More than 300 students from Zamora (Castilla y León) take part in an environmental education programme promoted by Iberdrola España

Iberdrola España, the Rei Afonso Henriques Foundation (Frah) and the regional government of Castilla and León held the closing ceremony for a new environmental education programme ‘EcoHeroes in Action’, which involved 10 schools in the province and more than 300 secondary school students from Zamora. Its aim was to encourage them to become the heroes that the planet needs.

Planet Earth is suffering from environmental degradation and is at a point of no return. Pollution, the use of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources and climate change have put life at risk and today's leaders are asking the next generations to help. Faced with this urgent situation, the students were given a new challenge: design and build a new sustainable and safe home where everyone can live in harmony with the environment, helping them to discover how important it is to take care of the planet.

Through models made with recycled materials, the young people created a living space where energy is obtained from clean sources such as the sun, wind and water, learning about sustainability, the importance of renewable energy and putting their creativity into action by reusing materials.

This initiative successfully raised awareness and educated young people with an activity that has encouraged them to think critically. 

Miguel Calvo, Iberdrola España's representative in Castilla and León, pointed out that ‘we still have time to drive the transition towards a sustainable model, understanding the role that energy and mobility play in the climate challenge. Iberdrola España wants to pave the way to green jobs for those who need them and help companies find the best possible talent, becoming the most complete and updated green job bank in the world, and all of this starts with raising awareness among young people’.

‘This new motivational proposal that we have carried out in our facilities, in a natural environment, to convey the importance of youth participation in the climate challenge was a huge success,’ said José Luis Gonzalez Prada, director of the Rei Afonso Henriques Foundation.

‘Raising awareness in and training our young people with environmental education programmes such as this one is an important step to ensure that current students and future professionals face the challenges in a responsible way to have a sustainable planet’, stressed the regional government’s local representative, Fernando Prada. 

This educational tool is part of the materials developed as under the ‘Change is in your hands’ project launched by the two organisations in 2022 to address the transition to a greener energy model and the change in consumption habits that help to decarbonise the planet and reduce CO2 emissions.