The Cepsa Foundation maintains its commitment to voluntary responsibility towards Canarian society, driving initiatives that help people and their surroundings. In 2023, a total of 25,326 individuals directly benefitted from the projects supported in the Archipelago, focusing their actions on three strategic lines based on social support, environmental aspects, and scientific-educational areas.
This number reaches 75,965 people when considering those who indirectly benefited. In total, the Cepsa Foundation launched or participated in 32 initiatives in the Archipelago last year.
Regarding social support, the most remarkable and consistent action over time has been the celebration of the Social Value Awards, focused on supporting vulnerable groups and promoting solidarity values among Cepsa professionals. The funding for this initiative amounted to €65,000 in the Canary Islands, distributed among the five winning entities: Envera, Provivienda, Atelsam, Save the Children, and AsperCan.
Additionally, a significant agreement was signed with the Tenerife Island Council, through the Tenerife Solidarity Island Program of Sinpromi, for the donation of energy-efficient products to the 30 volunteer entities participating in the ‘Zero Energy Poverty’ campaign. This aimed to provide families with tools to mitigate energy poverty by reducing expenses, as well as raising awareness about savings and energy efficiency.
The participation of Canary professionals in solidarity collection actions for bottle caps, clothing, and footwear throughout the year, complemented various corporate volunteering actions in social matters. These included a ‘Heart Pillows’ workshop in support of AMATE, another one targeting energy poverty, and an initiative developed by the Adecco Foundation to raise awareness about disabilities through virtual reality.
Furthermore, the campaign ‘Immerse Yourself in Santa Cruz’, created by the Cepsa Foundation over a decade ago and supported by the Autonomous Organism of Culture of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, offered the city two new large-scale outdoor urban art murals, bringing the total to 26. One, created by Iker Muro, promotes a healthy lifestyle and is located on Pi y Margall street, while the second one is situated in the new parking area of Las Teresitas, by Adrian Martinez and Acaymo Padrino, paying tribute to San Andrés, a town known for its fishing tradition.
Scientific-Educational Arena
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Among the most notable initiatives promoted by the Cepsa Foundation in the educational field in 2023 is the third edition of their ‘ProFormación’ scholarships, benefiting 11 Vocational Training students in the islands. This support helped cover expenses such as tuition fees, school supplies, books, transportation, and meals.
Furthermore, the entity once again collaborated with the ‘Girls with Scienc@ULL’ programme by the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna (FGULL), aimed at fostering scientific and technological vocations among students in the Canary Islands, particularly females, through an educational audiovisual series highlighting the achievements and contributions of a diverse group of ULL researchers.
Scientific_educational field, Maker Space Room Inauguration. / LP/DLP
Additionally, the Foundation, in partnership with the Tenerife Science and Technology Park, supported the social aspect of the First Lego League Canarias by financing the participation of 20 teams from public educational centres in this competition that promotes experiential learning in the fields of science and technology. This support also assisted the two Challenge category winners in their journey to the national competition.
Furthermore, the Cepsa Foundation took part in one of the ‘Plenilunio’ events, in collaboration with the Development Society of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, providing a space for scientific dissemination workshops under the title ‘Building the Future’ to engage the general public of all ages with science. This objective was shared with their collaboration in the 20th anniversary of the Science Fair in La Orotava, and with their initiative to create, for the first time, a scientific-educational activity in the Children and Youth Park of Tenerife (PIT). Named ‘The Magic of Science’, this initiative offered children a comprehensive journey through the universe during all Christmas school holidays.
In the same spirit of promoting scientific and technological vocations, the Foundation supported the FGULL in the MacaroNight project as part of the European Researchers’ Night, and in the traditional Science and Professional Vocations Fair of the Canary Islands. These initiatives aim to stimulate young people’s interest in science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship for their professional development.
Another year of the Chair
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The commitment of the Cepsa Foundation to research, education, scientific dissemination, and knowledge transfer was once again evident through a wide range of actions carried out by the ‘Cepsa Foundation Chair for Ecological Transition and Innovation at the University of La Laguna’. This included continued support for student projects such as ‘Teidesat’ for the construction, launch, and operation of a nanosatellite to enhance optical communications.
### Engaging in Green Actions
The MakerSpace room, located at the School of Engineering and Technology, has been functioning as a multidisciplinary workspace for university students to develop innovative initiatives and put into practice the knowledge acquired in classrooms.
In order to support new research avenues in the field of energy transition, the second call for expressions of interest was held to highlight and reward the most outstanding micro-projects. The IV Awards for the best Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses were presented, while the first industrial doctoral thesis of the Chair and the second of the University of La Laguna focused on obtaining biofuels from vegetable oils and animal fats.
Furthermore, the monthly seminar series ‘Researchers for ecological transition and innovation’ continued to showcase the role of female scientists in aspects related to the themes addressed by the Chair.
### Environmental Initiatives
Conservation and recovery of biodiversity are pillars in the actions of the Cepsa Foundation. In 2023, there is a strong emphasis on the Foundation’s commitment to natural spaces such as Las Mesas Park. Through an alliance with the Government of Tenerife and the City Council of Santa Cruz, efforts will be made towards the environmental recovery of the area. Researchers from the Wolfredo Wildpret Botanical Garden Chair at ULL have been tasked with a detailed study to determine the potential vegetation of this environment and promote the regeneration of the thermophilic forest to create a green corridor from Anaga to the capital of Tenerife, facilitating a flow of native species between natural and urban ecosystems.
In collaboration with the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation, the monthly program of ‘unique tree routes’ has been maintained to showcase the richness of species in the city. Inter-generational visits to the Palmetum have once again brought this enclave closer to those interested in exploring this botanical garden, which is an example of a landfill converted into a haven, and its extraordinary plant collection. This collaboration has also led to a study to assess the impact of microplastics on the soils and groundwater of the Anaga Rural Park, conducted by the research group in Applied Analytical Chemistry at ULL.
The activity ‘School Small Orchards’, aimed at fostering environmental respect, sustainable consumption, and healthy eating among young people, along with the event ‘Ambientate’, focused on environmental education projects for schools, organized on World Environment Day, completed this annual traditional collaboration between the two foundations.
As part of the established collaboration between the Cepsa Foundation and the Palmetum of Santa Cruz, an agreement was signed to renew and expand their nursery, thereby improving the conditions for the reproduction and growth of the botanical collection. Additionally, there has been collaboration in the regular bird census of this enclave, led by SEO/BirdLife, with the main objective of establishing indicators of the biodiversity conservation status.
In response to the reforestation needs following the wildfire that devastated Tenerife last summer, the Cepsa Foundation, in collaboration with the Government of Tenerife, has supported the expansion of the nursery at the Teide Botanical Garden to double the plant production and contribute to the environmental restoration of the flora in this National Park.
Another collaboration established this year led to the launch of a new pilot project, in collaboration with the Government of Tenerife and the Ataretaco Foundation, focused on environmental education and awareness, dedicated to collecting used vegetable oil in eight primary schools located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with a focus on the need to cooperate in solving problems derived from improper management of domestic used oil.
Through the corporate volunteering programme Voluntas, Cepsa professionals and their families were able to participate in environmental awareness activities, such as watering and maintaining reforested areas in Osorio, Gran Canaria, in collaboration with the Foresta Foundation, or a garbage cleanup action in the Tahodio Ravine, Tenerife, with the support of the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation.
Biodiversity actions were further reinforced with the II Biodiversity Sessions of the Cepsa Foundation, held at the end of last year in Tenerife under the title ‘Biodiversity conservation, key to sustainability in the Canary Islands and Andalusia’. This served as a space for reflection and shared knowledge, driving collective awareness. The event allowed the presentation of the most prominent initiatives in which the Foundation is involved, either as a promoter or a significant collaborator, in both communities where it operates by restoring natural spaces, maintaining them, providing environmental education and awareness, and also through specific research projects. All under dialogue and alliances.
In conclusion, the Cepsa Foundation continues to make a positive impact on Canarian society, highlighting its contribution in key areas such as social, environmental, and scientific-educational. Each year, their commitment and actions have a significant impact on the Islands.
