ACCIONA Chairman & CEO José Manuel Entrecanales has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan at a ceremony presided by Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace. Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister, was in charge of presenting the award.

The Japanese government praised Mr Entrecanales for 'his strong commitment to the environment and sustainable development through his involvement in various national and international initiatives, including the Acciona Microenergía Foundation and the José Manuel Entrecanales Foundation'.

'Since his appointment in 2013 as president of the Spanish-Japanese Bilateral Committee for Business Cooperation,[José Manuel Entrecanales] has actively contributed to the promotion of economic relations, as well as to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and Spain,' the government said.

The distinction coincides with the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Spain.

The Order of the Rising Sun is the oldest honor in Japan. It is given to national and foreign politicians, business leaders and diplomats who have excelled in their fields, from international relations to the protection of the environment.