Coinciding with International Volunteer Day, which was held on 5 December, abertis today held its third Corporate Volunteer Day, which is this year focused on making the Group’s employees aware of the situation of the most disadvantaged minors. The day, which this time round was held under the slogan of “Take them by the hand”, forms part of Voluntaris, the Corporate Volunteer Programme which the company has run since 2009.

In 2010 abertis reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 9% compared to the previous year, primarily due to efforts made by the company in energy saving and efficiency.

Around 150 people participated in the charity walk and family activities organised by the abertis Voluntaris group, which were held in Foix Natural Park and Castellet Castle. The events are part of the 3rd abertis Corporate Volunteer Day, to be held on 12 December.

The abertis foundation, Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Down’s Syndrome Foundation are promoting the Road Volunteer project as a pilot scheme in three schools in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. Six young people with Down’s syndrome or a mental disability are observing the behaviour of pedestrians at school starting and leaving times. The initiative aims to improve road safety around schools, as well as integrating young people with Down’s syndrome into the employment world.

Since Thursday 29 September, Castellet Castle, headquarters of the abertis foundation, has housed an exhibition on the archaeological finds discovered following the recent remodelling of the AP-7 junctions in Vilafranca del Penedès. The roadworks revealed over two hundred structures dated between the Neolithic and first Iron Age (between 7500 and 2750 years ago) at three archaeological sites: Mas Pujó (South Vilafranca), La Serreta (Central Vilafranca) and Cinc Ponts (North Vilafranca).

The results of the 2011 review confirm that abertis, for the sixth year running, has retained its listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World.