The stand-out aspects of this publicly-owned company include its supporting role in the development of new environmental legislation and sustainability planning. More specifically, this includes the drawing up of plans and the drafting of legislation that will mark the route map for the next ten years, such as the Environmental Framework Programme of the Basque Country, the Land Protection Plan, the Waste Prevention and Management Plan, the Green Purchasing and Procurement Programme and the draft Energy Transition and Climate Change Bill.

In regard to employment and green entrepreneurship programmes, the report highlights the presentation and start-up on 17 March of the new Basque Circular Hub and the promoting of 26 eco-innovation projects featuring eco-design, remanufacturing and the circular economy for metals, plastics and minerals under the Eco-innovation in a Circular Economy Programme. The expected outcomes on completion of these projects include reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 63,500 tpa, avoiding the need to landfill 475,000 tpa of waste and fostering the creation of 19 business lines.

Ihobe is also taking part in adaptation and resilience actions to help the region tackle climate change, and in efforts to mitigate emissions, e.g. through its coordination of the Life Urban Klima 2050 project, which received a project assessment visit from the European Commission, which was highly satisfied with the progress made.

Progress has also been made on implementing the Euskadi 2030 Circular Economy Strategy. Specifically, work has begun to design the working plan for the new operating period of the Basque Ecodesign Center for 2021-2024.

The Basque Network of Sustainable Municipalities (Udalsarea 2030) held its 56th Technical Committee meeting, at which it an account was given of the results attained n the past year and the process of preparation of the new strategic plan.

The Ekoetxea network of schools for sustainability, which is managed by Ihobe, has worked on the design of a new strategic stage of the network up to 2024. Digitisation and educational innovation towards a more flexible, open, communicative system are to be the key points.

Ihobe is also designing its partnership strategy. In the first quarter of 2021 it has established the basis for cooperation with organisations including Aclima, Confebask, Orkestra, Neiker, Tknika and the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU). It has also renewed its cooperation agreements with the Basque Association and Institute of Journalism and with the Association of Environmental Journalists (APIA).

Ihobe issues these Progress Reports quarterly to inform its customers and suppliers and the general public of the main progress made in its operations as a publicly-owned company attached to the Basque Government Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment.