ACCIONA and Homeward Bound team up to promote women’s leadership in the fight against climate change

• The Spanish company is sponsoring an expedition to Antarctica in which 79 female scientists from 35 countries will observe first-hand the impact of climate change and investigate ways to work toward its mitigation

• Christiana Figueres, global leader against climate change and ACCIONA Board member, will participate in the expedition to Antarctica

The HB03 participants are currently taking part in a one-year training and research program that will finalize with the expedition to Antarctica. The group will depart from Ushuaia (Argentina) on 31 December and return on 19 January 2019.

 

For this third edition, Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and member of ACCIONA’s Board of Directors, has confirmed that she will be accompanying the 79 women scientists on their expedition to Antarctica.

 

“Homeward Bound has taken on a courageous and valuable mission: to highlight women’s leadership in the global conversation on climate change mitigation. I identify with the program as it pursues goals that I share, and it furthers my conviction that all human beings can work together and help each other to improve the destiny of Humanity," said Christiana Figueres.

 

Joaquín Mollinedo, Acciona’s Chief Institutional Relations, Sustainability and Brand Officer, said: “The objectives and global nature of this project are perfectly aligned with ACCIONA’s corporate vision. The mitigation of climate change, and the promotion of STEM studies as well as women’s role in society, all form part of our company’s values. A global alliance with Homeward Bound, therefore, is a great opportunity to raise awareness on challenges that transcend borders.”

 

The Australian Homeward Bound program aims to create, within ten years, a network of 1,000 female scientists who will take the lead in the fight against climate change and work together on projects in different fields, affecting different communities, thereby giving visibility to women in science.

 

The one-year program includes training programs with specialist mentors in leadership, strategy, communication and visibility, based on an evaluation of personal development. These activities also create networking opportunities between participants of past and present editions of the expedition. In this way, it is hoped the scientists will build personal and professional ties that might enrich their teamwork.

 

In a second part of the program, the scientists define specific work groups to focus on their research and their leadership in gender and scientific issues.

 

The three-week expedition to Antarctica culminates the exchange of information, conclusions, projects and challenges. During the trip, the team will visit a number of research stations to gather information on the impact that climate change has had in Antarctica, a bell weather continent for the global effects of global warming.

 

Participants for the fourth Homeward Bound expedition (HB04) have already been selected and they are expected to begin their training period in the coming weeks. Over the next few months, 94 scientists from different disciplines will prepare for their journey to Antarctica at the end of 2019.