Climate change is not a distant threat, but a daily threat. This summer, Spain has suffered one of the worst waves of forest fires recorded, with most of 382 thousand hectares killed, thousands of people evacuated and several lives lost. Added to this are extreme weather events becoming more frequent, as the DANA 2024, which left serious damage in whole communities.
In this context, the social action is more indispensable than ever. And although science and politics marked the roadmap, citizens mobilized is the engine that transforms the commitment in action.
Citizen action against weather emergencies
The wave of fire has recently revealed something fundamental: when the crisis hits, the company responds. It is estimated that thousands of people in Spain have been involved this summer in support tasks related to climate emergencies, from fire prevention to assistance in evacuation and recovery spaces. These voluntary actions are not only ease the burden of the professional services, but to expand the scope of the response and strengthen the resilience of communities.
Environmental volunteering: a commitment to nature
In recent years, the environmental volunteering in Spain has moved steadily to millions of people that participate in the activities of conservation, restoration, and awareness.
It is estimated that each year we spend more than 100 thousand hours of volunteering to work planting trees, cleaning of rivers, campaigns for the reduction of waste, or environmental education. This collective effort has a direct impact on the recovery of ecosystems, and the prevention of risks associated with climate change.
Corporate volunteering: the power of combining efforts
Corporate volunteering has experienced a remarkable growth in Spain: currently, 2 out of every 3 big companies have programs stable to allow their employees to devote time to social and environmental projects.
Thanks to this commitment, mobilize every year tens of thousands of people in initiatives related to energy efficiency, the circular economy or the restoration of natural spaces. The benefit is twofold: environmental impact and strengthening the culture of sustainability in companies.
Activism climate: keep the urgency of the agenda
In parallel, the activism climate continues to grow. In recent years, have been organized in Spain, hundreds of protests and campaigns which have managed to place emergency climate in public and political debate. Citizen participation in these actions is especially relevant among the youth: a key sector that, with their voices and their demands, drives cultural change and policy towards sustainability.
The data show that volunteering and activism are not an add-on, but a structural part of the climate resiliency in Spain. The social action is today a fundamental pillar in the fight against climate change, from the heroic work (and sometimes risky) of those who cooperate in fires, until the corporate campaigns, and youth activism. All of these initiatives add up to build a more sustainable future.
The challenge is enormous, but so is our collective ability to respond to the environmental challenge.
Discover how to collaborate onAccionporelclima.org and turns your commitment into concrete action. Participate, engage, and act.
Sources
- Plataforma del Voluntariado de España – Portrait of the volunteers in 2024
https://plataformavoluntariado.org/el-retrato-de-las-personas-voluntarias-en-2024 - Open daily – 4.2 million spaniards, the 10 % of the population, have been volunteers in 2024
https://www.diarioabierto.es/693716/42-millones-de-espanoles-el-10-de-la-poblacion-han-sido-voluntarios-en-2024 - Five Days (to The Country) – The action corporate social, the reach of the hand (February 2025)
https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-02-04/la-accion-social-corporativa-al-alcance-de-la-mano.html - The Adecco foundation – Report on corporate volunteering in Spain (December 2024) https://fundacionadecco.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/041224NDP-VOLUNTARIADO-CORPORATIVO-.pdf
