NewsLatin AmericaRethinking sustainability in companies without losing competitiveness: the challenges under discussion at the 'Sustainable Forum: a green space'

Rethinking sustainability in companies without losing competitiveness: the challenges under discussion at the ‘Sustainable Forum: a green space’

The future of the next generations depends on the decisions that are made now. Whereas at other times there was talk of objectives to reduce environmental impact with a target in the year 2050, today these objectives have a term as short as five or eight years. Under this premise, various experts met at the ‘Sustainable Forum: a green space’, an event organized by EL PAIS in collaboration with FEMSA, Coca-Cola and Real Milk California.

The meeting began with welcoming remarks by Jan Martinez Ahrens, director of EL PAIS America, who set the initial tone for the issues to be discussed this Thursday morning. “This goes beyond the usual speeches: the reduction of emissions and the investment in clean energy suppose the need to speak from business intelligence and scientific knowledge”.

The first colloquium put on the table one of the most pressing problems in the world: the scarcity of water and the efficient management of the scarce resource that is available. “Companies are jointly responsible for establishing measures to face the challenge of the lack of water”, Cesar Espinosa, senior manager of Sustainability of Coca-Cola Mexico.

Sonia Corona, editor-in-chief of EL PAIS Mexico, participates during the ‘Sustainable Future’ forum.Rodrigo Oropeza

Tamara Luengo, an independent consultant and expert in water resources, highlighted the importance of taking action at the highest levels of business management. “Also innovate in financing solutions and articulating new policies for technological solutions,” commented the strategist when asked by Sonia Corona, editor-in-chief of EL PAIS Mexico and who was the moderator of this panel.

For his part, Eduardo Vazquez, executive director of Agua Capital, emphasized the drinking water leaks that exist in cities. Eduardo Vazquez, capital water. “Not everything is about building aqueducts that cross States, there are less complex solutions such as rainwater harvesting systems and treatment of water leaks, which is essential so that it is not wasted,” he said.

The following conference was given by Victor Trevino, FEMSA’s Director of Energy and Environment, who emphasized clean energy generation as a motor for other sustainability systems. “Energy has a relevant component, with links to water care and food production, which makes it more important to think about clean energy,” he indicated.

Victor Trevino, director of energy and environment at FEMSA, at the forum.
Victor Trevino, director of energy and environment at FEMSA, at the forum.Rodrigo Oropeza

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel of Experts on Climate Change (IPCC, 2023) indicates that there is no doubt that human activities have warmed the planet rapidly, a crucial problem for companies that depend on energy. “In order to think about maintaining the temperature without increasing, in 2030 65% of electricity generation must be based on renewable resources and 95% by 2050,” said the FEMSA executive this morning.

If companies and populations develop in an urban environment, taking advantage of technology to turn them into smart cities is an extra step towards sustainability, but focused on mobility. “We are not aware of everything that has been done, although there is a lot to be done, we already have applications, we need to continue on this path of digitization”, he highlighted.

Tamara Luengo, independent consultant and expert in water resources, during one of her speeches at the 'Sustainable Future' forum.
Tamara Luengo, independent consultant and expert in water resources, during one of her speeches at the ‘Sustainable Future’ forum.Rodrigo Oropeza

The final conference was given by Ignacio Parada Da Fonseca, CEO of BioElements, who focused on the importance of making companies sustainable in the immediate period, with 2030 as the goal. “We have to try to imagine different things, such as that between now and then most companies can decarbonise or can effectively solve their energy problems”

The central question for this entrepreneur is what each person can do to improve nature. We do not have to be anti-creation of economic value, but understanding it in a sustainable way over time. “We know that perfection does not exist: we do not want a package to end up in the sea, but it can happen and we have to think about it,” he mentioned thinking of his product, a series of biodegradable packages.

Dialogue table during the 'Sustainable Future' forum.
Dialogue table during the ‘Sustainable Future’ forum.Rodrigo Oropeza

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