Metro de Madrid

Metro de Madrid contributes significantly to value creation in the three dimensions of sustainable development: Society, Environment and Economy. Thus, we strengthen the compatibility between economic activity and demographic growth in the Madrid region, respect the environment and contribute to the improvement of citizens’ quality of life.

For this reason, and in accordance with our strategy based on Social Profitability, we attach great importance to the service we offer to society as an element that integrates social groups and geographic areas, to the protection of the environment, and to the efficient use of resources.

Consequently, Corporate Responsibility constitutes a path that allows us to optimally manage our commitments to the general public, with the ultimate aim of supporting the Sustainable Development of our environment. Therefore, on the basis of the Corporate Responsibility Policy, the Company has taken a further step by developing a specific strategy in this area, consisting of three strategic lines that seek to reinforce the relationship established with our principal stakeholders.

1. Metro de Madrid and Society

Towards integration and a better quality of life

Metro de Madrid takes care of the social dimension of sustainability by providing an excellent service in terms of quality, safety, efficiency and accessibility. This contributes to the reduction of road traffic congestion, atmospheric pollution, environmental noise, etc, which in turn significantly improves citizens’ quality of life.

In terms of accessibility and integration, we also make an effort to meet the mobility needs of each and every individual by providing an accessible, user-friendly means of transport within everyone’s reach. To this end we make significant investments in accessibility elements that facilitate the mobility of people with different disabilities. These investments have been analysed by the work group that comprises not only various transport sector entities, but also organisations such as the Spanish National Organisation for the Blind (ONCE), the Federation of Associations for the Physically Disabled in the Madrid Region (FAMMA), or the Spanish Confederation of Organisations for the Mentally Disabled (FEAPS). Metro de Madrid has received various awards in recognition of this work: the CERMI (Spanish National Council of Disabled Representatives) award (awarded by PROLIS in 2005), the Bastón de Plata (Silver Walking Stick) award (awarded by the FUNDACIÓN ONCE in 2006) and the METRO RAIL award (awarded at the Copenhagen conference in 2008).

Furthermore, the successive network expansions we have carried out in recent years have facilitated the integration of social groups and geographic areas.

A key aspect of our commitment to Society is safety, a fundamental aspect for Metro de Madrid. Safety is considered from two points of view: on the one hand, reducing the number of road accidents by reducing the number of car journeys and, on the other hand, promoting occupational health and safety plans, whereby we minimise potential financial damage and pain and suffering.

Metro de Madrid is also committed to supporting culture by carrying out various activities such as inserting literary texts inside trains, the Bibliometro lending library, and using the stations as venues for exhibitions, cultural performances and sporting events.

2. Metro de Madrid and the Environment

Towards reduction of CO2 emissions 

The transport sector is one of the biggest consumers of energy and one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, rail transport, with its very low emissions per passenger transported, plays an important role in the environmental dimension of sustainability.


In this context, we plan to carry out various initiatives to improve our activities and installations, with the aim of using integral management methods to reduce pollutant atmospheric emissions. These actions are based on the UNE-EN ISO 14001 standard and seek to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of fuels and other raw materials, whereby we achieve energy efficiency and environmental excellence.

In recognition of this effort, Metro de Madrid received the 2005 Environment Award for the Best Environmental Management Business Initiative, awarded by the business newspaper “Expansión”, Garrigues and Ecoiuris. And in 2007, the company’s “Environmental Management at Metro de Madrid” solution won the “2007 Award for the best CSR solution in the Environment category” at the CSR MarketPlace organised by Forética.

3. Metro de Madrid and Economic Value

Towards efficient use of resources

The economic dimension of sustainability is directly related to the available resources and how these resources are organised. For this reason, and always bearing in mind our commitment to Social Profitability, one of our main objectives is to create value at an efficient cost and with a minimum consumption of resources, especially water and electricity.

Metro de Madrid constantly promotes numerous Research and Development projects with the aim of optimising efficient use of resources, putting innovation in technology and management at the service of the sustainable development of mobility in the Madrid region. These projects include rigid catenary, installing accumulators so that braking energy can be used for train ignition, and operation of the traction network in parallel.

4. Metro de Madrid and its participation in Sustainability Forums

We are aware that exchanging experiences is always beneficial for all the parties involved, which is why we proactively participate in the following national and international forums and organisations, whose aim is to promote activities that contribute to the development of sustainability:

Fundación Entorno

The Fundación Entorno, Consejo Empresarial Español para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Environment Foundation, Spanish Business Council for Sustainable Development) is a private non-profit organisation whose mission is to tackle the challenges of sustainable development as business opportunities. Created in 1995 by a group of large companies, it serves businesses who wish to reinforce their commitment to sustainable development. In this context, its main aim is to promote business leadership to contribute to Sustainable Development in businesses, as well as to help companies innovate in the field of sustainable development.

Foro de Reputación Corporativa

The Corporate Reputation Forum (fRC, Foro de Reputación Corporativa) is a meeting point where Corporate Reputation trends, tools and management models are analysed and disseminated. Founded in September 2002, the fRC’s interest in reputation stems from its firm belief in the impact of reputation as a value-generating element for its member companies and their stakeholders.

Instituto de Análisis de Intangibles

The Instituto de Análisis de Intangibles (IAI, Institute for the Analysis of Intangible Assets) is a non-profit association that was set up in 2004 by a group of companies, consulting firms, business schools and organisations. Its mission is to introduce certainty and objectivity in the analysis, management and assessment of intangible assets by finding consensus solutions and offering the collaboration of the agents involved. It was created with the aim of generating rigorous measuring instruments and integrating the various intangible assets into the proposed assessment processes.

Foro de las Empresas Ferroviarias por la Sostenibilidad

The Foro de las Empresas Ferroviarias por la Sostenibilidad (Forum of Railway Companies for Sustainability) is a group of public and private entities that carry out their activity in the railway sector, and whose fundamental aim is to develop the contents of the “Declaration of Railway Companies for Sustainability” (signed at the 2006 National Environment Conference) and to create a favourable climate of opinion on these activities among government authorities and the general public.

Unión Internacional de Transporte Público. UITP

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is an international organisation made up of public transport authorities, operators, scientific institutes and public transport-related service industries, whose vision is the creation of a common area for public transport at international level. Its activities are aimed at catalyzing new business opportunities, defending public transport and sustainable mobility, and promoting future-oriented innovations and solutions. Since 2006, Metro de Madrid has been a signatory of the Sustainable Development Charter, as a member of the UITP’s Sustainable Development Commission.

Asociación Latinoamericana de Metros y Subterráneos. ALAMYS

The Latin-American Association of Metros and Underground Railways (ALAMYS) was created in 1987 to facilitate the exchange of experiences and technologies among the member countries of Latin-America and the Iberian Peninsula. Its main objective is to study the interests and needs that its members have in common due to their technical characteristics and geographic origin.

Fundación CONAMA

Every two years since 1992, the CONAMA Foundation has organised the National Environment Congress. Since then, this Congress has gradually established itself in Spain as a major event in the field of environment and sustainable development.