, achieving figures 40% better than the industry average. This difference applied to the 807 kilometers of managed network leads to an estimate that it avoids 1.69 hm3 of losses in the networks, which would also be equivalent to avoiding the emission of 320 tons of CO2.

All of this requires constant investment in technology and surveillance. In 2020, 1,076 kilometers of network were inspected for leaks, 476 breakdowns and leaks detected were resolved and 8,194 notices were sent to customers with excessive consumption.

SDG 7 Sustainable and clean energy

Aquara is committed to reducing CO2 emissions derived from its activity and has proposed to reduce 100% of emissions derived from electricity consumption in 2021, 45% of total emissions in 2030 and be carbon neutral in 2050.

In the first case, the goal was already achieved in 2020, when 3,139 GWh of energy with guaranteed origin from renewable sources was consumed, 100% of the company's electricity costs.

SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth

Aquara encourages stable and quality work, so that in 2020 89.4% of the workforce had a permanent contract, 14 points above the rate of employees with a permanent contract in Spain.

The company is committed to the challenge of zero occupational accidents, so that last year 532 hours of training in occupational safety were given. To stimulate talent and personal career growth, 1,671 hours of training were also given in 2020.

SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

The commitment to green, renewed and resilient infrastructures to climate change is key to accelerating the ecological transition and promoting efficient and sustainable water management in the territory. Thus, Aquara carried out infrastructure renovation work in Villamayor, Alfajarín or Calatayud.

SDG 10 Reduction of inequalities

In Spain, according to data from the INE, only 34% of people with disabilities are active. At Aquara, there is 4.63% of staff with disabilities on the payroll, much more than what is claimed by law, which is 2%. Aquara has also managed to expand and improve the Bequal accreditation, which certifies it as socially responsible in matters of disability, obtaining the Bequal Plus seal after the external audit.

SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities

At Aquara, the circular economy model is applied throughout its activity, with the aim of closing the cycle of resources and enhancing the resilience of urban environments.

In 2020 Aquara managed a total of 35 water treatment, distribution and purification services in various locations, meeting the needs of 754,694 inhabitants.

SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production

Aquara is an active agent in citizen awareness. In 2020, thanks to the invoice awareness campaigns or the Aqualogía program, among others, the company directly impacted more than 47,082 people, thus helping to raise awareness in the general population.

SDG 13 Climate Action

Aquara's climate leadership is based on four main lines of action: mitigating climate change by reducing its own emissions, developing resilience plans to face the effects of global warming on water resources, applying responsible models with the climate, promoting green infrastructure and a low-carbon economy, and promoting circular economy models.

In concrete data, in 2020 Aquara avoided the emission of 1,087 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year, thanks to its commitment to renewable energy and the implemented sustainable mobility measures. This figure would be equivalent to the emissions of 2,290 passenger cars circulating 10 kilometers a day for a whole year.

In addition, Aquara in 2020 has calculated for the first time and registered in the Registry of carbon footprint, compensation and CO2 absorption projects of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge its inventory of greenhouse gases corresponding to the period 2017-2019 , according to the requirements of the ISO 14064-1 standard.

SDG 14 Life below the sea

In the treatment plants managed by Aquara, in 2020 about 0.85 hm3 of wastewater were treated and 252 analyzes were carried out to guarantee the return of water in optimal condition to the environment, which contributes to improving the quality of water in rivers and rivers. hence the health of the oceans.

SDG 15 Life of terrestrial ecosystems

The naturalization of the facilities managed by Aquara reflects its commitment to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity from operational management. For this, the use of phytosanitary products has been eliminated in the maintenance of the facilities, freeing 32 hectares from the use of these products so linked to the loss of biodiversity.

SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions

Aquara incorporates the principles of transparency, ethical responsibility and good governance into its management through corporate policies that aim to reinforce the culture of compliance and business ethics. In this sense, 100% of the employees work under a code of ethics and conduct and an integrated management system. In addition, the company transfers its code of ethics to 100% of its suppliers with the aim of extending its responsible approach to the value chain.

SDG 17 Partnerships to achieve the goals

At Aquara, we are committed to a service model based on alliances and public-private collaboration. Commitment to the territory is a priority, so Aquara preferably resorts to local suppliers, a total of 260 who in 2020 received 1.52 million euros for works and service provision, activities with a high impact on employment and the local economic activity.

In addition, the company collaborates with local entities such as the Food Bank, the DFA Foundation, the Federico Ozanam Foundation or the Spanish Global Compact Network, of which it is a member.