Individual commitments for a collective impact at the Valencia office

The Zabala Innovation team at our office in Valencia, Spain, which in recent years has grown to consolidate 24 professionals, launched an internal initiative on the occasion of World Environmental Health Day. A mural of sustainable commitments and a healthy lunch with local Spanish products served as a reminder that responsible innovation also begins in everyday life.

Environmental health, a concept with direct impact on our lives

Environmental health refers to how external factors — from air quality to the way we eat — influence our physical and mental wellbeing. Recognised by the World Health Organization, this concept highlights that the quality of the environment we live in is directly linked to disease prevention and improved quality of life.

Every 26 September, World Environmental Health Day seeks to raise awareness of this link. Beyond the official commemoration, at Zabala Innovation we believe sustainability must also be experienced day by day, as part of a shared culture that strengthens our corporate values.

A growing team with a sustainable outlook

The Valencia office of Zabala Innovation has strengthened notably in recent years, now with a team of 24 people. This expansion reflects the consolidation of the company’s activity in the Valencian Region of Spain and its ability to attract talent in an environment increasingly marked by the challenges of sustainability and the green transition.

In April 2025, Zabala Innovation integrated Proyecta Innovación, a consulting firm based in Alcoy (Spain), with 19 professionals specialised in innovation management. With this incorporation, Zabala Innovation reinforces its position as a strategic partner in the region, adding value to organisations in their innovation processes.

In this context, the team wanted to make its commitment visible through an internal action connecting individual habits with a collective impact. The activity consisted of creating a collaborative mural of environmental commitments, in which each person wrote down a concrete action to put into practice during the week.

Commitments that add up

The commitments collected on the mural covered different areas:

• Responsible mobility: walking more, using public transport or carpooling to reduce emissions.
• Sustainable food: prioritising local and seasonal fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed products and reducing the transport footprint.
• Efficient use of resources: limiting showers to five minutes, optimising home energy consumption or reusing cooking water for irrigation.
• Conscious consumption: carrying a reusable bottle instead of plastic ones, using reusable bags and avoiding single-use packaging.
• Wellbeing in nature: spending time outdoors or relaxing in green areas.

These simple actions symbolise the willingness to incorporate sustainability into everyday habits, in line with Zabala Innovation’s mission to promote responsible innovation in every sphere.

A healthy lunch with local products

The initiative concluded with a shared lunch of seasonal fruit and local produce such as grapes, figs, persimmons and pomegranates. This activity not only highlighted the benefits of a healthy and sustainable diet but also strengthened team cohesion.

“The planet’s health is also our health. At Zabala Innovation, we believe innovation must serve people and the environment,” says Sergio Girbés, director of the Valencian offices. “That is why, on World Environmental Health Day, we want to remember that every decision, every project and every idea can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future. The actions we carried out in our office, such as the participatory mural or the healthy lunch, remind us that sustainability begins with small daily gestures.”

Responsible innovation as a hallmark

The experience of the Valencia office shows how Zabala Innovation integrates responsible innovation both in its external activity — participating in European projects that promote the green and digital transition — and in its internal life, generating awareness spaces and sustainable practices.

At a time when Europe is promoting initiatives such as the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 or the Zero Pollution Action Plan, this local action reinforces Zabala Innovation’s role as an agent of change, capable of translating global goals into real practices that begin with its own team.