Within its industry, acesa is the company which makes the greatest efforts to protect the environment.
This constant concern for the impact of its projects has meant going beyond the construction requirements stipulated by the authorities, which are themselves the result of environmental studies, to the performance of additional work to ensure the integration of its highways in the surrounding territory.
Although each area and environment receives individualised treatment, in general, these actions may be classified as follows:
1.-Technical solutions: viaducts, tunnels, artificial tunnels, under-road paths and routes for wildlife, bird screens, etc.
2.-Reforestation and treatment of surroundings: borders, verges and banks. In total, zones have been repopulated with 2 million species, 1,500 Ha of area treated and 500 Ha of woodland.
Especially clear examples of these efforts are provided by the C-32 and AP-7 motorways.
The former includes more than 400,000 trees, bushes and plants along a route of only 36 km, planted, in part, with the assistance of school campaigns.
For its part, the AP-7 boasts a service area in the Montseny, the gateway to the Natural Park, with four hectares of woodland and a picnic area, which received the 1997 Environment Award from the Catalan Institute of Civil Engineers, in recognition of its representative nature and its respect for the environment, providing an example for other motorways to follow.
In addition to reducing environmental impact to a minimum, acesa also makes good use of natural resources in its day-to-day operations.
The water treatment plants at the AP-2 (Zaragoza - Mediterranean) service areas, and those of the AP-7 at el Montseny and la Jonquera make use of hydrological resources to water their garden areas.
Technical solutions have also been implemented to take advantage of solar energy for SOS posts, television cameras and meteorological equipment throughout the motorway network. Additionally, conscious of the fact that caring for the environment is everyone's responsibility, the company publishes leaflets in a number of languages, which are handed out on entry to the country, informing visitors of the care that should be taken of the local environment, which is at especial risk of fire, given the prevailing weather conditions.
