Consumers who are better informed and more demanding in the face of business sustainability messages and increasingly demanding legislation in the field of sustainability are putting companies on the ropes that until now simply remained in words, without moving on to action. Investors and boards of directors are also pushing towards the search for real solutions to the great risks posed to the economy by threats such as the climate crisis or the loss of biodiversity. "We are facing a systemic risk" and "this is probably the last chance" to treat a problem with "a clear diagnosis. We are the problem”, declared Fiona Watson, of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, at the meeting on corporate sustainability ESG Spain 2023: Corporate Sustainability Forum, organized by Forética and held in Madrid on September 14.
"We talk about risks, but also about business opportunities", said Ana Herrero, the director of projects and services at Forética, an association that brings together companies and professionals in corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The board of Forética pointed out that "there are leading companies that are taking these challenges and risks very seriously". During the day, the strategies of Accenture, Amazon and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Iberia, among other companies, were presented. They are all large corporations, with large environmental impacts. "We know we are far from perfect, but we are making progress. Since 2015, we have managed to reduce the weight of packages by 41%, avoiding the use of two million tonnes of raw materials", said Juan Manuel Báñez, head of Amazon's circular economy strategy in Europe.
"All companies have an obligation to grow and to add value to society, but we are clear that this growth must be sustainable", assured Carmen Gómez-Acebo, director of sustainability at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Iberia. For this company, the path to sustainability is translating into a commitment to decarbonise manufacturing and transport, the use of recycled and recyclable packaging and the integration of sustainability into the supply chain, helping to obtain the necessary financing to make investments.
Ana Millán, business director responsible for Accenture in Spain, Portugal and Israel, emphasized the role that technology plays in reducing companies' environmental impacts. However, he recalled that "technology must also be responsible with the environment". "Currently, 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions are the responsibility of technology and if this continues, they will represent 15%", warned Millán.
The industry is also doing its homework, especially in terms of energy, an expense that represents 24% of industrial operating costs in Spain, and is one of the highest percentages in the world. Despite this, the director of the consultancy Opina 360, Juan Francisco Caro, warned that "the energy transition of the industry is progressing slowly" and that "there are very few changes towards greater electrification". Caro made these statements at the Industry and Energy Forum, also held in Barcelona on September 14.
