Business success stories impulse the social compromise for the future of our planet.
To raise awareness in the business sector to implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), based on values and principles, as an effective way to address the social issue and the sustainability of Mother Earth, CUMIPAZ 2016 presented cases of successful management and corporate responsibility.
Distinguished business and institutional leaders from Latin America, Spain and Israel shared their experience on how they successfully united the productivity of their company or organization to CSR.
The Panama Canal, UNILEVER Company, the Observatory of Corporate Social Responsibility of Spain, the International Leadership Institute of Israel were the models that were presented.
The lectures where developed within the framework of the First Corporate Social Responsibility Encounter of CUMIPAZ, with the participation of directors and CEO’S, organization representatives, as well as parliamentary, political and institutional authorities form other countries.
The objective of the Encounter was to exchange positive practices within the CSR field, with the aim of improving the workers and community’s quality of life, and contribute towards the sustainable development and the strengthening of peace.
The event took place in Asuncion, Paraguay, host of the International Summit; the sessions of CSR were held at the Granados Park Hotel.
A CANAL OF PEACE AND PROGRESS
Oscar Vallarino, vice president of Corporate Management, Panama Canal authority, spoke of the Corporate Social Responsibility process of this navigation Canal.
He explained that, currently, this inter-oceanic path holds twice the load with a faster and more ecological route. “We have been able to work with a basin system to save water, which reduces the use of water by 7%, and reuses 60% of the same water each time a ship passes through,” he stated.
“We are a Canal of peace, we are a Canal that allows uninterrupted transits to every nation. Recently, adjusting our vision and mission, we changed our vision to become leaders in global connectivity, improve the progress of Panama,” he said.
Vallarino commented on the environmental part of corporate management, the commitment with Social Responsibility, which, he indicated, includes the conservation of natural resources, progress, economy and continuity, social wellbeing and equity.
Among the basic programs, he mentioned: Environmental Economic Incentives, land cadaster and titling, Environmental Conservation, Work Formation, and Corporative Volunteers.
“We have spoken of creating values, of living with values, the Panama Canal has been increasing its volunteer team, and this year we have already surpassed 20,000 volunteer hours and more than 3,500 volunteers. We work in the environmental, integral wellbeing, cultural, community development, education field…” he stated.
SUSTAINABLE BRAND
The UNILEVER Company Case was another successful model that was presented. Aldo Rodriguez, general manager of the multinational in Paraguay, presented the concept of a sustainable brand adopted by this massive consumption company.
“Since 2010, UNILEVER embraces sustainability at the heart of the business; in the wake of well-known issues, social and environmental inequalities that take down this sustainable movement,” stated Rodriguez.
He said that the Company addresses a global commitment to double their growth for 2020, but at the same time cutting in half their impact on the environment; in this sense, it promotes a business model that considers the environmental part just as indispensable as the economic part.
Rodriguez explained that since 2008 till now, they have been able to accumulate more than 600 million Euros, in savings, by the approach which he described as eco-efficient, in every production site around the world, “undoubtedly an impressive amount,” he said.
He highlighted that at the same time, 28% of the energy UNILEVER uses comes from renewable sources. “We want this 28% to become 100% by 2030,” he commented.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITES OF CSR
Orencio Vazquez, coordinator of the Corporate Social Responsibility Observatory (Madrid – Spain), spoke on the “Challenges and opportunities of Corporate Social Responsibilities.”
“It is important to separate value and price from the economic growth”, he emphasized.
He explained that among the challenges of CSR, you can find the fight against inequality. “Businesses have to seek and have to fight to find political stability and that political stability does not exist or is broken when inequality grows,” he said.
Vazquez emphasized on the necessity of continuous growth, but in a different way, with clear stakes from governments, he mentioned Emmar City, the cicular economy; and new economic movement, the Blue Economy, ethical banking, and everything that has to do with sustainable transport.
“Gradually, the financial sector will be integrated; if the financial sector is the one who provides the fuel, the motor of the economy, well, we will find that change in the economic model for a more sustainable one,” he said.
CORPORATIVE VOLUNTEERS
The consultant of the International Leadership Institute and the Minister of Education of Israel, Felisa Liss, spoke on “The importance of social actions and corporative volunteers”.
Liss, in a phrase, summarized what she thinks being a volunteer means: “We earn a living with what we receive, but we make life with what we give”.
She stated that the goal of corporations is for volunteers to become part of the everyday life; she also said that it is volunteer education is necessary, and that this begins at home and school.
The consultant also urged to take into account the area of corporate volunteering, to assign an adviser who is responsible for organizing and ensuring that volunteer work is developed effectively.
“The best gift for a volunteer, is being a volunteer and supporting those moments when they are that the company, that the company realizes how important volunteers are”, she stated.
The corporate activity closed the session with recommendations and concrete proposals, with the aim of generating a commitment that will be included in the Declaration of CUMIPAZ 2016 – Paraguay.
