ECODES

ECODES, formally Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo, is an independent nonprofit organization founded in Zaragoza, Spain, on 10 March 1992. Its work focuses on practical responses to environmental and social challenges, with the stated objective of helping move society toward a more socially fair and ecologically sustainable model. The foundation is not affiliated with a political party and operates through research, public education, partnerships, technical assistance, advocacy, and demonstration projects rather than through the sale of consumer products. The organization works across several connected fields. These include climate change and greenhouse-gas reduction, sustainable water management, corporate social responsibility, ethical and responsible investment, fair trade, responsible consumption, transparency in the nonprofit sector, and international development cooperation. ECODES analyzes the causes and effects of major socio-environmental problems and develops or promotes tools intended to make more sustainable choices feasible for households, companies, public authorities, investors, and civil-society organizations. Water has been one of its most visible areas of activity. Its Zaragoza, Water-Saving City campaign, launched in 1997, sought to reduce household water use through efficient technologies, improved management, public participation, and simple behavioral changes. The project set a target of saving 1 billion liters of domestic water in one year and became a widely cited example of urban water-efficiency programming. ECODES later helped create and manage Alianza por el Agua, a cooperation platform concerned with sustainable water use and access. ECODES also developed climate-oriented initiatives. In 2005 it partnered with Fundación Natura on CeroCO2, a program intended to help individuals, companies, public bodies, and NGOs calculate, reduce, and offset greenhouse-gas emissions. Its activities included support for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy measures, as well as reforestation and development projects. In 2008, with support from Spain's Ministry of the Environment, ECODES launched Piensaenclima, a project that examined how companies addressed climate change and translated corporate sustainability information into material that consumers could use. The initiative worked with Climate Counts in Spain and included a mobile information tool. The foundation has also participated in responsible-investment research. Since joining EIRIS as an analyst partner in 2002, ECODES has supplied environmental, social, and governance research on listed companies in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Mexico. It has contributed analysis used in responsible-investment databases and sustainability indexes, including FTSE4Good and FTSE4Good IBEX. In the fair-trade field, it helped establish the Asociación del Sello de Productos de Comercio Justo, the Spanish fair-trade labeling association, in 2005. Its international cooperation has concentrated particularly on Latin America, where ECODES has supported local organizations through project funding, technical expertise, institutional assistance, and help obtaining public or private grants. The foundation has also worked with partners and projects in countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. In Spain, it has participated in environmental and social coalitions, foundation-sector networks, and transparency initiatives. ECODES has communicated its work through publications and public events. For Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, it organized and managed the citizens' initiative pavilion known as El Faro, which brought together nongovernmental organizations for exhibitions, debates, and activities concerning water and sustainable development. In January 2010 it launched esPosible, a free online magazine covering climate change, sustainable development, responsible consumption, cities, employment, tourism, and water cooperation. The foundation has received recognition for several projects, especially its Zaragoza water program and CeroCO2. Available reference material does not establish a current chief executive, ownership structure, revenue figure, or listed status beyond its nonprofit foundation character.

ECODES was established in Zaragoza on 10 March 1992 as Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo. From its beginning, the foundation sought to address shared environmental and social problems through practical solutions and institutional cooperation. It developed a model combining public-interest research, education, technical support, project implementation, and advocacy. Although its subject matter can be politically consequential, ECODES describes itself as independent and unaffiliated with political parties. During the 1990s, water efficiency became a defining part of the organization's identity. In 1997 ECODES initiated Zaragoza, Water-Saving City, a campaign designed to show that urban water scarcity could be addressed through relatively inexpensive efficiency measures rather than only through new infrastructure. The program promoted water-saving devices, improved management, public participation, and awareness of household consumption. Its stated challenge was to reduce domestic use by 1 billion liters over one year. The initiative attracted collaboration from municipal and regional authorities and the European Union and later received recognition from Spanish, European, and international bodies, including UN urban-sustainability programs. ECODES expanded its institutional work in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It began ethical-investment research in 1997 and joined EIRIS as an analyst partner in 2002. Through this relationship it analyzed environmental and social policies of listed companies in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Mexico and contributed data to responsible-investment research and sustainability indexes. The foundation also participated in networks concerned with climate, foundations, fair trade, and water governance. It helped establish Spain's fair-trade product-label association in 2005 and contributed to the development of Alianza por el Agua. Climate change became another major program area. In 2005 ECODES and Fundación Natura developed CeroCO2, a platform intended to help a broad range of stakeholders measure emissions, reduce them through efficiency and renewable-energy measures, and address residual emissions through supported projects such as reforestation and development initiatives. In 2008 ECODES launched Piensaenclima with support from Spain's environment ministry. The project compared approaches for evaluating corporate climate policies, engaged Climate Counts as a Spanish partner, and provided consumers with accessible information, including through a mobile application. ECODES played a public-facing role at Zaragoza's Expo 2008. It organized and managed El Faro, the citizens' initiative pavilion, and helped coordinate nongovernmental organizations presenting discussions and activities about water and sustainable development. This work reflected its broader practice of convening public authorities, companies, civil-society groups, researchers, and citizens around environmental problems. International development cooperation has been part of ECODES's work since 1994. Its approach has included funding demonstration projects, providing technical and organizational expertise, and helping overseas partners obtain support from Spanish institutions, the European Union, and private donors. Latin America has been a principal geographic focus, while projects and partnerships have also extended to Africa and Asia. Subject areas have included water and sanitation, sustainable livelihoods, conservation, renewable energy, and local development. In January 2010 ECODES launched esPosible, a free online magazine intended to connect sustainability information with public participation. Its early issues addressed business and climate change, green employment, water and cooperation, responsible shopping, low-impact tourism, and cities and energy. The foundation has also promoted transparency in the nonprofit sector through Fundación Lealtad and reports that have assessed its governance and use of funds. Recognition received by its projects includes the Félix de Azara Prize, the 21 Action Prize, Ebrópolis recognition, the Juan de la Cosa environmental-engineering award, and multiple honors for the Zaragoza water campaign. Reference material does not provide enough information to document current leadership, later organizational restructuring, or present-day financial performance.

• 2010

  esPosible is launched

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  ECODES starts a free online magazine focused on climate, sustainability, responsible consumption, and public engagement.

• 2008

  Piensaenclima and Expo 2008 activities

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  ECODES launches Piensaenclima and manages the El Faro citizens' pavilion at Zaragoza's Expo 2008.

• 2005

  CeroCO2 is developed

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  ECODES and Fundación Natura create a program for measuring, reducing, and offsetting greenhouse-gas emissions.

• 2002

  ECODES joins EIRIS as an analyst partner

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation begins supplying environmental and social research on companies to the ethical-investment research network EIRIS.

• 1997

  Zaragoza, Water-Saving City begins

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  ECODES launches its best-known urban water-efficiency campaign, targeting a reduction of 1 billion liters of household consumption in one year.

• 1994

  Development-cooperation work begins

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  ECODES begins formal activity in international development cooperation, especially through partnerships in Latin America.

• 1992

  ECODES is founded in Zaragoza

  [1]ECODESen.wikipedia.org

  Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo, later commonly known as ECODES, is established as an independent nonprofit organization.

An independent, evidence-led nonprofit partner translating environmental and social research into public campaigns, organizational tools, and practical sustainability projects.

• Water-efficiency campaign · 1997

  Zaragoza, Water-Saving City

  A citywide demonstration program launched in 1997 to reduce domestic water consumption through efficient fixtures, better management, public awareness, and participation by households and institutions. Its central target was saving 1 billion liters in one year. The campaign became ECODES's most internationally recognized initiative and was cited as an example of practical, low-conflict urban sustainability policy.

• Climate action platform · 2005

  CeroCO2

  A program developed with Fundación Natura to help individuals, businesses, NGOs, and public bodies calculate greenhouse-gas emissions, identify reduction measures, and address remaining emissions through renewable-energy, efficiency, and reforestation projects, including projects in developing countries.

• Corporate climate information · 2008

  Piensaenclima

  A project launched with support from Spain's Ministry of the Environment to examine corporate climate-change policies and present the results in a form useful to consumers. ECODES evaluated existing methodologies, worked with Climate Counts in Spain, and developed a free mobile information tool.

• Online magazine · 2010

  esPosible

  A free online publication launched in 2010. It covered climate change, green employment, water cooperation, responsible shopping, lower-impact tourism, cities, and energy, while highlighting projects that readers and institutions could adapt or support.

• 2008Piensaenclima

  Spain

  A corporate-climate-policy assessment and consumer-information initiative developed with government support and Climate Counts.

  Outcome. The project produced comparative information and a mobile tool for consumers.

  Source
• 2005CeroCO2

  Spain · International

  A climate program offering emissions calculation, reduction, and offsetting resources to multiple stakeholder groups.

  Outcome. The program extended ECODES's climate work from advocacy into practical measurement and project support.

  Source
• 1997Zaragoza, Water-Saving City

  Zaragoza · Spain

  A collaborative municipal water-efficiency initiative promoting simple technical changes, demand management, and citizen participation.

  Outcome. It became a widely recognized sustainability case and received multiple awards and international selections.

  Source

• 2005

  Create a cross-sector climate action platformStrategy

  Background

  Climate change required tools that could be used by citizens, companies, institutions, and civil-society organizations.

  Action taken

  ECODES partnered with Fundación Natura to develop CeroCO2, combining emissions accounting, reduction guidance, and offset-project support.

  Aftermath

  CeroCO2 became a central vehicle for ECODES's practical climate work.

  Source

• 2002

  Expand into responsible-investment researchStrategy

  Background

  ECODES had developed ethical-investment research and sought to contribute Spanish and wider Iberian and Latin American corporate sustainability data.

  Action taken

  It joined EIRIS as an analyst partner and supplied environmental and social analysis used by responsible-investment users and indexes.

  Aftermath

  The partnership broadened ECODES's influence from environmental campaigning into ESG information and investor research.

  Source

1. 1ECODESen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ECODES official websiteecodes.org