1 Letter of engagement of the CEO of the Irizar Group

When I took on the role of CEO of the Irizar Group in September 2019, there was no hint of this unprecedented crisis. 2020 has been a complicated year, of great uncertainty and, personally, a year of great challenges and opportunities that we have been able to face with the collaboration and major effort of all those who are part of Irizar.

2020 will go down in history as the year of Covid-19, a period of inaction that marks a change in the upward trend in the productive and economic activity of the Irizar Group. Tight restrictions on public transport and general mobility to control the spread of the virus have hit this sector hard, especially medium- and long-distance passenger transport, as well as international tourism.

Covid-19 has imposed a very complex management environment on us; it requires us to balance different needs: in the short term, to protect the health and safety of people and their families, in the medium and long term, to guarantee the sustainability of the business and the continuous generation of value for all our stakeholders.

Through this report, once again I want to confirm our unwavering commitment to moving forward in the implementation of the 10 Principles (relating to Human Rights, Labour Standards, the Environment and the fight against Corruption) and to increasing our ambition to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. In the report, we transparently present the main initiatives and progress in the actions that we are carrying out with our stakeholders. We are therefore ratifying our adherence to the Global Compact and our commitment to this initiative, with which we are fully identified. This is the framework that gives us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, emerge stronger and generate positive impact for our stakeholders, by integrating the three dimensions of sustainability: economic-governance, social and environmental.

We have stayed very close to our customers and have supported them where necessary. We have developed significant innovations, directed towards the reactivation and recovery of the sector. More than 10,000 buses and coaches are already fitted with these Irizar Innovations that meet with the necessary safety and hygiene standards and thus help to prevent the spread of the virus.

Our greatest source of pride and the best evidence of our real commitment to Sustainable Competitiveness, in line with our Mission, is to have maintained employment even in the greatest difficulties with sharp drops in sales suffered by the Irizar Group. In the economic crises of both 2009 and 2020, we have protected the employment of the people who make up the Irizar Group. We have done this by acting collaboratively and being more supportive than ever. We have also improved communication and training with the aim of continuing to prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future.

We want Irizar to become a global player in urban, medium- and long-distance sustainable mobility, which is why we continue to include sustainability as a key value for the future in our strategic plans. We seek out solutions with high technological content that allow our customers, who undoubtedly guide the targets that we set ourselves, to operate the services they provide more efficiently and sustainably. We have no doubt that the future will involve smart and sustainable public transport, as a fundamental solution for the sustainability of the planet. Reducing the impact of our vehicles, eliminating emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and noise pollution, improving information for users and increasing passenger safety are our priorities. We judge these to be the foundations on which to build all our sustainability actions that society demands of us. And that is where we want to be. We are continuing to innovate, because innovation is in our DNA, and being close to our customers, adapting to their new circumstances. With this approach, we are focusing on the entire life cycle of our vehicles, from development, starting with the extraction of raw materials, their production and use, to the end of their service life.

Overall, I am very proud of the robust way in which all those of us who are Irizar people have acted. Our goal is to continue being an attractive company for talent - to generate quality jobs. All within a culture and business approach of integrity that is governed by Ethical Principles.

We are also facing a difficult 2021, but with the progress in vaccinations it seems that we are starting to see signs of recovery. We have no doubt that the future will involve smart and sustainable public transport.

At Irizar we are optimistic and we are prepared to resume our objectives with vigour and return to the path of growth, always providing the appropriate technology, the value of a solid brand, agility and adaptability, closeness to customers, collaboration with suppliers, and with the incredible commitment of the people who make up the Irizar family.

We are excited to be able to contribute our grain of sand to the construction of a more sustainable World, and to do so in the good company of all our stakeholders. It is time for companies, governments and society to join forces and continue working towards a sustainable reconstruction for the good of all of us. An opportunity to open the way to change and lead it together.

Let’s go for it!