Sustainability: trends 2021 and a new approach
It had a beneficial effect, without a doubt: it invigorated the idea that everything centered around the environment, the insertion of the company in society and the governance of organizations was more essential now to think about a sustainable future .
As we entered last year, 2020, everything was set to be a year of great achievement. The UN baptized the period that began as the Decade of Action with an eye toward 2030, when the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be achieved: end hunger and extreme poverty, eradicate gender violence and reduce inequality, guaranteeing quality education for all children and decent jobs for adults, ensuring universal access to healthcare and continuing to inhabit the planet without permanently destroying it.
But then Covid–19 changed the course of history. Millions of deaths, health systems in crisis, and massive destruction of jobs. With which the advance of poverty and inequality, they had a formidable advance. For the first time since 1990, human development has regressed.
Hope remained for this 2021 in which humanity is expected to defeat the virus and recover the path of progress towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, although every day it seems less possible.
The entire business ecosystem is affected by the new scenario. Companies are committing (beyond formal declarations) to protect nature, combat climate change and decarbonise the planet to the extent that corresponds to them.
In both large and emerging economies, support for everything that means sustainable business is growing.
During 2021, for example, the industrial production of the fuel called to be the great tool for mitigating CO2 emissions from transport and other industries that use diesel or natural gas will begin on a global scale. The long-awaited green hydrogen will serve as a truly ecological fuel and will mean one of the most anticipated milestones in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions.
The consequences that societies are and will be increasingly profoundly affected by processes such as climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater scarcity, waste mismanagement, land degradation and urban air pollution is that new processes will be launched that will have little to do with "the return to normality".
At the same time, social transformations favor environmental changes, both negatively, through unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and positively, through inclusive and sustainable lifestyles, technologies, and social practices.
10 trends in 2021
- Teleworking management
Companies and employees face the challenge of internal regulation of teleworking so that it continues to be perceived as a benefit as well as a necessity.
- Digitalization and cybersecurity revolution
If digitization was a process of no return, Covid-19 has increased it: Internet connections have become the way to be close to family and friends, to be able to continue in connection with leisure and culture and, of course, it has been the only option for many people to continue working and consuming goods and services.
Digital environments have an impact on mobility, production processes, consumption habits and social relations. We are facing the IV industrial revolution.
- Circular economy
The circular economy and how to implement it has become the focus of attention of political and business leaders who demand and promote a new model of production and consumption that prevent the loss of value of resources by preventing disused materials, residues or by-products of the production processes from ending up deposited in landfills, without maximizing their use or exploitation.
- ESG Investing
Investor support for shareholder proposals related to ESG issues has grown in recent years, while continuing the convergence of ESG (Environment, Society and Corporate Governance) issues into shareholder activism on a global scale.
Issues such as human capital management, risk supervision, the coherence between the measures adopted by the company in relation to the workforce versus those related to the compensation of its executives will be the subject of scrutiny.
- Commitment to a healthy company
It was already an issue for leading companies in sustainability, in aspects such as healthy eating and encouraging physical exercise among employees . The pressure for the months of confinement has had an impact on the addition of mental health to the equation of concern for health.
- Fight against climate change
Climate change has been on the agenda of governments and companies for some time, and for 2021 it will be reinforced with the arrival of Biden. The United Nations has estimated the annual cost of natural phenomena associated with climate change at US$300 billion. Many companies have already weighed the risks and opportunities of responding to this problem and have incorporated sustainability and climate change into their strategies.
- Biodiversity
It has been shown that the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is one of the best vaccines against future disasters, since balanced ecosystems cushion and contain the spread of diseases.
- Sustainable mobility
Sustainable mobility is installed among the Corporate Responsibility strategies of companies as an ally in the fight against climate change, air quality and concern for public health, reduced travel times for employees, increased productivity and a better quality of life for everyone in general.
- Diversity management
The fight against social inequalities can be addressed from the generation of employment and in this sense the business fabric has shown an unprecedented interest in promoting strategies that impact the integration of different sectors, reflecting an increasingly diverse society.
- Alignment of business strategy to the SDGs
The SDGs have become a guide or map for companies, which allows them to identify and quantify how their economic, social and environmental issues contribute positively to society, and consequently strengthen their reputation and their relationships with different interest groups. For this reason, there are already many companies that define, develop and report their actions in terms of Corporate Responsibility using as a frame of reference those SDGs and specific goals to which they contribute most directly.
Below, references from prominent companies from different economic sectors give an account of the performance of the companies in terms of central aspects related to sustainability. These are: ESG; metrics and impact minimization; value chain and community; circular economy; sustainable mobility, purpose and value creation, and diversity and inclusion.
This report was in charge of Carina Martínez
ESG (environment, society and corporate governance)
The demands go beyond mere economic performance
The idea that companies will be more successful and profitable if they are capable of generating value for all stakeholders: customers, value chain, employees, society in general and also the environment is strengthened. The creation of long-term value, within the framework of environmental, social and governance aspects, is gaining more and more weight in the performance evaluation of companies, when launching new investments.
PwC
Major transformations required
Mariano Tomatis, partner at PwC Argentina, Sustainability leader
Understanding the impact that our work can generate on stakeholders, the capital market and the communities in which we live and work, we support initiatives so that organizations are more transparent regarding their management, not only financial, but also social and environmental. In this sense, at PwC we have collaborated with the World Economic Forum International Business Council to identify a universal set of environmental, social and corporate governance indicators –ESG Standards– that establishes a new benchmark linked to the communication of the impact that organizations generate. Our firm led the "planet" pillar, which has been developed in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders.
The ESG standards are organized according to a series of principles that allow providing more information about the performance of organizations in different dimensions, such as corporate governance, planet, personnel and prosperity, and in this way shareholders, public officials, consumers and Employees can have more complete, comparable and solid information when making decisions.
In this framework, in our network of firms, we have launched a new business approach on a global scale called The New Equation, a strategy that responds to fundamental transformations in the world that include technological disruption, climate change, changes geopolitical and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The intention of creating long-term sustainable value drives new forms of management, measurement and communication by companies. In the same way, it necessarily implies the alignment of one's own objectives with the objectives of the global agenda.
The international objectives for the 2030 agenda require ambitious transformations from a corporate perspective, which promotes PwC's current Net Zero 2030 commitment, which consists of significantly reducing the carbon footprint of our operations, until reaching net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030.
This objective reaches our operations with an internal focus on the reduction and compensation of our carbon footprint and a perspective of joint work with our clients, suppliers and strategic allies; whom we will advise and support to achieve the decarbonization of their activities.
TGS
Higher demands
Mario Yaniskowski, Manager of Institutional Relations
In recent years, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) management and accountability has come to the fore. Environmental, social and governance issues take a more central place in the management of business risks and opportunities. And these indicators are increasingly required and analyzed by investors, markets and multilateral credit organizations.
Surveys show that investor requirements are currently the main driver for ESG accountability. In addition, we are experiencing a shift towards a stakeholder-oriented form of capitalism, from which to acquire and retain talent, secure the social license to operate, manage reputation, and positively impact the health of the planet and people get paid every time. more important.
This is how the requirements to provide accurate and reliable information on the performance of the company and its contribution to sustainable development are increasing. In response, multiple standards, guidelines and protocols for ESG reporting have emerged, and there are increasing efforts to link and harmonize the various approaches.
In this context, Materiality Analysis is considered a crucial process for companies to identify, prioritize, manage and report the most significant ESG risks and opportunities, thus focusing on the issues that really matter.
During 2020, considering the great changes we are experiencing, at TGS we reviewed our materiality. Through an analysis of the main industry trends and standards – including the GRI, SASB, IAPG and IPIECA Oil and Gas Protocol under development – we identified the most relevant sustainability issues, which were then prioritized by our groups. of interest and the management of the company. As a result, we prepared a new Materiality Matrix, defining a set of priority sustainability issues that will guide our strategy and reporting in the coming years.
Thus, we continue advancing on the path of continuous improvement that we set out to measure and report our ESG performance, and provide feedback on the sustainable management of the business. Through our Sustainability Report prepared according to the GRI Standards, we provide economic, social and environmental information to all our audiences, and we show our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Global Compact. Looking to the future, we are evaluating starting to report SASB standards and launching our first Integrated Report, to continue responding to the information requirements of all our audiences with an integrated, strategic, and transparent approach.
Massalin
Sustainability as the cornerstone of the business
Matías O’Farrell, Vice President and Director of External Affairs for the South Cluster
With the intention of taking a step forward in our commitment to make the sustainability strategy the cornerstone of our business, at Philip Morris International (PMI) we decided to go beyond the publication of our Sustainability Reports and now, for the second consecutive year, we recently published our Global Integrated Report. It's not a cosmetic change: integrated reporting helps investors see the connection between our sustainability initiatives and our bottom line over time.
The firm conviction of the company that the sustainability strategy is a corporate strategy and that the environmental, social and corporate governance (ASG) areas are business issues is reflected in the decision that, from now on, the team Global Sustainability is part of the finance function, reporting directly to the CFO.
Just five years ago, in 2016, we committed as a global company to building a smoke-free future. In 2014 we had launched our main alternative to cigarettes, IQOS, an electronic device that heats tobacco instead of burning it and generates a vapor that has 95% less toxic components compared to traditional cigarette smoke. As part of our strategy, we have a goal by 2025 to have more than 40 million smokers switch to these smoke-free products and for these alternatives to represent more than 50% of PMI's total net revenue, further accelerating the transformation of the company. Currently, smoke-free products already accounted for almost 25% of our total net revenue, are present in 64 markets, and more than 12 million smokers switched from conventional cigarettes to start using them. In 2020 alone, PMI invested more than $495 million in R&D, with nearly 100% going into smoke-free products.
We achieved these advances by acknowledging the unique and difficult challenges of the past year, which is why our balance sheet also shows how we address the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on our employees, the business and the value chain, ultimately demonstrating that we continue working to create a sustainable future that benefits our company, shareholders, consumers and society.
Purpose and value creation
Commitment and action
beyond business
In times of rapid and profound changes, society demands proactive actions from companies in order to contribute positively to solving the main environmental and social challenges. The integration of sustainability into the purpose and value proposition is key to its positioning in the market and as an employer brand.
BDO
Driver of change
Gabriela Castro, Marketing Manager and leader of the Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated a process of organizational transformation that was already being supported by the software sector and is shaping up to reconfigure labor relations. In times where organizations are rethinking their work models, finding a purpose and putting it at the center can contribute significantly to keeping teams cohesive, motivated and with a clear horizon.
Today, the new generations are concerned – in addition to remuneration issues or the search for a pleasant work environment like previous generations – to find something that gives their daily work a sense of transcendence. The question they ask themselves before getting involved in an organization is: “To what extent or from what perspective will my work transform reality? Am I collaborating to live in a better world? On the other hand, and from a commercial perspective, it is increasingly necessary to deliver documentation not only certifying the ability of the provider to perform this or that service, but also to assess the degree of involvement of the organization with the community. and the environment.
In this sense, it becomes increasingly important, for organizations of all kinds, to find a purpose that accompanies the work of every day. The identification of the purpose and its centrality within the project have proven to be key elements to guide actions that range from attracting talent to defining products and services.
For several years now, BDO has been working with our purpose: "people helping people achieve their dreams", which works as a guide in creating value both for the client and in the proposal we have for to our team.
In our case, it seems essential to never forget that we are dealing with people. A priori it may seem like common sense, but in a context of health crisis and with the vortex of digitization that devastates everything, the human being and his habitat must return to the leading scene.
Sancor Insurance Group
Sustainable citizenship
Betina Del Valle Azugna, manager of Corporate Social Responsibility
For 15 years, Grupo Sancor Seguros has been formally working on sustainable business management, through a systematized Corporate Social Responsibility Process that is transversal to the areas and companies that comprise it. This business management, based on a long-term strategy, allows us to detect opportunities, identify risks, create value and provide innovative responses to meet people's needs, even in the face of a crisis like the current one.
In this sense, we have a Sustainability Strategy based on the creation of economic, social and environmental value, considering the long term, for all our stakeholders and the sustainable development of our community and future generations. Its five pillars, put into practice through the CSR process, aim to dialogue with our stakeholders, innovate in the development of sustainable products and services; develop CSR initiatives linked to prevention, safety and health; generate value through knowledge; and to systematize and measure our economic, social and environmental performance, rendering accounts in a transparent manner.
To materialize this strategy, since 2015 we have been carrying out the "Towards a Sustainable Citizen" program, which integrates all the actions aimed at the different stakeholders and which seeks to promote a sustainable human being, in each person linked to the group, seen from the point of view of prevention, safety and health. Each of the five dimensions of this program (Insurance Awareness, Concern for prevention, Health and well-being, Ethics and integrity, and Commitment to the environment) aims to achieve both direct effects on the business, such as generating well-being, safety, and solidarity in the people.
The purpose we pursue goes even beyond selling insurance and covering claims, aiming to improve the quality of life of each of the people linked to the company. Root sustainable management in all the companies and countries where the group is present and represent the horizon for which it works, with objectives that, being typical of the business such as the search for efficiency, safety and health, also allows it to contribute , from their own sphere, to the fulfillment of global goals.
Thus, as an insurance business group, with this program we seek to contribute to the 2030 World Agenda proposed by the Sustainable Development Goals, working towards sustainable development both for our individual stakeholders and for society as a whole and future generations.
Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes
Create value for the community
Vanesa Vázquez, Manager of Inclusive Growth and Sustainability
At Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes we have the purpose of “Uniting people for a better Argentina”. Since our birth, 130 years ago, triple impact has been at the center of the business, basing our activity on values such as respect for nature, community development, collaboration and a systemic view of growth based on integrity.
Today, given the unprecedented moment we are going through on a global scale, it is necessary to move urgently towards new, more sustainable patterns of production and consumption. These are times that demand to react quickly and effectively. The social role of companies becomes essential and we must be an active part of our communities to accompany their development. Thus, in 2019 we decided to launch Valor, the collaborative social impact platform of Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes, which promotes inclusion, diversity and solidarity to help reduce social inequality in communities. The platform is based on three central axes for the development of our communities: nutrition, employability and education. Valor is proof that the best results are always achieved together. We create alliances with the Social Observatory of the National University of La Matanza and the Consciousness Association. We know that, in these challenging times, if we work with humility, empathy, commitment and solidarity, we will achieve a true social impact that puts people at the center and makes this world a better place to live.
During 2020, we reached out with Value to more than 150 institutions in 30 cities in the country and we worked with seven Civil Society Organizations from the Itatí and Azul neighborhoods, close to our main work center in the Municipality of Quilmes, a city that saw us born Our objective, facing this new year, is to continue working to be able to replicate this program and scale it to all the communities close to the breweries and plants that we have in the country. The pandemic intensified social inequalities and the great challenge of 2021 is to work to reduce this inequity by promoting inclusion and diversity.
L'Oréal Argentina
The future is today
Mariana Petrina, CCO
The year 2020 taught the world that it is no longer possible to think independently and that the commitment to the environment must be renewed every day. In addition, in recent years we have understood that the expectations about what the role of companies should be have changed drastically. In this sense, I feel that my greatest challenge as a professional is to be able to work not only for the transformation of the company of which I am a part, but also of the entire industry in which L'Oréal operates, in order to contribute to changes that impact in a deep way A single individual action is not enough, nor is it enough to limit yourself to reducing the environmental impact of the company that we integrate, according to the objectives that we have self-imposed. If we want to build a sustainable and inclusive world, we must, in addition to helping those who struggle socially or economically, focus on preventing climate change and the erosion of biodiversity, which now threaten to shake our lives, our societies and our economies. even deeper way, once again with women as the first victims.
In this spirit we developed the “L’Oréal for the Future” program with ambitions for 2030 in sustainability that focus on business transformation, on a global scale. The main objectives are to respect each stage of the value chain of our products (water, biodiversity, climate and energy), in turn contributing to the resolution of global challenges by supporting urgent social and environmental needs through three funds investment for different organizations.
Finally, it seeks to empower the company's business ecosystem by promoting decent jobs and wages. In Argentina, we reached important achievements such as our new offices that are CO2 Neutral, since they are supplied with 100% renewable energy. We also managed to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics, eliminating almost two tons of it. At the same time, we work together with our strategic partners; we recently obtained the Leed Platinum certification for our distribution center. The distinction achieved highlights the high standards of performance in the efficient use of energy, water, materials and its strategic location, in the Norlog Industrial Park.
But the road to become a more sustainable industry is still long, and I believe that it is about continuing to explore in a committed way the benefits of the so-called green chemistry, as well as eliminating the testing of products on animals, among many other actions. If the future has already arrived, our actions must be looking not only at today's consumer but also at the world we want to inhabit tomorrow.
Adecco
The value of employment agencies
Leandro Cazorla, CEO for Argentina and Uruguay
Having a purpose has become almost mandatory in recent years. But, very often, it ends up being a series of inspirational statements with the aim of reflecting the good intentions of a company, rather than reflecting its reality and stating its purpose.
When it comes to employment agencies, our ultimate goal is to transform people's lives, get them their job opportunities and, at the same time, allow our clients to find talent and the way to boost their businesses.
Employment agencies promote work, adaptation, security and prosperity.
If we go to the central quantitative data, each year 56 million people in the world find work through an agency, according to the World Employment Confederation. In addition to this, employment agencies provide a launching pad to find better employment options, since what begins as a temporary employment relationship tends to become an indefinite employment relationship.
In order to ensure that the supply of resources can correspond to the demand for qualifications proposed by the market, the training of workers acquires a central place, for example, in pursuit of adapting the available workforce to trends of the markets.
Employment agencies are in charge of concocting new social security solutions in order to guarantee the legality and protection of workers.
The integration of vulnerable groups into the system occurs mainly through the formal work guaranteed by the sector, since they specialize in highlighting the aptitudes and potential of candidates regardless of their age, gender, disabilities and social status.
Starting with the pandemic, both the confinement measures and the agile evolution of the labor regulatory framework generated a shock that not only affected employability in quantitative terms, but also the links between employers and workers that began to develop in a context of uncertainty and mutual mistrust. The challenge then consisted in reinventing these links, preserving jobs and guaranteeing the involvement of the public sector with a view to economic recovery.
The year 2020 was a clear sign that our purpose is even more valid than ever, and we have the peace of mind of having fulfilled our mission at this stage.
Avon
Generate opportunities
Rolando Castro, general manager
Our purpose at Avon is to create opportunities for people, especially women, to overcome the individual and structural challenges they face. We use the power of beauty and our business model – direct sales – to transform the lives of the 5 million resellers in the world.
As a company, we recognize the social role and assume the commitment to positively influence our entire network. When I think of the value chain, I think of the collaborators, suppliers and all the pieces that are organized so that a lipstick or a fragrance reaches the hands of resellers and their clients, and the chain is really very large. The impact we generate on all these people and on the 300,000 independent entrepreneurs that are part of the Avon network in Argentina is what leads us to work hard to provide them with the necessary support, even more so in this context.
In 2020, we reorganized our production lines to accompany essential care products and supported our resellers to accelerate the transition to digital sales in order to sustain their income.
In social terms, we have a strong track record supporting the economic empowerment of women. Since the first reseller in 1886, until today, the situation of women has improved in terms of access to rights, but there is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality. Direct selling as a highly feminized industry has the opportunity to make concrete contributions for a better quality of life.
In addition, at the Avon Foundation we work to support the most vulnerable women. To promote early detection of breast cancer, we have more than 165,000 free mammograms provided with our mobile mammographer that is active and serving today. Likewise, as every year, we make donations for $3 million to strengthen assistance and care for women in situations of violence.
In terms of environmental sustainability, we have made a lot of progress but we still have a way to go. We are adopting the best practices of the companies that are part of the Natura & Co. who are leaders in environmental stewardship and we set out to achieve the same certifications, such as B–Corp certification by 2025.
We want to leave the world better than we found it. We will continue to work towards Avon's vision of creating a better world for women, which is a better world for all.
BBVA
The centrality of reporting
María Martha Deleonardis, Deputy Manager of Responsible Business in Argentina
This year, at BBVA we published, for the first time, our 2020 Integrated Report, a document that includes the entity's financial and non-financial information. This publication was prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the "International Framework", published by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in January 2021.
BBVA's value creation model meets the requirements of the IIRC Framework, and aims to show value creation in the short, medium and long term under the scheme of six capitals: Financial, Industrial, Intellectual, Human , Social, and Natural. This model also focuses on the risks and positive and negative impacts of the business towards sustainable development.
In addition, the Responsible Banking Model and the application of the Principles of Responsible Banking (PBR) of the Financial Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP FI) guide the management of the business. In this way, the generation of value is guided by the purpose of "Making the opportunities of this new era available to all", and seeks to generate a greater contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
At BBVA we are aware that we can and have the capacity to make a significant contribution thanks to our unique position to mobilize capital through investments, loans, issuances and advisory functions. Our priority and our commitment is to accompany our clients and society as a whole towards a low carbon economy and focused on the SDGs.
Naturgy
Know expectations
Bettina Llapur, Director of Communication and Institutional Relations
The irruption of Covid in 2020 has been surprising, accelerating and disrupting the order that had been taking place in all walks of life.
These unprecedented times require joint action by companies, governments and civil society to build a future that will surely have substantial changes in relation to what has been taking place and that will require more and better efforts from all so that society is sustainable as a whole.
For this reason, at Naturgy we believe that the first and most important thing is to have a sustainability plan aligned with the strategic plan of the company, the market and its environment, a plan that must be permanently adapted to the infinity of new circumstances that with security will arise and that today we do not know. It is also important to develop a Sustainability Report, which in our case has been going on for 17 years and is aligned with the GRI standards. It is clear to all of us that the chapters related to health and new forms of work will have a great impact and therefore it is to be expected that these changes will have an impact on all sustainability plans.
This triple accountability allows us to strengthen our measurement system for the sustainable management of the business, having as results various indicators that allow us to measure the success of the efforts in creating value, not only economically, but also socially and environmental. In this path traveled, the use of tools and actions to know the expectations of the interest groups has been key, to respond to them; as well as the development of various social responsibility programs focused on education and inclusion. Here it is also possible to suggest that new and different indicators linked to the pandemic and its consequences will emerge.
On the other hand, public service companies are of vital importance for the sustainable development of communities. It has been proven that, when natural gas reaches a neighborhood, it allows for greater development, new businesses and industries are established, the nutritional profile of residents improves, and the quality of life is significantly improved in many aspects. Simultaneously, the arrival of gas to new neighborhoods and areas allows the establishment of new commercial and industrial establishments and CNG stations, which undoubtedly contributes to the growth and development of the country, given that natural gas is the main energy source for the vast majority. of the industries of Argentina.
For this reason, we understand that the sector as a whole, hand in hand with the governments, must continue to focus on expanding natural gas through networks to all areas of the country, homes and industries that still do not have it. It became clear with the Covid-19 that the housing quality of the inhabitants is essential when it comes to facing and overcoming health problems.
In order to comply with the aforementioned, it is necessary to have sustainable rates that allow not only to continue providing the service optimally, but also to expand it to new areas and also to continue adopting new technological solutions, not only in customer service, but also in new digital tools that control the network, measure consumption and other aspects of the system that affect its reliability.
To achieve these goals, we understand that an open and transparent dialogue adds and contributes, through which we listen to our audiences to find out their concerns and thus enrich the management of the company; and accountability in pursuit of advancing in actions that allow us to achieve a more just and prosperous society. In short, sustainability will be even more valued in the business world of work and post-pandemic.
Unilever
Purpose in action
Karen Vizental, VP of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability for Latin America and the Southern Cone
Unilever has been operating in Argentina for 95 years and throughout these years we have managed to enhance our economic and social role through programs that contribute to strengthening the value chain and generating a positive social impact. We are present, betting on the national industry; boosting regional economies; strengthening SMEs and accompanying the communities where we operate.
We know that SMEs are key players in the productive fabric of the country and they are also for us. Thanks to the work we carry out with the more than 2,000 SMEs that are part of our value chain, we achieve that 93% of the products we sell locally are manufactured in the country. For this reason, although we have accompanied and supported them for a long time, in 2020 we launched Unipyme, a program that seeks to create an ecosystem that promotes innovation, efficiency and disruptive solutions, preparing SMEs for the future. Through Unipyme, we train, advise and offer access to financial tools to SMEs. Also, to maximize scale, working in coordination with the public sector, where we integrate ongoing government programs, and joining efforts with banking, educational entities and other industries. This year, we launched the second edition and incorporated our own e-learning platform.
On the other hand, being close to the communities where we have operations was always a priority, but with the arrival of the pandemic, we intensified our efforts. Thus, “Mujeres en acción” was born, a program that we articulate with the municipalities where we operate. Through this initiative, we seek to train, make visible and recognize the women who lead picnic areas and kitchens. During the pandemic, we carried out more than 15 training sessions on food handling, disinfection, hygiene habits, and nutrition for more than 500 women who assist 50,000 people. Initiatives such as UniPyME and Mujeres en Acción allow us to materialize our purpose, contributing to an end major: generate sustainable development that reinforces our commitment to be environmentally correct, economically viable and socially just.
CCU Argentina
Experiences to live better
Juan Pablo Barrale, Manager of Corporate Affairs
A while ago, at the time of writing our purpose, we had a debate about which phrase best represented it. We are a beverage company, we make beers, ciders and wines that every day reach millions of people in Argentina, and in different countries in the region. We conclude that what we truly propose is to create experiences to share a better life together. Because ultimately that is what we want when someone enjoys an Imperial, a Heineken, an 1888, a glass of Celia wine, among more than 20 brands that represent us. But the experiences for a better life do not end there: we feel the responsibility of being agents of change, committing ourselves and involving our entire team in working collaboratively with our stakeholders, rapidly reducing any type of environmental impact and at the same time , offering the best products to citizens.
For CCU, it is a strategic priority. For this reason, for some time, CCU has been committed to thinking about a more sustainable and planet-friendly production. This will is embodied in our 2030 Environmental Vision. We started in 2010, setting ambitious goals in water, emissions and waste, and we are on a very clear path to make CCU a benchmark in environmental sustainability. Among the main initiatives are reducing water consumption by 60%, reducing CO2 emissions by 50%, valorizing solid industrial waste by 100%, using 50% recycled material in containers and packaging, have 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable containers and packaging, use 75% renewable energy and promote the circular economy. In the last 10 years, water consumption was reduced by 46%, with the aim of being able to reduce it by 67% by 2030.
In this context of climate emergency, the first challenge we have as a company is to consolidate our sustainability management model that involves three dimensions: Planet; Brands that inspire us and People. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that all of us who make up CCU are involved and committed, in order to achieve each of the goals and initiatives of the model. We seek to ensure a long-term vision of sustainability in the company through the fulfillment of these goals. Connect with environmental issues that unite us with all the people who are part of our value chain, such as customers, suppliers, workers, and communities, and through our brands, promote responsible consumption, provide transparent information, and drive innovation. We are convinced that this is the path that not only brands, but also the industry should take. We can all be part of the change, thinking of fairer, more balanced societies, where we live experiences that improve our quality of life.
Auren
Contributions in times of uncertainty
Fernando Tezanos Pinto, President of Auren Argentina
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We live in times of uncertainty and pessimism, which lead us to think, reflect and value, not only personally but also as members of the organizations that we are part of.
Globally, there is talk of sustainability and the center of this concept lies in improving the quality of life of people today and in the future, for this it is necessary to contribute to social and economic development, to a healthier environment and to a healthier society. stable and well informed.
Creating value is a concept that we have been hearing for a long time, and that sounds more and more loud within organizations linked to different areas. Creating value living with the pandemic and governments that do not help to grow sounds distant, but opportunities are always there, it only depends on the reading that business leaders make of this pessimistic context. The question is to analyze where the opportunities are, not to stay with the problem.
Companies understand that their business strategy, in addition to being innovative and disruptive, must be focused on the well-being of people, society and the environment. This reality that we live puts us all facing the challenge of working with a sustainable forecast that helps others, that generates awareness of collaboration and social responsibility, achieving a balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Today we see it reflected as a great example in those people who work and risk their lives to save others. And here the concept of altruism arises, a necessary word as a basis of conviction for any public or private sustainable development.
If we stop at its definition, altruism is the attitude of those who seek or procure the good of others, even at their own expense. It is the exact opposite of selfishness. This must be the purpose that we must have to create value.
Doing politics or business with altruism is the way to improve the quality of life of the most needy people, especially caring for the environment. At Auren we work committed to social responsibility under the motto "give back to society more than what society gave us".
The challenge is that we begin to prioritize and altruistically implement sustainable development plans, without cracks, to first improve the trend of poverty and hunger indicators, objectives supported by the Member States of the United Nations. In this way, the economic, social and environmental indicators will also improve.
Value chain and community
An essential accompaniment
It is not enough for companies to commit and act in order to minimize the impact of activities and guarantee the best practices, externally and internally. The responsibility for sustainable performance also includes its value chain, which is becoming increasingly relevant. In addition, the strategies of the companies to support and empower each of the links, especially the weakest ones, become central, especially in critical times.
Camuzzi
Manage impacts
Rodrigo Espinosa, Manager of Institutional Relations
At Camuzzi we understand sustainability as a process of continuous and long-term improvement that seeks to build relationships of trust and dialogue with our stakeholders together with the responsible management of our social and environmental impacts. The current context of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of sustainable business management: practices and processes such as having stakeholders mapped and in constant and fluid dialogue, the analysis and management of possible risks, intersectoral articulations in pursuit of better management of the impacts, as well as the perspective on sustainable performance transversal to all areas of the company, today take on a new meaning. For this reason, at Camuzzi we have taken on the challenge of continuing with this process, without neglecting the commitments assumed in the long term and, at the same time, responding to the crisis generated by the pandemic, adding our efforts to those of different actors.
Within this framework, we work to continue positively impacting the communities where we operate, adapting each initiative to new circumstances. This implied close work in conjunction with strategic allies such as Asociación Conciencia, Fundación Cruzada Patagónica and Fundación Reciduca, with whom we focused on virtual training actions, in addition to focusing on providing follow-up and tutoring to accompany each young participant in our programs and avoid school dropout in this adverse context. We also organized the second edition of Energía Itinerante –a music contest to promote the visibility of emerging musicians– in a virtual way and, from this modality, we were able to expand the impact reaching both Tandil (Buenos Aires Province) and the Trelew, Rawson and Puerto Madryn area (Chubut Province). Likewise, we joined campaigns such as "Let's be one" and "A single fan", which involved the articulation between multiple actors to respond to the emergency situation against Covid-19. On the other hand, within the framework of our relationship with volunteer firefighters in our concession area, we made donations of chinstraps and cleaning and disinfection elements for their barracks. All these actions that are part of our sustainability strategy were added to the different instances that we create or promote to maintain the quality of our service, attention and fluid communication with our users.
Pan American Energy
Focus on each link
Agustina Zenarruza, Sustainability Manager
The changes forced by the “new reality” forced the small businessman and the entrepreneur to be flexible and reinvent themselves. In Argentina, SMEs represent 44% of the national GDP and generate 70% of private employment, according to the Argentine Confederation of Medium Enterprises (CAME). In addition, they make a fundamental contribution to the productive framework since, in general, they provide high-quality products and services and are key suppliers for leading companies.
Companies play an important role in the communities where they operate. They are called to be a promoter of social, economic and environmental development for society. For this reason, at Pan American Energy we reinforced our commitment to productive development and extended it to SMEs that are not part of our value chain.
An example of this is the PAE SMEs Program, a proposal that was born in 2005 with the aim of strengthening the local productive network and empowering SMEs in the locations where we operate. Since its inception, the program seeks to professionalize the management of SMEs, certify their processes and develop their products and services, through advice, training and facilities in access to financing.
In 2020, the program celebrated its 15th anniversary and this anniversary coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic that profoundly affected the SME ecosystem. This unprecedented situation was, for us, an opportunity to reinforce listening and adapt the program in format and content.
Thus, we launched our Comprehensive Support Plan for SMEs, 100% virtual, whose priority was to respond to the new needs that emerged and focus on the post-pandemic world. With this plan, SMEs accessed free consultancies and advice in different areas such as finance, taxes, reorganization of human resources, digitization, marketing and e-commerce, among others.
The results gave us enormous satisfaction: during the last year, we provided direct assistance and consulting to more than 250 SMEs throughout the country; we carry out more than 100 open training sessions, with more than 12,000 people registered; and we dictate more than 1,500 hours of content and 2,500 hours of assistance to SMEs.
Roche
Global walk with a local imprint
Lorice Scalise, General Manager, Roche Pharma Argentina
We believe that a good business has to contribute to creating a better world. We are inspired by our purpose: “Doing now what patients need next”.
We seek to transform people's lives through diagnostics, medical solutions and innovative treatments for cancer, sclerosis and hemophilia, among other conditions, and we also leave an imprint of our commitment to the communities in which we operate around the world.
Based on this premise, in 2003 company employees created a global solidarity project that would be shared by all Roche affiliates, designed to build a better tomorrow today.
This is how Children's Walk was born, a global campaign in which collaborators unite with the purpose of raising funds that are destined for children's projects related to nutrition, primary health care and social development. Total employee donations are matched by the local Roche affiliate, and that amount is donated to a local civic organization. The action culminates every year with a simultaneous symbolic walk in all the countries where the collaborators celebrate together the closing of the solidarity day.
Following this new context, in 2020 the traditional walk was transformed into a wide range of virtual activities in which more than 18,000 employees participated in 63 countries around the world.
We know the different realities of our community and vulnerable populations such as children in our country, where a large proportion live in poverty. For this reason, for several years Roche Argentina has been working jointly with organizations such as Fundación Nuevos Caminos, focused on the social psychological support of children, adolescents and their families. With the support of psychoanalysts, social workers and teachers, the organization provides therapeutic support, school support and holds workshops where children can develop their imagination and creativity.
Since the first walk in 2003, more than 248,000 Roche employees around the world have raised more than 20 million Swiss francs that have been invested in education, nutrition, primary health care and social development projects for children.
We are proud of the impact that we can generate with the effort and collective work that we do every day, but we are also aware that there are many more children and families who need help.
Our commitment is associated with strengthening the communities where we operate and with a positive impact on our society. Children's Walk is one example, among many, of how we make it tangible.
Arcor Group
A transversal work
Claudio Giomi, Corporate Sustainability Manager
At Grupo Arcor we promote the development of society and the conservation of the environment when promoting our businesses. Sustainability is a consolidated management approach and strategy that adds value in terms of the company's competitiveness and sustainability over time.
The management of our value chain is a key axis of work because it allows us to have a global vision of the entire life cycle of the products. Based on different actions and initiatives, we were able to identify impacts and map the processes and actors involved, promote the integral development of the communities in which we operate and specifically contribute to the sustainable development of those regions.
Since 2012, we have implemented the Sustainable Agriculture Program, with the objective of ensuring the quantity, quality, safety, and environmental and social responsibility of the main raw materials that we produce and acquire. For example, with the Bonsucro certification at Ingenio La Providencia, the highest standard of sustainability in sugar production on a global scale, we achieved international standards and improved the company's position in different markets.
Through the REconocer Program, suppliers carry out a self-assessment on different aspects of commercial quality and sustainability, the result of which is considered to promote continuous improvement actions and to make better purchasing decisions.
For its part, the Responsible Inclusive Purchasing Program is an initiative that we have carried out for more than 10 years with the aim of expanding and diversifying the sources of supply, favoring the integration into the value chain of productive groups in conditions of vulnerability and/or who have fewer market access opportunities. In other words, based on consumption opportunities, we promote local development processes, resource mobilization in the territories in which we carry out our industrial activity and the economic inclusion of local actors who are trying to get out of situations of vulnerability. An example of how we carry out the program is the work we do with El Arca, a Mendoza association that brings together more than 60 women entrepreneurs and that currently represents an important supplier of textile garments for our plants. Today we have more than 50 active suppliers, who generate job opportunities for more than 1,000 people, and who supply, according to demand, to all the plants in Argentina and bases in Chile, Mexico and Brazil.
Barbieri
Indispensable alliances
Juan Francisco Barbieri, Innovation and Sustainability Manager
At Barbieri we are committed to evolving towards a new business paradigm focused on triple impact. To innovate, we developed "Rethinking ourselves", an open co-creation methodology, which seeks to guarantee collaborative and transversal dialogue in all areas of the company. The pillars of this model are co-construction, passion, diversity and interdependence.
Under this management mode, we created a Sustainability Committee made up of young leaders who report directly to Management and seek to maximize our purpose in each of their respective areas; an Innovation Committee that proposes challenges to employees to generate disruptive business opportunities towards triple impact; a Digital Transformation Committee that fosters collaboration and agility; and a Circular Economy Committee that leads a profound change in our forms of production and consumption.
The support axes of our triple impact strategy are transversal to the entire company: Well-being, Responsible Production, Community and Leadership.
Responsible production: we assume an extended responsibility with the entire value chain. We manage and identify new modalities of sustainable production and consumption, minimizing the effects of the products and services we offer.
This year we launched the EPDs of our product portfolio. Specifically, we analyze the cradle-to-grave life cycle and declare our impact footprint.
Community: through innovation, strategic alliances, and education, we seek to transform the construction industry by promoting a sustainable construction system that cooperates with social integration, employability, and improves people's quality of life. This year, together with Ingeniería Sin Fronteras, we promoted the expansion and restoration of the kindergarten in San Martín.
Likewise, we will be providing theoretical and practical training to enhance professionalization and education. Another alliance that we develop is with Mujeres a la Obra, uniting efforts for gender equality in the construction industry.
PepsiCo
Positive agriculture
Diego Hekimian, Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs for the Southern Cone
At PepsiCo we are convinced that we have a responsibility to help build a more sustainable food system, generating positive changes for the planet and for people. Our social and sustainability agenda is being adapted to the local context and needs, focusing on the areas where we believe we can have the greatest impact: agriculture, water, packaging, climate, products and people.
We are working through all stages of the company's extensive value chain, through strategies that seek to rethink how crops are grown and sourced, do business sustainably and inclusively, and create purpose-driven brands that are better for consumers and the planet.
An important example on this path is “Positive Agriculture”, a program that we announced globally a few months ago and which includes a series of ambitious goals with a positive impact on our entire agricultural chain by 2030: Expand the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices to 2.8 million hectares, almost the equivalent of the total land used by farmers to cultivate and provide inputs for PepsiCo worldwide. These practices will contribute to the recovery and conservation of the soil and will make it possible to reduce at least 3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade; Improve the livelihood of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural value chain and in the communities in which we operate, including the economic empowerment of women; Sustainably produce 100% of our key ingredients, including not only directly sourced crops (potatoes, corn, oats), but also third-party crops, such as vegetable oils and cereals.
In Argentina, 100% of the supply of potatoes, corn and oats is certified by PepsiCo's Sustainable Agriculture Program, which reflects the best social, environmental and economic practices. In addition, 100% of the potato production is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and Global-GAP, quality seals that include care for the environment and the conditions of field workers.
Santander
Commitment to the community
Vanesa Marignan, Manager of Responsible Banking and Sustainability
At Santander we have 11 public commitments that guide our actions to promote inclusive and sustainable growth in the community. In alliance with more than 20 recognized organizations and foundations, we carry out initiatives focused on education, employability, support for entrepreneurs, the environment and financial inclusion, with volunteering as a transversal axis.
With the aim of promoting access to formal employment, we accompany programs focused on primary, financial, environmental education and digital programming. We have corporate volunteering initiatives for different projects, through our networks of Financial Mentors and Educators. We developed a category for sustainable entrepreneurs, called Committed SuperClub, with more than 40 triple-impact ventures. Up to now, our customers have redeemed more than 56,000 products made by entrepreneurs and organizations that generate resources from responsible businesses and that are the storefront of our more than 4 million customers.
We are also committed to reducing our environmental impact. For this reason, we are carbon neutral, we eliminate single-use plastics and we separate our waste for later recycling in alliance with different cooperatives. We promote sustainable financing, accompanying our clients in the transition to a low carbon economy. We led the placement of the first sustainable bond in Argentina and we were underwriters of all corporate bonds in the local market that have social, green and/or sustainable projects as funds.
Finally, at Santander we conceive of education as a transformative tool, and financial education as a tool for inclusion and empowerment. In the last year, we incorporated more than 280,000 people into the financial system, trained more than 1,200 students in digital skills and programming, and 4,000 students in e-commerce.
Our commitment to the society in which we are present is reflected in the eight Social Integration Branches that we have inaugurated in different vulnerable neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, with work teams that are made up of neighbors.
We want to be part of the solution to the problems that the pandemic has generated, in line with our mission, which is to contribute to the progress of people and companies, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.
Metrics and impact minimization
Goals and concrete actions to maximize sustainable management
“What cannot be measured cannot be managed” is repeated almost like a mantra in companies. The short, medium and long-term objectives, to minimize the negative effects that the activities can cause, organize the actions and contribute to transparency. Almost all of the companies, especially the most important ones, are working on comprehensive plans to improve their performance in caring for the environment, as soon as possible.
Rhizobacter
More sustainable agriculture
Ricardo Yapur, CEO
At Rizobacter, a Bioceres Crop Solutions Group company, we are committed to developing low-carbon agriculture. At the heart of our business is the production of microbiological technologies that increase biodiversity and improve the resilience of productive agricultural environments. In addition, they increase the capture of carbon and with this the organic matter content of the soils is improved and the negative impacts of greenhouse gases are reduced.
Today more than 25% of the world's soybeans are treated with
our inoculants, a key input as it promotes Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF), the main nutrient for the growth of leguminous plants.
This process can provide 50% of the total nitrogen required by a crop during its production cycle. For example, for a crop like soybeans in the Argentinean humid pampas and taking an average yield of 4 Tn/Ha, the action of the FBN replaces almost 350 Kg/Ha of urea, a fertilizer that comes from the oil that generates about 320 kg of CO2e for its production. In contrast, the production of the bacteria in our inoculants requires up to 10,000 times less CO2e.
These results are achieved by how we produce our biotechnologies. At our plant, we began the path towards certification of the corporate Carbon Footprint under the framework of the ISO 14064 standard. In order to facilitate management with continuous monitoring of our footprint and reduction plans, we plan to digitize both the process of accounting and reporting such as the automation of the process of exploration and introduction of the activity data required for the calculation, being SAP the origin of said data.
As part of the actions to reduce emissions, we are incorporating new recyclable containers that will replace the conventional multilayer polyethylene-polyamide. With this action we are going to reduce by 50% the amount of packaging that is currently necessary to submit to an incineration process.
Our plant complies with all current environmental legislation. A large part of the plastic containers for inputs are recycled and, in the case of liquid waste, they are treated at the Effluent Treatment Plant itself. We are also members of Campolimpio, the empty phytosanitary container management program that managed to recover more than one million kilograms of plastic in the first half of the year. Another central objective of our company is to promote the quality of agricultural applications and avoid the associated environmental risks. For this we invested US$ 550.00 to recently inaugurate LEAF, the first laboratory that will provide objective, measurable and reproducible data to achieve quality and efficiency in agricultural applications.
Holcim Argentina
“Business Ambition for 1.5°C”
María Belén Daghero, Manager of Sustainable Development and Public Affairs
In 2020 we reaffirm our commitment to offer a close Sustainable Development Report, which reflects how Holcim Argentina, an integral company in the production of cement, concrete, stone aggregates and construction services, integrates sustainability into its business strategy, in joint work with all its stakeholders.
Since this period, we began to report annually as one more example of making our commitment to communities and customers transparent, and the care of operations in favor of the environment of the entire company in Argentina, made up of: Holcim (Argentina ) S.A.; Holcim Argentina Foundation; and Geocycle, sustainable waste management through the co-processing method.
In these particular times, impacted by the pandemic, our accountability takes on even greater value. With the same responsibility with which we assume our work in sustainability, we open this communication space to present our management to all the audiences with which we are linked.
The report that was prepared follows the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in its latest version, and meets the requirements for the exhaustive compliance modality. We also include our contributions to the United Nations Global Compact and the company's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
For its preparation, the results of the management and the aspects of the business that most concern the different interest groups were surveyed and systematized, identifying the impact of our business model and prioritizing criteria according to their importance.
The materiality analysis allowed us to observe that internal attention is directed to the SDGs linked to business management and sustainability strategy, according to the GRI indicators.
While externally, towards the SDGs that are related to the development and requirements of the industry, and the impact that production has on the generation of jobs and hiring.
In 2020, Holcim became the first global building solutions company to sign the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” commitment, with intermediate targets endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and aligned with a roadmap for carbon neutrality (Net Zero), committing to reduce its carbon emissions by 20% by 2030 vs. 2018. Holcim Argentina within its "Ambition 2030" in Sustainable Development, focuses on four pillars: Climate and Energy, Circular Economy, Environment and Communities. Informing and sharing our commitment with collaborators, communities, suppliers, customers and the environment is part of Holcim's responsibility towards transparency and sustainable development at country and global scales.
Unipar
Precision, innovation and growth
Guillermo Petracci, industrial director
The path of sustainability is a priority for all companies, but it represents an even more important objective for the petrochemical sector, fundamental for society in the generation of employment, the development of the economy and the production of essential inputs.
In this line, at Unipar we constantly work on optimizing our processes to minimize environmental impact. Since 2005, we have used hydrogen (by-product of our chlorine and caustic soda production process) as an alternative fuel for our steam-generating boilers, replacing and reducing the consumption of natural gas.
On the other hand, we partnered with AES Brasil for the construction of the El Tucano Wind Farm (Bahía, Brazil), which will have an installed capacity of 322 Megawatts (MW) and will serve to supply electricity to our plants in Brazil.
In the last 10 years we reduced the water consumption of our Bahía Blanca plant by 25% through more efficient processes and the use of treated effluents, at the same time that we invested US$7 million in works that improve the quantity and quality of the effluent, reduce water consumption and optimize energy consumption.
Both the production of PVC and caustic soda as well as other inputs from the petrochemical industry allow the normal operation of multiple industries in the country, and through measurements that control and reduce the impact on the environment.
The growth of the sector is essential for the development of Vaca Muerta and the extraction of lithium, two fields with great projections for the future. For this reason, today more than ever a commitment at the corporate level is necessary to develop strategies that have environmental care as their main focus, always prioritizing the well-being of the communities that surround us.
Today, environmental care is one of our pillars at Unipar, on which our planning is based. We seek to continue improving our processes, which already have a very high level; advance on the path of clean energy and continue forming alliances that allow us to advance on the path of sustainability.
We continue to bet strongly as part of an industry that is the future of the country. We are aware of our role in the production chain and the importance of taking sustainability as part of the entire business strategy.
Genneia
“We must take renewable energies seriously”
Gustavo Castagnino, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at
That was the request that the main wind energy companies and associations in the world made, through the Global Wind Energy Coalition, to the leaders of the G20, to introduce the issue on the agenda of the ministerial meetings on Environment, Climate and Energy that were held in Italy, and preparing the ground for the discussions that will take place at the end of the year at COP26. We are convinced that, by 2050, wind energy will be the main source of global electricity generation together with photovoltaic solar energy. Both will play a fundamental role in decarbonising the energy system.
Over the past 20 years, wind power has demonstrated its ability to increase production, create skilled jobs, and catalyze large-scale infrastructure investment and renovation. And, in the next 10 years, the annual wind power deployment should quadruple the 93 GW installed in 2020. But why, if the experience is and has been positive, have we made this claim to the G20? Far from the orientation offered by SDG#7 (clean and affordable energy), we are concerned that the current growth of wind energy is far below what is required to experience a real energy transition. At this rate, we will not be able to develop the wind capacity necessary to achieve carbon neutrality. We will be doomed to fail in our collective climate goals. Therefore, we see that a decisive and urgent policy change is necessary.
International studies indicate that there is almost unlimited onshore and offshore wind potential. 56,000 GW of fixed and floating offshore wind technical potential in the countries that make up the G20. And at least 296,000 GW of onshore wind potential, just in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and the United States.
Despite net zero commitments, the world shows a global warming trend of 2.4°C this century. The G20 represents the majority of the world's population and more than 80% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Therefore, their public duty to take climate change mitigation seriously.
In Argentina, the renewable energy sector invested more than US$7 billion in the last five years, of which more than US$4 billion correspond to wind energy. We still have the challenge of doubling the participation of clean energies in the national energy matrix, to achieve, in the next five years, reach the 20% committed.
Contributing to this global paradigm shift, from which Argentina will not be left out, renewable energies have taken action and we hope to continue encouraging other actors to do so in the same way.
Ternium
Decarbonization: towards a sustainable future
By José Fonrouge, Global Director of Environment
Decarbonization is the process of reducing net CO2 emissions from industrial processes and economic activities. Its objective is to fulfill the commitment of the Paris Agreement, and stabilize the increase in global temperature at less than 2°C with respect to pre-industrial levels, by 2050.
The industrial sector is working in this direction, given that caring for the environment is key in the daily management of operations. This year Ternium announced a decarbonization path, with the goal of reducing specific emissions by 20% by 2030 with an estimated investment of US$214 million. Likewise, it communicated another investment plan of US$ 500 million, which will be implemented in projects to minimize other environmental aspects such as improvements in the management of co-products, effluents and emissions.
In addition, from ProPymes, the corporate program that institutionalizes the link between Ternium, Tenaris, Techint Engineering and Construction and Tecpetrol, Techint group companies, with SME customers and suppliers, a new support line is being implemented that seeks to accompany to the value chain in the incorporation of improvements in its production processes that reduce the environmental impact of its operations. Recently, the training in regulatory content and environmental productive development that was managed together with the IAE Business School and in which 25 SMEs participated, was completed. The next phase includes the incorporation of changes through specific industrial assistance, so that the entire productive sector linked to our company can achieve the objectives in the continuous improvement of its environmental performance.
A long time ago, companies and industries began to take steps in this direction and decarbonization is part of the path to follow. The long-term strategy will count on a migration of the productive route of steel based on a higher percentage use of scrap as raw material and natural gas and green hydrogen as reducing agent.
Steel is the preferred material of the circular economy for being a resource from iron ore, for its infinite recyclability and its applicability to various products and services. This material is present in every space of life: housing, transportation, water supply, food, production of renewable energy, tools, health care.
It is ubiquitous, a highly versatile metal, with the ability to continue developing ever lighter products.
In this sense, technological innovation in the steel industry is leading to sophisticated steels, allowing stronger and lighter structures, with a lower carbon footprint in their applications. Scrap has been growing as an alternative raw material to produce steel because, in addition, its recycling reduces electricity consumption, reduces the consumption of virgin raw materials and consequently saves CO2 emissions in the life cycle of the products, which leads to this material to lead recycling statistics.
As industry leaders, we work to make operations more environmentally friendly, spreading these objectives to all the communities with which we operate.
Itaú Bank
Financing transformation projects
Mariana Woloszyn, International Finance Institutions – Senior Officer
Inspired by the Impact Commitments established by our parent company, at Itaú Argentina we also seek to make the world more sustainable.
Through an integrated management of environmental, social and financial aspects, our actions and goals have been defined in the long term, forming part of the corporate culture as they are understood as part of a good business.
In 2018 we launched the first green credit line with IFC (International Finance Corporation) financing energy efficiency projects and renewable energy generation for US$ 35 million. We were the first bank in the region to obtain GLP (Green Loan Principles) certification. Having the certification is an achievement, but also a commitment and responsibility for both the bank and the project.
The launch of these green credits or Green Loans transformed us internally, generating a special work team to monitor each project.
After the credit and socio-environmental analysis, the procedures and methods applicable to each project are reviewed. When everything is approved, the disbursements are made, and then the annual monitoring through impact reports, which seeks to evaluate and demonstrate that the destination and application of the funds is being fulfilled.
These projects, already under development, are beginning to show their positive impact in terms of reducing environmental emissions by 86,730 tonsCO2/yr, according to figures provided by IFCs through CAFI tool. The detail that these projects in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere present as of December 2020 is represented as follows:
We believe in projects that focus on creating value for society.
As a financial institution, we understand that for change to take place, there must be funds to promote and finance these transformative projects. Maintaining this commitment, we are working hard with BICE (Banco de Inversión y Comercio Exterior) through Second Floor Funding to continue financing ESG (Environment Social Governance) projects, obtaining financial support from other multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and IDB/ Green Climate Fund (GCF)
We are aligned with the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and we seek to help companies grow with an environmentally friendly production system, we continue working on sustainable finance and positive impacts. Internationally, we have been members of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 20 years.
From zero neutrality to zero emission
Eduardo López, president of Google Cloud for Latin America
It is not news that global warming and the greenhouse effect have a dramatic effect on the entire planet. I believe that all of us, from where we stand, must consider what we are doing specifically to leave a better world for the new generations. At Google Cloud we are acting now to change this reality. And we are not doing it alone. More and more Argentine companies, by uploading to the cloud, can not only take advantage of its benefits for the business, but also make a fundamental contribution to a future free of carbon emissions.
Google Cloud operates the cleanest cloud in the industry. This is the result of a long process that, in 2017, made the company the first company to purchase enough renewable energy (solar and wind) to equal 100% of its global electricity consumption. Even with a worldwide increase in internet traffic as a result of the pandemic, and an increase in the use of Google tools by users, we managed to maintain the purchase of enough renewable energy to remain 100% carbon neutral.
This is highly relevant for us, but even more so for our clients because offering clean services has direct implications for the business of the companies we work with. First, it helps them achieve their own sustainability goals. In addition, it allows them to choose in which region of Google Cloud they want to run their applications based on the carbon-free energy it supplies them (the one in São Paulo, for example, today uses 87% carbon-free energy). Trading with us even offers them a higher level of transparency, as Google Cloud shares the specific percentage of carbon free energy use for each hour of the day (% Carbon Free Energy Percentage).
Our work continues to grow along with our commitment to continue positively impacting the planet, which is why we set a goal for 2030 to be the first provider of cloud services that works with energy free of carbon emissions 24/7 in all its data centers.
This represents the challenge of moving from the “zero neutrality” model (whose idea is to “emit and offset”) to a “zero generation” model, that is, without any type of carbon emission at any time. In a historic time when new challenges have put us to the test, we are more optimistic than ever about our collective capacity as companies, governments and individuals, and we are convinced that charting a sustainable carbon-free path for our planet together is possible.
Pure
A bridge to a sustainable future
Leandro Barrionuevo, co-founder
At Pura we develop products with technology and innovation for water treatment and thus be able to guarantee access to quality water, fulfilling our task in a sustainable way.
We want to give a new meaning to business generating triple impact, promoting new forms of conscious, healthy and less polluting consumption for the planet.
We believe in this way of relating to our environment, in a conscious way, knowing what use we give to resources and that is why we commit ourselves to this path of many challenges that we are willing to achieve.
To do this, our goal is to increasingly offset our greenhouse gas footprint throughout the entire operating process.
In order to do so, we calculated our total Carbon Footprint of Pura from September 2019 to August 2020 to be 86 tnCO2e. Based on this measurement, we offset our footprint during the first quarter of 2021 through a native forest reforestation, conservation, and restoration project called Corredor de los Cedros (GMF) in northern Argentina, with the purchase of 1 hectare, equivalent to 90 tnCO2.
Thus, we managed to exceed our goal of carbon neutrality and we commit to being carbon positive in all the actions that our work implies by the year 2030.
Every day counts to create the future that we all want, so in addition to donating 1% of our annual turnover to environmental care projects, we do not forget small actions such as recycling and separating the waste from our operations, Thus, month after month, we achieve results like these: Save 9,477 liters of water consumption; Save 1,439 kWh of energy; Save the consumption of 13 kg of plastic.
We know that this is the path, we are happy to undertake this task and be part of the change that achieves a new environmental awareness and manages to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5° Celsius.
Because our purpose is to change the world through water.
Mondelez International
Goals aligned
Ignacio Santurio, Director of Legal and Corporate and Government Affairs, Southern Cone
The role that companies play in society and the responsibility we have to generate sustainable growth, creating long-term value, is undeniable.
At Mondelēz International we remain focused on building a sustainable snacks company, minimizing our impact on the environment and becoming a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and transparent organization day by day.
To achieve this, we are convinced that the definition of clear objectives is fundamental since it gives us a direction and allows us to accurately measure our progress. For this reason, we have specific sustainability, diversity and well-being goals for 2025, the evolution of which we analyze annually in our report "Snacking Made Right".
In 2020 we made significant progress on these commitments, both locally and globally.
Regarding our objective of using sustainable ingredients for our products, 100% of the palm oil we use in Cono Sur already comes from certified suppliers, which guarantees the traceability of its origin and the sustainability of its production. In addition, 68% of the global cocoa volume is obtained through the Cocoa Life program, an emblematic initiative in our industry that allows transforming the communities that produce this raw material.
Reducing our environmental impact is another of our priorities in which we are advancing from three dimensions simultaneously. At our production plants in Argentina, we reduced CO2 emissions by 28% and reduced waste from operations by 40%, exceeding the 29% target. In addition, on a global scale, we reduced water use by more than 30% in areas where the resource is scarce.
On the other hand, we remain focused on making all our product packs sustainable. 94% of global packaging, and 85% of the Southern Cone, is already designed to be recyclable. In Argentina, we also reduced 65,000 tons of packaging in the last year.
We also advanced our wellness initiatives, created to align the company's product portfolio with contemporary needs and to promote mindful snacking habits. We launched new portion-controlled products, expanded our catalog of TACC-free options, and improved the formulas of products such as Tang and Clight.
While we are making steady progress, we still have a ways to go. The horizon we are pursuing, materialized in our 2025 impact goals, is our source of energy every day.
CNH Industrial Argentina
Opportunities and quality of life
Lorena Eberhardt, Environment coordinator
Having an environmental vision today is a way to stand up to a world that demands quick adaptability and concrete actions. Our industry is no exception and that is why at CNH Industrial we are permanently creating and implementing projects aimed at caring for resources and preserving the environment.
The Industrial Pole that the firm has in Córdoba is characterized by its high quality standards, in line with World Class Manufacturing, one of the most demanding global standards for manufacturing processes, safety, cost efficiency, quality controls and, of course, environment.
Within this framework, in recent years the company has developed a series of processes and measures focused on the reuse of resources and the implementation of actions associated with the circular economy. Through its waste management policy, the company implements the "5 R" (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover), recycling more than 98% of the waste produced with the aim of converting it into raw material for another process. .
Thus, through our “GO” (Great Opportunities) program, we developed a wooden slat that is later used in the roof racks of heavy trucks. This piece is the result of recycling packaging waste, replacing virgin wood that was previously purchased specifically for that use. The same happens with the maneuvering fenders, an element with which the trucks arrive at the dealerships and which is produced from corrugated plastic. A large part of these reuse processes are carried out in the carpentry of our plant, which aims to give wood a second life in different projects, and which manages to reuse around 176 tons of wood.
In addition, we work to generate projects focused on reducing water consumption, managing to recirculate up to 100% of this resource in the truck manufacturing process. Added to this action is the recovery of rainwater from the roofs of the plant canteen, which is then used to irrigate the property and to clean common spaces, with an estimated saving of 5,000 liters per year.
At CNH Industrial we encourage the application of sustainable initiatives throughout our production chain and, of course, throughout the industry.
It had a beneficial effect, without a doubt: it invigorated the idea that everything centered around the environment, the insertion of the company in society and the governance of organizations was more essential now to think about a sustainable future .
As we entered last year, 2020, everything was set to be a year of great achievement. The UN baptized the period that began as the Decade of Action with an eye toward 2030, when the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be achieved: end hunger and extreme poverty, eradicate gender violence and reduce inequality, guaranteeing quality education for all children and decent jobs for adults, ensuring universal access to healthcare and continuing to inhabit the planet without permanently destroying it.
But then Covid–19 changed the course of history. Millions of deaths, health systems in crisis, and massive destruction of jobs. With which the advance of poverty and inequality, they had a formidable advance. For the first time since 1990, human development has regressed.
Hope remained for this 2021 in which humanity is expected to defeat the virus and recover the path of progress towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, although every day it seems less possible.
The entire business ecosystem is affected by the new scenario. Companies are committing (beyond formal declarations) to protect nature, combat climate change and decarbonise the planet to the extent that corresponds to them.
In both large and emerging economies, support for everything that means sustainable business is growing.
During 2021, for example, the industrial production of the fuel called to be the great tool for mitigating CO2 emissions from transport and other industries that use diesel or natural gas will begin on a global scale. The long-awaited green hydrogen will serve as a truly ecological fuel and will mean one of the most anticipated milestones in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions.
The consequences that societies are and will be increasingly profoundly affected by processes such as climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater scarcity, waste mismanagement, land degradation and urban air pollution is that new processes will be launched that will have little to do with "the return to normality".
At the same time, social transformations favor environmental changes, both negatively, through unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and positively, through inclusive and sustainable lifestyles, technologies, and social practices.
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