Ricardo contributes to Spain’s environmental transition

Spain is at a turning point in the environmental transition across energy, transport, water, waste and other key sectors in which the country aspires to be at the forefront of sustainable innovation in Europe and internationally.

With our presence across 23 countries worldwide, Ricardo’s new Madrid office launched in Spring 2024 with more than 50 experts working across Spain.

We plan to continue building our team in the country to offer our integrated sustainability solutions, uniquely positioned at the intersection of the mobility (see this article in Spanish), energy and environmental agendas. 

Marking the launch of the new office, Lorenzo Casullo, one of our Directors based in Madrid, said “Spain is transitioning towards a more sustainable economic and social model, and we will continue to advise local and multinational organisations in their quest for greener products and lifestyles, whether they are manufacturers, infrastructure managers or innovation start-ups”. Graham Ritchie, CEO, added that “Ricardo’s experts are recognised for their ability to address multidisciplinary challenges and their ability to bring solutions to our customers”.

This is where our European and international advisory experience comes in. Most technological solutions to improve environmental sustainability are already available, and our technical experts have been involved in the development of many of these solutions. However, the slow implementation of key regulations and financial mechanisms is holding back progress.

In our work with the European Commission and other legislators, we are helping to shape the legislations that promote innovation and sustainability. For example, Ricardo experts provided advice to the European Commission in their revision of legislations such as the Industrial Emissions Directive to finalise the implementation of the Green Deal (see this article in Spanish).

Our team is now involved in the implementation of key instruments to make the change happen. For instance, we are supporting creation of the first-ever European SAF Clearing House: a one-stop shop for new sustainable aviation fuels across Europe, accelerating their testing and certifying their sustainability credentials to scale-up the decarbonisation of the aviation sector. We have also provided technical and regulatory support to chemical sector companies as they work towards products that are Safe and Sustainable by Design and a circular and lower carbon economy, with lower (eco)toxicological risks.

During our office launch, our experts and key customers discussed the challenges the Spanish economy faces in the decarbonisation of ground, air and maritime transport; regulatory framework and market needs in a context of climate change and water scarcity; distribution networks, energy storage and energy efficiency; industrial transition towards more sustainable production in the EU; and railway certifications – all areas which Ricardo is already helping customers tackle worldwide.

Having spoken to over 50 leading organisations across Spain in recent weeks, we understand their needs even better. We are ready to step up our support to Spanish companies and associations across different sectors that share similar concerns on the potential impacts of European, national and local regulations related to air quality, transport emissions and industrial emissions, among others – to ensure that they remain competitive in a low-carbon economy, creating jobs and opportunities linked to the green transition.