Taking care of the environment is a turning point for the balance of business

It is known as the “triple impact” and has a lot to do with new business practices and the demands of younger generations of consumers. It is a model based on three concepts: economic value, environmental impact and social perspective of a company, where profitability is not the only thing that is evaluated. These are the axes of a profound transformation in the corporate world whose central axis is corporate sustainability.

This was the leitmotif of the last speech organized by Clarione and this is part of the cycle “The world to come”, where the meaning of “environmental responsibility” was discussed, led by the director of Economics Silvia Naishtat. The cycle has the main support of OSDE, Telecom and DESA, the sponsorship of Afarte and the support of L’Oréal and Aeropuertos Argentina 2000.

The specialist consultant Javier Corcuera participated; Mariana Petrina, Director of Corporate Affairs, Involvement and Sustainability of L’Oréal; Carolina dal Bó, Head of Sustainability at Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, and Ignacio Noel, Director of Morixe. The following is a summary of the presentations and their conclusions.

Internal changes are gradual and started years ago. Precisely in 1987 the United Nations defined sustainable development as that which “satisfies needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their own”. With this premise, companies from various sectors, such as beauty, tourism and food, are introducing improvements that have to do with recycling, responsible use of energy and supplies to produce, among many others.

“Most of the political, economic and trade union leaders are dinosaurs and they don’t read what’s happening in the world, ”Corcuera says. The consultant argues that “there is enormous potential for the development of employment and wealth if the new environmental rules are respected”, which govern and expand especially in more developed countries.

This issue converges global demands, local public policies and the pressures and demands of a public more attentive to these problems. Dal Bó explained the impact of these trends in the tourism and aeronautical sector. The executive recalled the progress of activist groups and their questioning of the travel business. “The pandemic – he underlined – showed us another reality because the activity was completely paralyzed.

He said, for example, that tourism generates 10% of the jobs in the world and that it is an industry that pours wealth into other sectors, such as hotels, gastronomy and the economy in general. “We understand that not travel is not an option and that responsible tourism can be done, which implies that sustainable hosts and travelers take care of the destinations,” she described.

The choice of “green policies” expands due to the application of new laws and the adaptation of new business practices. “Today there is no company that does not have a vision of sustainability,” says Petrina. On this point you say that “it is not easy to be sustainable but today it is part of our business. As a company we are also interested in the kind of legacy we leave behind ”.

Noel agrees and explains that in the case of Morixe “we are reviewing the entire value chain to analyze all alternatives”. The businessman highlighted the project they are carrying out in a plant in La Rioja where they process olives and olive oil. “We use waste to generate our electricity from biomass, which it allows us to supply ourselves and also to export“, points out.

According to Noel, “the concept of sustainability goes beyond the environmental question and embraces the social and economic question. is a superior concept to social responsibility and is not a disinterested or altruistic gaze: it refers to the possibility of lasting over time “. These are shared considerations, mainly due to the greater awareness of new consumers, who are inclined to products made according to responsible practices.

Corcuera is reluctant to talk about cost-effective green practices. “Out of 10 liters of water made potable in the country, 6 do not reach its destination due to the poor condition of the pipes.. So being ecological is not expensive but being more efficient ”, she repeats. However, you stress that public policies are an important factor in accelerating the transformation.

Corcuera explains that companies that have a presence in international markets are more advanced because “the regulations in developed countries require it. The problem is when a company works only in the countryside, why Argentine society has not yet incorporated this class of concepts”, Remarks the specialist.

Regarding the higher costs of implementing the new regulations, Dal Bó stresses that it is not important. “This is what our consumers ask of us, because those actions can determine the choice of a product or a service. Therefore, being green is essential to be elected. This is what consumers and investors are asking for. And because it’s part of our business today, ”she explained.

The triple impact is measured, evaluated and obtaining the certification opens doors and markets.