Catalan industry, a leading player on the path towards a zero-emissions environment

At a pivotal moment in the transition towards a low-carbon economy, Edison Next has co-organized alongside the Association for Management Progress (APD) the executive forum “Competitive Decarbonization of the Business Sector in Catalonia”, an event held this morning in Barcelona that brought together institutional representatives, industrial leaders and sustainability experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in the region. The event was opened by Isabel Grifoll, APD Catalonia Zone Councillor, and Íñigo Bertrand, CEO of Edison Next Spain. In his opening remarks, Bertrand highlighted that “Catalonia is in a privileged position to lead the industrial transformation towards more sustainable models, but we will only achieve this if we drive a decarbonization that, in addition to being effective, is competitive for companies.” The CEO of Edison Next then delivered a brief presentation on the Net Zero challenge, in which he shared the company’s vision on how businesses can tackle their roadmap towards net zero emissions by combining efficiency, technology and innovation. The forum continued with a roundtable moderated by Iñaki Gili, Head of Strategic Projects at the Catalan Climate Change Office of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Participants included Íñigo Bertrand, CEO of Edison Next Spain; Jordi Aguilera, Sales Engineer at the company; Carla Fos, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Cementos Molins; and Xavier Navarrez, Industrial Project Director at Alstom. During the discussion, the speakers shared their experiences in decarbonization projects, as well as the key lessons learned and concrete strategies to accelerate the energy transition in key industrial sectors. Alstom is one of the companies that, together with Edison Next Spain, is currently developing some of the most significant decarbonization projects in Catalonia. At its industrial center in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, one of the group’s most important facilities in Europe, the first phase of photovoltaic installation for self-consumption has already been completed, along with a comprehensive switch to LED lighting. Once the second and final phase of this project is concluded, the plant will feature more than 9,000 square meters of solar panels, which will generate 26.5% of the energy consumed by the factory. This initiative is a clear reflection of the real impact that public-private collaboration can have on the energy transition of the Catalan business sector. Decarbonization has become an urgent and strategic necessity, particularly in territories with a strong industrial presence such as Catalonia, where advancing towards a cleaner, more efficient and competitive economic model is key to ensuring sustainable long-term growth. The transformation is already underway, but it will require the active involvement and greater commitment from all stakeholders, from institutions to businesses. In the current Catalan context, events such as the one organized by APD and Edison Next take on special relevance. They serve as a meeting place to share knowledge, align visions and forge alliances that allow the decarbonization process to be accelerated without compromising productivity or industrial development. The Catalan business sector has both the capacity and the responsibility to lead this change.