The mayor of Lugo, Lara Méndez, and the general secretary of the PSdG, Valentín González Formoso, visited this Friday, accompanied by the Councilor for the Environment, Miguel Fernández, the president of the Lugo Provincial Council, José Tomé, and the deputy for the Interior Regime, Pilar García, the Impulso Verde facilities, whose works are nearing completion. Lara Méndez explained that “today, Lugo is a reference and pioneer municipality in the implementation of initiatives aimed at caring for the environment and the promotion of the green and circular economy; for six years we have defended the need to transform the city to improve the quality of life of the residents, through the execution of projects, supported by the European Union, as well as with the implementation of the Lugo Transforma strategy”.

Impulso Verde is the first public building to be built in Galicia with certified local wood 100% and is already a flagship in the fight against climate change, capable of producing its consumption with alternative energies. In this way, as the mayor advanced, “the use of wood as a construction element will allow 90% less CO2 to be emitted into the atmosphere than concrete and steel buildings and will absorb 280 tons of emissions, which means that it is already helping in a high percentage to reduce the greenhouse effect”. “Currently, the latest fine-tuning works are being carried out, such as the installation of sensors for monitoring the building, so we hope that it can be completely finished in the coming weeks,” said Lara Méndez.

Impulso Verde is, likewise, the first in Spain and one of the few in the world that has the prestigious FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) project certification. This visa guarantees that all the wood used, both in structures and formwork, comes from sources managed according to strict environmental and social sustainability standards. In addition to local wood, the property is covered by Galician slate.

For public use and with permanent activity, Impulso Verde will have an administrative part, a meeting space and a coworking area for companies linked to bioeconomy and circular economy, consistent with the transformation of the municipality and, therefore, with a great economic projection. In addition, the building will connect the user with nature through the use of wood and the insertion of landscaped spaces, intended for rest and relaxation since it will be surrounded by a new park with drainage paving, native species, rain gardens and a large area of ​​innovative urban orchards and community uses with a therapeutic and didactic functionality in favor of intergenerational coexistence.

The construction works of Impulso Verde began at the end of 2020 and, since then, it has already received the visits from wood associations from different countries, associations from the construction sector and training centers from all over Galicia. In addition, it has been exhibited at the Climate Change Summit in Madrid (COP25), the XV Congress National CONAMA, the third edition of the Cities Forum, etc.; as well as a finalist in contests such as the Rebuild 2021 Awards and chosen Best International Project of 2021 by CUPA, a world leader in the natural slate sector.