The Naturgy Foundation has launched “Adding Energies for Valencia”, an action plan to support the recovery of areas affected by dana in the Valencian Community and that will benefit more than 40,000 people.
For María Eugenia Coronado, general director of the Naturgy Foundation, «this project is not just another of the Foundation. “It has been built with all the experience and knowledge of 30 years of activity at the service of the community and with intense months of work with social entities and institutions in the area – our eyes and ears there – to detect real needs.” Actions will be carried out in the short and medium term, but “with a vision of the future to support people, promote education, create job opportunities and recover the territory with lasting solutions,” underlines Coronado. The four areas of action (people, education, promotion of employment and care of the environment) are based on the activity of the Foundation and are developed in collaboration with social entities and institutions.
The main axis of the initiative is people: the objective is to improve the quality of life of those who need it most to increase the thermal comfort and energy efficiency of their homes, with sustainability, energy efficiency and savings actions. Likewise, the Foundation will donate and install solar panels in care centers for vulnerable people and in schools and there is an open call until October 17 for social entities for the energy rehabilitation of their facilities.
The economic savings in energy will allow families, care and educational centers and NGOs to allocate more resources to cover other home, care, educational, emotional and community needs.
Education and employment
The program plans to impact 130 educational centers in 38 municipalities in the affected areas. Among other actions, solar panels will be installed in 40 centers and energy audits will be carried out, with an educational and participatory approach, and school energy councils will be created, with the participation of the entire school community. 40 educational centers are integrated into the Efigy Schools educational network program and vocational training centers are added to the Foundation’s recurring educational program.
To respond to the impact on employment caused by the damage, Sumando Energías por Valencia will promote theoretical and practical training programs focused on the high demand for qualified technical profiles in the energy and sustainable construction sector. With a strong labor orientation, they are aimed at vulnerable, unemployed and young people, who will be able to do internships in the plan’s actions and obtain official certification.