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| Spain's next green leader: Esther Koplowitz  Esther Koplowitz, businesswoman, billionaire and philanthropist has been recognised by the Spanish government for her environmental initiatives across Europe, the Middle East and the US. She was recently awarded one of Spain's highest civil decorations for environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility - the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Environmental Merit.Esther, ranked #1342 on the Forbes list of Billionaires, is at the helm of a leading global environmental services company – FCC. The Company is a pioneer of green technologies with global significance, such as European Union efforts to convert algae to biofuel - the first on a global industrial scale. In the US it was involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon/BP Mexican oil spill clean-up operation, and in the UK/Europe runs some of the biggest waste to energy plants. Their water division has now become the 3rd largest in the world. In 2012, environmental services accounted for 91% of FCC's total EBITDA. In Spain she is renowned for her leadership of the family business - which is now in its third generation and chaired (since January) by her daughter. Esther is also one of Europe's most generous philanthropists in social healthcare and biomedical sciences and recently donated €15 million to open a biomedical research centre in Barcelona. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |