We help improve the environment by reducing our ecological footprint

Over the past few years, ”la Caixa” Foundation has made a huge effort to help improve the environment. One result of this is our Environmental and Energy Policy, a clear reflection of the commitments assumed by ”la Caixa” Foundation in the environmental and energy sphere.

  • WHAT WE DO

    We're aware of the environmental challenges we face as a society and the need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

    That's why most of ”la Caixa” Foundation's remarkable buildings, such as its CaixaForum centres, the Science Museum CosmoCaixa and some of the most important ”la Caixa” Foundation EspaiCaixa facilities have an Environmental and Energy Management System in place, thanks to which we have obtained several environmental and energy management certificates.

    We also collaborate in a range of projects to offset our CO2 emissions and guarantee that the energy consumed by our facilities comes from renewable sources.

    Here are some of the most important initiatives we have carried out.

  • Using electricity suppliers that guarantee renewable energy sources

    We promote the consumption of green energy and its development by ensuring our facilities use electricity suppliers that provide guarantees of origin (GO). This certifies that a certain amount of electricity has been produced using renewable sources or cogeneration. Via these GOs, consumers can access detailed information on the source of the energy they receive and the environmental impact of its production, so they can take considered, responsible decisions concerning which electricity supplier to use.

    At ”la Caixa” Foundation we started purchasing GO electricity in 2017 and guarantee that all our facilities consume 100 % green electricity. Consequently, the 18,103,969 kWh we consumed in 2021 came entirely from renewable energy sources.

  • An environmental and energy management system certified by international standards ISO 14001 and ISO 50001

    Thanks to our integrated management system, ”la Caixa” Foundation's most emblematic buildings are certified in accordance with the international standards ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 50001:2018.

    By means of this mixed management system, in addition to reducing the environmental impact of our activity we also prioritise continuous improvement in terms of energy efficiency, control of energy use and energy consumption and, consequently, the minimisation of associated costs.

    Our current Environmental and Energy Management System covers the following 13 facilities: the Science Museum CosmoCaixa, the CaixaForum centres in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza, Palma, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona and Palau Macaya, and the ”la Caixa” Foundation EspaiCaixa centres in Girona, Madrid and Murcia. Furthermore, it's planned to expand the system's scope by adding two more facilities in 2023: CaixaForum Valencia and the Gardens of Cap Roig.

  • Implementation of an energy monitoring system

    In January 2021 we achieved one of the most important goals in our Environmental and Energy Target Programme by completing the implementation of an energy monitoring system that enables us to track, in real-time and by sector, the energy consumed by our most emblematic facilities.

    By analysing the data provided by this system, we can identify where and how we can improve our buildings in energy terms, with regard to HVAC systems, lighting and power. We've implemented this system at the facilities covered by our own Environmental Management System and also at ”la Caixa” Foundation's EspaiCaixa Francesc d'Assís.

  • Lighting replacement plan for the exhibition rooms at various CaixaForum centres

    Our annual environmental and energy plan includes the gradual replacement of old bulbs with LED at our most important centres. Our goal is to make all these lights more efficient and consume less.

    This change has already been implemented in the exhibition halls of CaixaForum Barcelona, Madrid, Palma and Lleida, resulting in an estimated saving of 324,778 kWh/year.

  • Projects to offset our CO2 emissions

    We've been calculating our carbon footprint since 2013 in order to analyse the data and offset these emissions by implementing various international and national projects.

    To offset our CO2 emissions generated in 2021, in 2022 we collaborated with several offsetting projects carried out in developing countries, as well as offsetting projects with local impact.