ACCIONA, a world leader in providing regeneration solutions for a carbon-free economy, has become the main sponsor of the Open de España. The tournament, taking place between 7 and 10 October 2021 at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, will now be known as the ACCIONA Open de España, to include the name of the company specialising in robust services and infrastructure and renewable energy.
This decision demonstrates ACCIONA’s clear support for sport by joining one of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments in the world (it has been held in Spain since 1912 and been part of the European Tour since 1972).
Past winners have included such legendary names as Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Sergio García, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Jon Rahm, who won the tournament for the second time the last time it was held, in 2019. In October, having now won his first major at the U.S. Open, Rahm is set to return to the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid to defend his title.
The relationship between Madrid Trophy Promotion S.L., the promoters of the Open de España, and ACCIONA is a long-standing one. For several months the ACCIONA consulting firm has played a key role in the processes of adopting sustainability criteria in order to opt for international certification under ISO 20121, which calls for the implementation of sustainability measures during all the stages of organising events, taking into account their environmental, social and economic impact, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set out in the company’s Sustainability Master Plan for 2025.
The ACCIONA Open de España will be the first event to be organised by Madrid Trophy Promotion S.L. since obtaining ISO 20121 certification.
This seal, granted by SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance), accredits the company’s undertaking to uphold sustainability, with particular emphasis on combating climate change. A commitment that will take the form of applying measures for the tournament to have a positive environmental and social impact from this year’s edition onwards.
Gerard Tsobanian, the Chairman and CEO of the ACCIONA Open de España, has said how much he is looking forward to launching this new phase in partnership with ACCIONA: “For some time now we have been immersed in a major process of change to become the benchmark when it comes to organising carbon-neutral sporting events. ACCIONA, a leading firm in the management of sustainable solutions, is the best possible partner for us as we embark on this journey at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in October.”
Joaquín Mollinedo, ACCIONA’s Institutional Relations, Communication and Branding Director, said: “This is an exciting project, because not only can we now count on such a great partner as Madrid Trophy Promotion and support a top-flight golf competition, it will also enable us to apply every possible solution to the event so that the activities generated by the tournament have a positive impact on the local environment.”
The Open de España attracted 31,219 visitors to the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid for the 2019 edition, which ended superbly as Jon Rahm romped home with a five-shot margin over the second-placed player, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, and a final result of 22 below par.
ACCIONA is a global leader in providing regeneration solutions for a carbon-free economy. Its areas of business include renewable energy, water treatment and management, eco-efficient transport and mobility systems, and robust infrastructure. The company has been carbon-neutral since 2016. ACCIONA reported a turnover of €6.472 billion in 2020 and operates in more than 60 countries.