Ihobe

Ihobe is the public agency of environment, belonging to the Department of the Environment and Territorial Policy of the Basque Government.

Ihobe’s mission is to support the Basque Government in developing environmental policy and spreading the culture of environmental sustainability in the Basque Country.

Our headquarters are located in Bilbao (Bizkaia) but our jurisdiction covers the whole of the Basque Country. Ihobe is also responsible for Madariaga Tower, the Basque Biodiversity Centre in Busturia (Bizkaia).

After 30 years of experience in the field, Ihobe has consolidated its position in the field of environmental management and protection. Although it was initially created to promote environmental infrastructures, nowadays it is the Basque Country’s official environment agency and a crucial instrument of the Basque Government’s Department of the Environment and Territorial Policy, collaborating with the different units of the Environment Office to implement environmental policy.

Areas of action

Ihobe’s activities are specifically designed to support the Department of the Environment and Territorial Policy in the fields of air quality, soils, waste, the natural environment and public-private partnerships. It also assists the Environment Office in developing strategic projects involving different organisations, such as the Udalsarea 21 network and the Eco-Efficiency Programme, and in projects related to ecodesign, environmental planning, climate change, international cooperation and responsible procurement.