2020 Sustainability Report |Interview with the CEO | 7 The pandemic established the agenda for the How can we combine this new reality, marked by whole of society in 2020. What were the main the challenges created by the coronavirus, with challenges for Aqualia in this scenario? the long-term strategy and purpose linked to sustainability that you had already outlined? The situation tested our ability to react and adapt. Right from the very beginning, the company’s main concern Aqualia seeks to provide environmental, social and was to ensure that the water supply and sanitation financial solutions that are feasible and acceptable, service was available to all citizens in all municipalities, and it strives to provide high-quality service in all while at the same time ensuring the health and safety phases of the end-to-end water cycle, while preserving of our employees. We have also remained at the water resources and the environment and improving disposal of the authorities and public administrations management efficiency. We do this according to the to help contribute to detecting the virus in wastewater. four cornerstones on which our strategy is based: Our employees have always shown that they are international growth, financial profitability, the highly dedicated to public service; and today we can integration of all areas in the value chain and the say that, thanks to this spirit of public service, we have sustainability of our business model. 2020 highlighted managed to respond to the problems that have arisen the importance of protecting the environment as a key within our scope of action due to one of the greatest factor in the health of the planet and its inhabitants. It challenges that humanity has ever faced. has been shown that degradation of the ecosystem is a catalyst for the spread of viruses that cause pandemics The challenges we took on were very significant. One like the one we are experiencing today. example of these challenges was being able to launch the service in thirteen municipalities in Colombia, Despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19, we are in the midst of a pandemic, where we were already working on more than twenty R&D&i projects related providing service to over 450,000 inhabitants. The to the transformation of waste into resources, the start-up was completed remotely for the very first circularity of water and carbon neutrality.A good time, with a team of professionals in lockdown in example of this is the H2020 Mides project, which has Spain, Panama, the United States and Colombia who developed a unique desalination system in the world provided support to 450 local employees. Their work that has no energy cost, given that it is supplied by is proof of the resilience of both the company and its own energy coming from wastewater treatment. its members. It also clearly showed that the digital Or the Life Metamorphosis project, which can reduce transformation plays a key role in water management. energy demand by up to 73% and the CO emissions2 associated with the process by 80%.