Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)

Ferrovial applies the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) in the process of identifying, analyzing and managing risks and opportunities related to climate change. Ferrovial periodically carries out an assessment and quantification of risks and opportunities in all its business units and geographies in different time horizons.

The methodology for climate risks is based on Ferrovial’s Risk Management methodology. This approach evaluates the likelihood of occurrence of the risk, the impact on the business and its frequency.

This methodology considers transition scenarios, based on the degree of implementation of climate change policies, presented annually by the International Energy Agency in the World Energy Outlook, together with physical scenarios that include various cases of greenhouse gas emission concentrations and their physical impacts on the climate, analyzed by experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

ADAPTARE: development of sustainable and resilient infrastructures

An internal tool called ADAPTARE has been developed to assess physical climate risks, which allows a preliminary assessment of climate risks associated with different scenarios, time horizons and a variety of infrastructures. ADAPTARE follows the methodology of the framework proposed by the IPCC, taking into account three variables: climate hazards, vulnerability (sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the asset) and exposure (characterization and valuation of assets) of human and natural systems.

Ferrovial shows two examples of its climate risk analysis: a transitional climate risk and a physical climate risk:

• Physical risk (acute physical): drought
  
  The set of extreme weather events that can cause drought that could potentially cause an impact on a highway operated by Ferrovial in North Carolina (with a concession period from 50 years). Drought may drive physical damages on the infrastructure due to erosion, leading to an increased maintenance, in this case, in the slopes and embankments surrounding the highway itself. This financial impact is deemed immaterial, representing a potential 0,6% increase in operating cost compared to the average of the total OPEX annual budget. The estimated financial implications of the risk before taking action translates in 49500 € time horizon of this risk is long-term (26 years).
  
  The estimated costs of the actions to respond to the risk (a set of preventive measures defined for Ferrovial toll road management infrastructures since 2019) are 730000 €. Through the measures that are put in place to respond to the risk, the risk is fully mitigated.

• Transition risk (risk driven by changes in regulation)
  
  As countries transition to low-emissions economies, they are increasingly focusing in the implementation and developing new regulations, this may result in a greater obligation to report on climate aspects, which can lead to a range of penalties for failing to report or not reporting correctly the information required by legislation. The estimated financial implications of the risk before taking action translates in 5,500,000 € time horizon of this risk is medium-term (6 years).
  
  The estimated costs of the actions to respond to the risk (personnel and new tools or improvements to existing ones) are 1,283,900 €. Through the measures that are put in place to respond to the risk, the risk is fully mitigated.

As an example of opportunity, Ferrovial, thorugh its business unit Cadagua, is taking advantage of the business water-related opportunities created by climate change by offering its cutting-edge & innovative water treatment services, helping to solve challenges (i.e. water availability) with the highest quality & respect for the environment. Cadagua counts with Water Treatment Plants, Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP), Industrial WWTP, Urban Treatment Plants with Sludge Thermal Drying & Desalination Plants. According to the WRI “Aqueduct” tool, water stress will potentially increase by x1.4 by 2040 in Spain.

Ferrovial has identified that could take advantage of its expertise on water infrastructures to access to a market quota of the 650 million euros announced for financing purification, potabilization, wastewater treatment, reuse & infrastructure safety projects (a part of the NextGenerationEU funds).

Access to these funds is subject to a specific business development effort. As a case study, to materialize the opportunity and access the funds there is a need to have dedicated employees for analyzing documentation & identifying specific opportunities. As a result of the invested resources in the procurement of “NextGenerationEU” funds, between 2022-2024, Ferrovial has developed 9 new construction & maintenance projects.

The estimated financial positive implications of this opportunity translates in 6,500,000 time horizon of this risk is medium-term (6 years). The estimated current annual costs associated with developing this opportunity are 100,142 €.