Araceli García, Pedro Yórquez y Reyes Cerezo

Tree Planting in Trigueros Comes to a Close, as Axión and Ence Promote Biodiversity in Huelva’s Forests

Following the preparation of the land, the tree-planting phase of the “Bosque Axión Trigueros” project was completed today. Through this initiative, the telecommunications company Axión, together with Ence—Spain’s leader in sustainable forest management—is working to restore more than 26 hectares of forest land in this Huelva town that was damaged by a fire in 2019. This initiative is part of both companies’ firm commitment to sustainability and involves planting some 32,000 trees, with an investment by Axión exceeding 170,000 euros.

The goal of this first pilot project, with a 40-year timeframe, is to facilitate natural regeneration and nature’s own processes to restore and promote biodiversity. Therefore, following a thorough analysis of the environment, a detailed sustainable forest management plan has been designed, and a species native to the area—Pinus pinea, or stone pine—has been selected for reforestation. This conifer, through the shade and moisture it provides, encourages the growth of broadleaf trees and shrub species characteristic of Huelva—such as palmito, rosemary, lavender, and thyme—as well as oak species like the holm oak and the cork oak.

It is worth noting that the planting was carried out on former eucalyptus plantations whose soil, despite the fire, has maintained favorable edaphological and hydrological conditions that have facilitated this first phase of the project.

Likewise, many animal species that inhabit this area will benefit from the improvement of their natural environment. As a result, this pine forest, located next to the ecological corridor formed by the Odiel River, will provide shelter and sustenance for birds of prey such as the short-toed eagle, the eagle owl, and the kestrel; reptiles such as the horseshoe snake and the red-tailed lizard; as well as numerous amphibians and even mammals such as the roe deer.

CO2 SEQUESTRATION

Representatives from Axión, Ence, and the Huelva office of the Andalusian Regional Government’s Department of the Environment, along with other companies in the communications sector and stakeholder groups, gathered this morning to complete this tree-planting initiative, as well as to see firsthand the work carried out as part of this important project for local biodiversity and to move toward the carbon-neutral society promoted by European policies. In fact, over the 40 years of the “Bosque Axión Trigueros” project, it is estimated that more than 4,650 metric tons of CO2 have been sequestered, which will allow the telecommunications company to offset the carbon footprint—including both direct and indirect emissions—of nearly seven years.

At the event, Axión also presented carbon footprint mitigation certificates for the services the company provided last year to its major broadcasting clients—Canal Sur, Cadena SER, Kiss FM, and Radio María—as well as other public agencies, such as the Andalusian Regional Government’s Environment and Water Agency.

Araceli García Cuartango, CEO of Axión, emphasized that “this forest, in addition to its practical value in mitigating our carbon footprint, holds symbolic value for us—a sense of belonging and pride in helping this community restore its natural environment. It is a project that unites us and defines us through a shared commitment to sustainability.”

For Reyes Cerezo, Ence’s General Director of Sustainability, “promoting carbon sinks—such as the one we are launching with Axión, which will be followed by others—is a strategic priority for our company, allowing us to put our expertise in sustainable forest management at the service of two pillars of our management: decarbonization and sustainability.”

In the words of Pedro Yórquez, Regional Delegate for Sustainability, Environment, and the Blue Economy for the Regional Government of Andalusia in Huelva, “public-private collaboration on environmental issues is essential, based on the premise that the planet belongs to everyone and we are all responsible for caring for it. Until now, it seemed that this joint effort for specific projects in ecologically valuable areas was limited to environmental education. Indeed, this initiative we are carrying out today, on World Environmental Education Day, involves a great deal of outreach and education. But it is clear that it is not just that. We are undertaking a major project to regenerate an area damaged by fire. We must continue moving forward in this direction and work together toward carbon sequestration as our ultimate goal.”

Forest carbon sinks are the most important natural terrestrial mechanism available to society for sequestering carbon and offsetting human activity. Furthermore, like any other forest, they provide goods and services that are essential for life—such as air and water quality—and for the economy, such as the use of forest products like cork, wood, and mushrooms.