The Red Eléctrica Group joins the Transnational Strategy in the fight against Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) in Atlantic Europe
  • This exotic invasive species causes loss of landscape quality and biodiversity, as well as the displacement of native vegetation.
  • By joining the treaty, the company is committed to stopping the expansion of this plant by preserving wildlife and ensuring a suitable environment for vegetation.

The Red Eléctrica Group has joined the Transnational Strategy in the fight against Cortaderia selloana, more commonly known as Pampas Grass, in Atlantic Europe, in an initiative that seeks to halt the spread of this invasive species with its significant negative consequences for the native vegetation of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country in Spain, the northern coast of Portugal, and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France.

Pampas Grass represents an ecological emergency problem in almost every country in the world, and in Europe it is included in the list of the 100 most damaging species by the Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe project.

This alien species, which was introduced for ornamental reasons, has serious consequences for the health of the land and its inhabitants, as it has a negative effect on the quality of the landscape, generates a loss of biodiversity, displaces native vegetation, causes a loss of connectivity for fauna, reduces pasture land and forest productivity, causes allergy problems that last longer than those of local grasses, increases the risk of fire and affects tourism due to the deterioration of natural landscapes. In addition, the management required to combat it comes at a high economic cost.

The Transnational Strategy to Combat Cortaderia Selloana was born with the aim of eradicating it, promoted within the framework of the Life Stop Cortaderia project, a transnational alliance made up of more than a hundred tertiary sector entities, public authorities and research centres in Spain and Portugal, supported by the European Commission and the Government of Cantabria.

By joining the alliance, the Red Eléctrica Group is committed to stopping the spread of this plant, reducing its presence and restoring areas once it has been eradicated, among other goals.
This action is in addition to other activities carried out by the Company as part of its commitment to biodiversity. One such example is "the Red Eléctrica forest", a project that contributes to the fight against climate change through the planting of trees and, at the same time, to the conservation of a natural area rich in biodiversity. 

"At the Red Eléctrica Group we are committed to generating a positive impact on the biodiversity of the areas in which we carry out operations, as well as contributing to and promoting applied research and innovation aimed at designing solutions to the problems of the territories in which we are present", says Antonio Calvo Roy, Sustainability Director at the Red Eléctrica Group.
 

Fight against Pampas grass

It is a type of perennial grass that can live for up to 15 years and forms stems of up to three or four metres in height, with the appearance of a long, thin, spiky stalk with a fluffy feather at the top.

Problems occur when it reaches maturity, as it has a high growth rate and takes up space, colonising and becoming invasive for the rest of the species in the area.