MADRID, 15 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco, the mayor of Camponaraya, Eduardo Morán, and Javier Martín Calvo, territorial director of Banco Santander in Castilla León, inaugurated this Wednesday the Camponaraya Spanish Olympic Forest, one of the five forests that have the name of Spanish Olympic Forest.
This project, sponsored by Banco Santander and aimed at leaving a legacy of sustainability, marks an important step in the fight against climate change and the promotion of biodiversity. “The Forest will absorb approximately 171.5 tons of CO2 over the next 30 years, which will be used in part to offset the carbon footprint generated by the Spanish delegation at the Tokyo Olympic Games,” explains the COE.
The Spanish Olympic Forest initiative is an action by the COE together with Banco Santander, Global Partner of the COE Sustainability Strategy. “The initiative has its origin in the action and commitment acquired by Banco Santander and COE during the Tokyo Olympics to carry out a carbon footprint compensation action based on the medals and diplomas obtained by the Spanish Delegation at the Olympic Games. of Tokyo. The 3 golds, 8 silvers and 6 bronzes obtained now correspond to the 850 trees (100 for each gold, 50 for each silver and 25 for each bronze) that are being planted to raise awareness in society, in general, and of sport, in particular,” adds the COE.
In the case of this Spanish Olympic Forest in Camponaraya, it has been located in an unproductive and degraded area that will be transformed into a chestnut plantation and will be used for sports activities, thus combining various values that the council seeks to promote.
In addition to this municipality of León, the Olympic Forest is located in Pamplona, Onda (Castellón), Rivas-Vaciamadrid (Madrid) and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. “It is an honor to inaugurate the Spanish Olympic Forest of Camponaraya as a benchmark of Camponaraya’s serious commitment to environmental and social sustainability,” said Blanco.
The mayor of Camponaraya has mentioned that “Camponaraya was already known internationally”, from a sporting point of view, “thanks to Lydia Valentín”, but “now it will also participate in this Olympic map with a forest that we hope will result in making our municipality a more sustainable, healthy and inclusive place.
“With this initiative we reinforce our commitment to sport, to our communities and to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; at the same time we take another step in the need to raise awareness in society about climate change and offset the footprint. of carbon,” said the representative of Banco Santander.
“This first call is also part of the collaboration agreement between COE and the FEMP to promote sustainability in local entities in Spain and which seeks the involvement of the City Councils, as these are the ideal vehicle for said Forest initiative. Spanish Olympic Games reaches the entire Spanish territory and society in general,” adds the COE.