Eight out of 10 Argentines believe that environmental problems are serious. The figure speaks of a high awareness of the environmental situation, of the need for answers on the subject. And when large companies are consulted, 100% have sustainability plans. But emergencies are different among SMEs and in most of them sustainability is not part of daily management.

It is the challenge he will face “Responsible for the environment”, the dialogue organized by Clarín, which will take place tomorrow, Thursday, and which will discuss how companies are addressing the demand to be more sustainable. Environmental consultant Javier Corcuera will participate; Marina Petrina, Director of Corporate Affairs, Involvement and Sustainability of L’Oréal; Carolina dal Bó, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 Sustainability Manager, and Ignacio Noel, Morixe Director.

This is indicated by a study conducted by IBM 55% of Argentine CEOs believe that sustainability is one of the biggest challenges for the next two or three years, while 33% said they have the human resources and skills to implement their strategy in this regard. But when the consultation is extended to all companies in the country, the reality is different: only 41% have incorporated sustainability into their corporate matrix, according to a survey by the consulting firm SMS – San Martín, Suárez y Asociados. SMEs, the majority in quantity, have another reality, more linked to the daily urgency.

However, according to a survey by the Public Opinion Group, for 40.6% of Argentines the environmental problems in the country “are very serious”, while for 40.9% they are “quite serious”. Only 5% think they are “not serious”.

“Environmental manager” is part of the cycle “the world to come”, 12 dialogues between company directors, officials, social leaders, renowned experts and entrepreneurs, led by Clarín journalists. They are discourses that seek identify the keys of the future, analyze what are the challenges that companies face today in the changing contemporary reality.

The debate will air this Thursday 23 at 19:00 in streaming on the Clarín.com page. The contents will be shared simultaneously on social networks and subsequently on the website and on the paper edition of the newspaper.

The cycle has the main support of OSDE, Telecom and DESA, in addition to the sponsorship of Afarte and the support of L’Oréal and Aeropuertos Argentina 2000.

In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as development that “meets our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs”.

That report, titled “Our common future”, it has marked three dimensions of sustainable development: economic development; Environmental Protection; Social equity. From there, companies today talk about Triple Impact, aiming at each of these axes.

It is the agenda that the speakers will discuss in the talk convened by Clarione:

• Javier Corcuera, environmental consultant. He is a biologist, headed the Fundación Vida Silvestre, chaired the CABA’s Environmental Protection Agency and was the Pilar’s Environment Secretary. He will refer to how environmental protection can have a positive impact on employment.

• Mariana Petrina, Director of Corporate Affairs, Involvement and Sustainability of L’Oréal Argentina. He is a member of the CABA government’s Circular Economy Network and is a member of the CEADS (Argentine Business Council for Sustainable Development). She will explain L’Oréal’s global and local sustainability plans.

• Carolina from the Bo, Sustainability Manager at Aeropuertos Argentina 2000. He directs the team responsible for developing and implementing the company’s sustainability strategy. It will refer to sustainable tourism and the way Airports is working in that direction.

• Ignatius Noël (son), Director of Morixe. Together with INTI, the company has developed a system to use waste from olive production to generate energy at its plantations and industrial facilities in San Juan. They also collaborate with INTI on a project for the production of briquettes from olive waste.