The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA), Isabel García Tejerina, inaugurated this morning the annual Forum on Trends in Corporate and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability of Forética, CSR Spain 2017, where she has placed “the current moment” as “an opportunity for growth, if we combine sustainability, economically and socially, with development and progress.”
The minister pointed out that, under this combination, “the Government’s numerous initiatives in the field of sustainability” are framed, both in terms of climate change and the promotion of the circular economy, highlighting the preparation that the Executive is making of the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition and the Spanish Strategy for the Circular Economy.
“Both summarize what the economy of the future should be like: energy efficient, low carbon, and less and less waste-generating,” he said, also highlighting the broad participatory processes that are being carried out to develop both initiatives, involving key sectors and making environmental objectives compatible with social needs.
DELIVERING ON KYOTO AND PARIS WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOBS
“With these approaches we have shown, for example, that economic growth is not linked to the increase in emissions. We are complying with the Kyoto commitments, and we will comply with the Paris Agreement,” said the minister, “and we have demonstrated our commitment to the energy transition and the decarbonisation of our economy,” she continued.
García Tejerina, in this sense, pointed out that, as a result of all these changes, “a future of opportunities and the potential to generate tens of thousands of jobs” is opening up, and stressed that “the economy of the future will be sustainable or it will not be”. He also stressed that the Government seeks to give certain scenarios in the medium and long term to companies and investors. “The participation of the whole of society is necessary to achieve a new sustainable and low-carbon model, and we want to accompany them in the investments that are necessary to undertake in the coming years,” he said.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
As for the business sector, the minister considered that it has increasingly assumed the role “of active agent and transformer of society, through the instrument of corporate social responsibility”, the contribution of companies to the objective of achieving sustainable development, and that it begins with the sustainability of the company itself.
“Any brand or product will better capture its potential customers if the company is environmentally sustainable and is aware of this social responsibility. Because the customer is increasingly aware and is looking for companies with the same awareness,” said García Tejerina.
The minister has placed the collective change of course in the achievement of alliances, “and associations and networks of actors such as Forética – a network of organisations and professionals in the field of corporate social responsibility – are called, therefore, to play a fundamental role by turning this sum of individual efforts into a common collective effort”.
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS COMPANIES
García Tejerina considered Spain’s commitment to corporate social responsibility “undeniable”. “This is demonstrated by the fact that our country is today the one that contributes the largest number of signatory companies to the United Nations Global Compact”, with more than 2,500 companies involved, which demonstrates “the business conviction that social responsibility is a booming value”. The minister also highlighted the fact that Spanish companies are also world leaders in clean technologies.
Isabel García Tejerina concluded by showing the “firm support” of the Ministry to associations, companies and individuals who seek this sustainable and growth future in the field of efficient use of resources and respect for the environment.
