Brazil, Mexico, India, Spain, USA, Portugal...all of the countries where we operate have been particularly hit by the COVID-19 crisis. The challenge faced by ROADIS was to maintain a positive level of operations at our concessions and adequately redirect our sustainability strategy to deal with the pandemic.

In the current context, it is clear that mobility has been especially affected since March 2020. However, we have experienced an important recovery during the second half of the year, reaching – in some of our assets – 2019 traffic levels. Furthermore, and despite the impact of  COVID-19 on our revenues, we have demonstrated our operational efficiency, maintaining an operating margin slightly higher than in 2019.   

Our corporate culture and the ROADIS Board of Directors has always prioritized the importance of health and safety everywhere ROADIS operates. During this crisis, we have had an exceptional opportunity to reinforce this priority, both internally and externally - because there is nothing more important than the health of our teams, families and communities.

During the pandemic, the importance of transport infrastructures has been highlighted as an essential support to make the food and health supply chain possible. Road networks have fulfilled their function as an essential communication link, and therefore the level of service has been maintained under all circumstances.

In 2020 we reflected on our reason for being, which is described in ROADIS' corporate purpose: to create value in the communities where we operate, through profitable investment and management of major infrastructure projects around the world.

This mission transcends the timeline of the pandemic we are experiencing, but certainly in the current circumstances we have had numerous opportunities to demonstrate what it means to create value in communities through our investments and operations.

At ROADIS, we are committed to transparency, which is why, for yet another year, we are publishing this annual report that makes both financial and non-financial information available, i.e. information that refers to the organization's performance in economic, environmental, social and governance terms.  

At ROADIS we are aware that sustainability is a strategic tool to generate value and therefore we intend to play an active role in the transition towards a more sustainable business world, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the different markets. Our organization does not conceive of economic growth if it is not linked to sustainable growth.

In this context, we have had an important year because we have reflected on our positioning in terms of sustainability and we have designed the company's ESG Master Plan, adopting a holistic approach and aiming to integrate it transversally into our business model.

Our strategy is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ROADIS’ special contribution to 8 of the 17 goals is noteworthy.

As you will see throughout this 2020 report, this year we have also stepped up our commitment to communities, adapting quickly to the circumstances of the pandemic.

The infrastructure sector plays a key role in the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social well-being and environmental protection. We have developed an action plan in these three areas which we will continue perfecting in the coming years.

But there is one dimension that I would like to highlight in particular because of the community impact that was achieved in 2020. This is our ongoing commitment to road safety, which is already part of our DNA and an essential ingredient in our work to promote mobility and connectivity through our sustainable infrastructure management. With the continuation of the global campaign titled "Your Safety, Our Priority", this year we have raised awareness among more than 800,000 drivers per quarter about the importance of acting responsibly behind the wheel.

We also made progress over the last year in the area of innovation. During this time, we have organised our roadmap in such a way that innovation is an essential element of our cultural model.

From a transversal and collaborative perspective, we collect our team members’ proposals to respond to the challenges our organisation faces, always keeping three objectives in mind: maximising efficiency, value creation and new lines of business. All this has happened in a year that has been a true catalyst for digital transformation.

I invite you to read this report. In these pages you will learn more about our business model and ROADIS' performance over the past year. In addition, as I mentioned before, you will also get a closer look at our sustainability strategy, which is organised around five main vectors: Responsible Culture, Good Governance and Compliance, Engaged Professionals, Citizenship Progress and Environmental Care.

2021 is also shaping up to be a complicated year, full of unknowns and challenges. Certainly we have a long way to go before we emerge from this crisis. What I can tell you is that at ROADIS we will continue to work hard, stay committed to sustainability and excellence and strive for a better world.