ACCIONA Open de España: The First Sporting Event with Positive Water and Carbon Footprints
The ACCIONA Open de España de Golf will take place in Madrid from September 26 to 29, marking it as the first sporting event globally to achieve a positive water and carbon footprint. The 2023 edition of the tournament had a significant economic impact of €19.4 million in Madrid, according to a study by Madrid’s European University. Since partnering with ACCIONA in 2021, the event has reduced CO2 emissions per attendee by 29%, with nearly 46,000 spectators last year. It has also contributed to a regenerative legacy in Madrid, planting 8,000 new trees, with plans for further expansion this year.
ACCIONA will generate a positive water footprint that exceeds the tournament’s total water consumption by 10%. This will be accomplished through clean water produced at one of the company’s desalination plants in the Júcar Basin, an area in Spain that experiences high water stress. This effort avoids the extraction of water from local aquifers, effectively offsetting the tournament’s direct and indirect water consumption.
In addition, for the fourth edition of the ‘ACCIONA Emissions Under Par Award’, ACCIONA will compensate tenfold for the water footprint generated by the tournament winner and their caddie over a full season. Similarly, the company will offset their CO2 emissions tenfold through urban reforestation in Madrid, further enhancing the positive carbon footprint of the event.
This year’s urban reforestation will utilize the Miyawaki method, which mimics natural forest growth to accelerate consolidation and promote self-sustaining ecosystems.
Economic Impact and Legacy
The event’s regenerative legacy goes hand in hand with its economic contributions. In 2023, the ACCIONA Open de España generated €19.4 million, with €10.3 million coming directly from the event and €9.1 million from indirect and induced effects. The tournament also created approximately 647 full-time jobs annually.
With 45,765 attendees in 2023—a 6% increase—28% of visitors came from outside the Community of Madrid. As part of the ‘2023 ACCIONA Emissions Under Par Award’, the organization planted 1,266 trees at the National Golf Center in Madrid, which will prevent the emission of 831 tonnes of CO2 annually. This initiative offsets the estimated CO2 emissions for 2023 winner Matthieu Pavon and his caddie for ten seasons and contributes to the 438 tonnes of CO2 associated with the tournament’s organization.
Commitment to Sustainability
ACCIONA’s involvement with the Open de España de Golf, initiated in 2021, has focused on sustainability and environmental regeneration. The event has maintained a positive carbon footprint since its inception.
In recent years, ACCIONA has introduced various sustainability initiatives, including installing photovoltaic panels that produced 585 kWh of renewable energy in 2023, eliminating plastic containers, and ensuring 100% reuse of tournament modular structures, furniture, and signage. The company has also prioritized local suppliers to reduce transportation emissions and stimulate local economic activity.
Promoting sustainable mobility has been another key initiative, utilizing electric vehicle fleets, enhancing public transport in collaboration with the Madrid City Council, and discouraging private vehicle use through free shuttles and awareness campaigns.
Throughout the tournament, the organization trains suppliers and workers to optimize sustainability practices and enhances information on the golf course to encourage sustainable behavior among attendees. In the 2023 edition, 80% of visitors rated the event’s sustainability efforts as “very satisfactory,” according to the European University study.
