For the past few months, we've been working on a wonderful project, which we haven't shared much about yet. We've been developing the sustainability strategy for Pueblos Remotos, laying its foundations and implementing concrete actions, such as calculating its carbon footprint.
It has been quite an experience, and a personal pleasure, to lead and manage this project, for and with a team I truly believe in. What began as "just another project" has ended up becoming a little gem Pueblos Remotos family , one that's here to stay and grow with us little by little.
An ESG project with soul
And what has this project, which has generated so much affection in me, consisted of? Well, it has covered quite a lot.
At the end of last year, we found an opportunity to take our sustainability strategy a step further, thanks to European funding aimed at small social impact businesses. Together with Elsa Rodríguez, co-founder of the project, and just before she went on maternity leave, we submitted an ambitious proposal (because yes, we want to go all out when it comes to sustainability!), and the good news is… we got it!
Elsa, we missed you a lot during the process, but this is your baby —the other one! 😉 The European project is called 'Green at Heart ,' co-financed by the European Union and promoted by Impact Hub (Amsterdam, Madrid, and Vienna) along with the impact departments of those cities. It wasn't just financial support, but a training and mentoring program that even included a Bootcamp in Vienna , where we met with other companies to learn and share real-world challenges. New collaborations have even emerged from it.
It has been quite an experience, and a personal pleasure, to lead and manage this project, for and with a team I truly believe in. What began as "just another project" has ended up becoming a little gem Pueblos Remotos family , one that's here to stay and grow with us little by little.
Green at Heart project bootcamp in Vienna with other impact companies
This drive fits perfectly with our intention that sustainability is not only in what we do —experiences, activities, connection with the territory— but also in how we do it : in our daily decisions, processes and way of operating.
Sustainability policy and carbon footprint
During these months we have worked on two main lines:
- We created our Sustainability Policy , where we defined commitments and principles of action. This also helped us to resume our fundamental strategic work.
- Calculate the carbon footprint of the company and our experiences, and train ourselves to be able to do it internally every year.
For this, we partnered with Espacio Suministro , and especially with Nuria Rodríguez from Ecomimética . She provided the training and carried out the footprint calculation, as well as the final report and Reduction and Compensation Plan. The two of us Nurias were the dream team for this part of the project. And yes, we confess: we're sustainability geeks
Training on carbon footprint and environmental impact with Nuria Rodríguez (Ecomimética)
And who am I to tell you this?
For those who don't know me, I'm Nuria Fernández , a sustainability consultant. I come from the world of sustainable architecture, although today I focus on regenerative approaches (which is a topic for another blog!), and I've also trained in social innovation and sustainability strategy.
I discovered Pueblos Remotos by participating in one of their co-living in Almagro , in March 2024. It was there that I fell even more in love with the project, not only for its purpose, but for who promotes it and how they do it.
My collaboration with the team began last November. Since then, I've worked from within the organization, and my role has been something like that of an innovation and sustainability consultant. I've been able to delve into all the interesting areas that time has allowed, designing and facilitating workshops for social entrepreneurs in rural areas, participating in European projects with international partners… but, without a doubt, this ESG project has been the one that has occupied my attention the most (and with pleasure).
Facilitating dynamics with social entrepreneurs
When you have a clear vocation, you inevitably find those projects that inspire and motivate you.
Carbon footprint as a measure of impact
Returning to the project, why, among many other possible actions, did we choose to measure the carbon footprint?
Although as a service company our emissions are not very high compared to industrial sectors and other company scales, we knew that one of our biggest impacts was on the experiences of teleworkers and students, especially due to the use of air transport.
But… what is the actual impact? How does it compare to other areas? Where should we focus our efforts to reduce it?
The only way to answer is by quantifying with real data, because as they say: 'you can't improve what you don't measure'.
What if we can't reduce everything?
It's true, emissions can't always be reduced, whether due to technical, economic, or contextual limitations. That's where offsetting comes in. It shouldn't be an excuse or a stopgap measure, but rather a complementary tool that allows us to restore some of the planet's carbon absorption capacity.
In our case, we have offset 10% of our emissions as an organization by collaborating with the Foresta Foundation , a reforestation project in the Canary Islands that works for the restoration of the archipelago's natural heritage.
I discovered Pueblos Remotos by participating in one of their co-living in Almagro , in March 2024. It was there that I fell even more in love with the project, not only for its purpose, but for who promotes it and how they do it.
The challenge of sustainability in small businesses
Integrating sustainability into daily operations is already a challenge for any company, but for small and medium-sized enterprises, including startups and micro-enterprises, with limited resources, it can be even more complex.
Today, there is a lack of support, training, and clear policies to drive this change in an accessible and realistic way. That's why initiatives like the European project Green at Heart are so necessary: they offer tools, support, and visibility so that even the smallest businesses can move towards a more sustainable model.
Because without that impetus, sustainability risks falling into the hands of a few committed companies, when what we need is a systemic and collective change.
So what now?
We wanted to share this whole process with you and what we've learned. As of today:
- Our Sustainability Policy is integrated into our processes.
- We have a plan of measures in progress to be implemented in the coming years.
- And we will continue to measure our footprint every year, with the aim of reducing and continuously improving it.
In addition, we will soon share the results on social media and publicly share both the Sustainability Policy and the Reduction and Compensation Plan .
In fact, we already touched on this last July when we shared a webinar with Nuria Rodríguez ( Ecomimética ) and Sergio Armas ( Fundación Foresta ) to discuss these topics, analyze the pros and cons of measuring our footprint, and open the debate. If you're interested, you can watch the webinar recording here .
Because this goes beyond businesses
While these topics may sound corporate, we all have an impact, whether as a company, a group, or as individuals. We encourage you to continue learning and take small steps to reduce your footprint.
On a personal level, this project has marked a very special professional stage for me, and it also opens another one: that of continuing to promote sustainability in impact companies.
Thank you, Pueblos Remotos, and we continue walking together. 🥰
Super Pueblos Remotos team celebrating life!
