Canary Islands Approve Groundbreaking Social Economy Strategy for 2026-2029
The Canary Islands have approved their first Social Economy Strategy for 2026-2029, focusing on inclusive job creation and sustainability aligned with global development goals.
- • First Canarian Social Economy Strategy (ESCAES) approved for 2026-2029.
- • Strategy centers on inclusive employment, sustainability, and territorial cohesion.
- • Aligned with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals.
- • Social economy sector generated 19,325 jobs in 2024, with notable female and youth participation.
Key details
The Canarian Social Economy Commission has approved the first-ever Canarian Social Economy Strategy (ESCAES) for 2026-2029, aimed at establishing the social economy as a cornerstone for inclusive employment, sustainability, and territorial cohesion across the Canary Islands. This pioneering strategy, highlighted by Tourism and Employment Minister Jéssica de León as a people-centered and innovative economic model, aligns with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (85686, 85691).
Structured around six key action lines — enhancing sector participation and visibility, improving competitiveness through innovation and sustainability, fostering entrepreneurship in emerging sectors like the circular and green economy, promoting gender equality, advancing territorial sustainability, and emphasizing training and professionalization — the strategy is designed to boost social innovation and quality job creation within the archipelago’s unique outermost region context (85686, 85691).
In 2024, the social economy sector in the Canary Islands generated 19,325 jobs, with women constituting 54.47% and youth 21.71% of the workforce. The Canarian Social Economy Catalog currently includes 3,780 registered entities, such as cooperatives, labor societies, and associations. The Canarian Social Economy Commission, which comprises representatives from multiple government departments and sector stakeholders, will oversee the plan’s implementation and evaluation to ensure measurable impact (85686, 85691).
Minister Jéssica de León emphasized the significance of building a collaborative ecosystem that supports sustainable and inclusive economic development through the social economy, ushering in a new era for the Canary Islands’ territorial and economic cohesion.