CSR: Productivity of companies with positive environmental impact
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Companies that change the world is a space presented by CUMIPAZ 2018 with the purpose of exchanging experiences in positive practices in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), through the presentation of organizations that are models of these practices and have achieved to successfully unite them with the productivity of companies.
This encounter was part of the Session CSR for Sustainable Development, which included the participation of business leaders and representatives of institutions in Latin America, such as UNILEVER - Middle Americas (Colombia) and Banco BAC - Credomatic (Guatemala).
Edna Rodríguez, Masters in Social Responsibility, Accounting and Social Audit from the University of Barcelona, moderated the discussion under the theme "CSR: Differentiates the brand and generates happiness".
Brands with purpose
Cristina Bonillo Olivares, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, UNILEVER - Middle Americas, Colombia, said in her speech that the company she represents thinks about reaching the consumer with an added value that are the objectives of sustainable development.
"46% of the growth of our company globally is driven by brands with purpose, what does this mean? That they are brands that, one way or another, have a positive social or environmental impact," he said.
Among the positive practices developed by the institution it represents is carried out by one of its detergent plants, located in El Salvador, which has managed to reduce 40% of water consumption through the collection of rainwater in the last year by the installation of efficient systems. This amounts to 75,000 bottles of water. Bonillo believes that this is a practice to replicate throughout Latin America.
Similarly, Bonillo made mention of the Shakti program, which supports women in rural, remote areas who have no job opportunities or studies, and offers them the opportunity to distribute their products in small quantities and make profits from the distribution.
The representative of Unilever also pointed out that the sustainability of companies has the advantage of savings, where the initial investment is high but the return on investment is much higher.
"The proof is that we have measured around 490 million euros of savings in the last 7 years, since we started to implement our sustainability strategy," concluded Bonillo.
Responsibility is the path
The head of Sustainability of Banco BAC - Credomatic, Guatemala, José Carlos Gómez, emphasized in his presentation that responsibility is the path a company must take to seek future sustainability.
"A company that wants to be sustainable in the long term has to exercise actions that have to do with the responsibility of this same company," he said.
José Carlos Gómez pointed out that as a corporation they try to transfer all the experience they have to small and medium-sized companies. In the region, they have 26 buildings certified with ISO 14001: 18 in Costa Rica and 8 in Panama. In Guatemala, we are about to certify 3 of your buildings.
He also stated that BAC - Credomatic currently has a water treatment plant and an internal recycling system.
The session ended with a space for questions and answers regarding the resolution of social problems for the improvement of the quality of life of workers and communities.
Edna Rodríguez -Master in CSR, Accounting and Auditing
José Gómez: responsibility has to do with the way in which people or companies assume the impacts that their decisions and actions are causing
We are committed to being able to ensure the welfare of all our stakeholders, collaborators, customers, suppliers, communities and societies
Companies that change the world, CSR: Differentiates the brand and generates happiness
Cristina Bonillo Olivares - Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, UNILEVER - Middle Americas. (Colombia)
José Carlos Gómez Chief of Sustainability of Banco BAC - Credomatic
Bonillo: To the extent that one is transparent, he recognizes what he has done; what he has not done, what he has been wrong about; it seems to me that society recognizes you
