ACCIONA’s Sustainable Infrastructure in SEA;
PH Prioritized as Regional Hub

2024 – “Southeast Asia possibly has the best conditions in the world to contribute to solving challenges [in water and energy access]. There is a definite commitment from the Philippine government for infrastructure development,” said José Manuel Entrecanales, Chairman and CEO of ACCIONA at Makati Business Club’s “Global Leaders” event.

Entrecanales shared how the Philippines became the company’s regional hub with over $15 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next four years. The longstanding cultural affinity between Spain and the Philippines, along with the quality of Filipino partners, supported the company’s investment decision.

“Countries with a solid support from public entities, good capital influence, a stable legal framework and good contractual terms attract good capacity engineering and construction capacity that will allow for development,” Entrecanales said.

Entrecanales believes that public-private partnerships are a fantastic mechanism to tackle social necessities through infrastructure. “The world is short of infrastructures but there is also a huge amount of capital. We need to have public administration facilitate our job in developing these infrastructures by balancing out the equation risk return.”, he said.

Jocot de Dios, President and CEO of Manila Water, moderated the one-on-one conversation and open discussion. “ACCIONA has survived multiple generations through its determination and desire to go off the beaten track and to provide innovative solutions. I am very pleased to hear the Philippines is your platform within Southeast Asia for these solutions in infrastructure, renewable energy, and water.”, de Dios said.

ACCIONA highly prioritizes sustainability in their operations worldwide. “We have a global sustainability development plan which is compulsory. It’s a five-year plan that will renew every five years.”, Entrecanales said. ACCIONA achieved carbon neutrality in 2016 with a commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. The company also helps over 500 entities worldwide to reach their decarbonization goals with renewable energy and regenerative infrastructure.

“His [Entrecanales] leadership journey exemplifies the notion that success is not merely measured by financial gain but by the positive impact we create in the world around us.”, Amb. Jose Cuisia Jr. said when introducing Entrecanales.

MBC’s “Global Leaders” series aims for Philippine executives to meet and learn from world leaders in business, technology, and other fields. The series is the pilot initiative of the Global Ideas Committee, chaired by Ambe Tierro of Accenture Philippines.

To learn more about MBC’s past engagements with global leaders, you can visit MBC’s Global Page.