Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad - Spain
November 2011 
- Juan Alfaro de la Torre, Secretary-General of the Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad
As mentioned in our previous interview in 2009, Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad organizes an entire Executive Program in Corporate Responsibility with the collaboration of the IE Business School. What have been the major achievements?
During the seven years of life of the Executive Program in Corporate Responsibility there have been more than 150 students that nowadays manage the Corporate Responsibility departments of large companies, contributing to the development of this issue world-wide, considering the big influence of the Spanish company and many international companies whose responsible practices are been emulated. (http://execed.ie.edu/files/folletos/1109_es.pdf )
Thanks to its favorable reception, the next year we will launch the Executive Program in Corporate Responsibility Colombia Edition, and we expect all the knowledge shared to have a huge impact spreading out this issue through the entire Latin America. (http://www.responsabilidadimas.org/download/ps_rc_iberoamerica.pdf )
This year Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad published a research study on the current state of CSR among big companies in Spain. What have been the main findings of this research?
The third multi-sectorial study about “The State of Corporate Responsibilty among the big companies in Spain 2011” results showed that in Spain leading companies are moving forward to sustainability. According to study, which covered 144 participating companies (23 more companies than in the last edition), 100% of leading companies in Spain have corporate responsibility requirements for suppliers and their own boards of directors manage these issues. Unfortunately, 30% of companies don´t have incorporated yet the Corporate Responsibility strategically, but it has increased the number of companies (83%) which report their activities in this field and that is a start. To download the study (Spanish) click here.
How does Club de Excelencia experience the CSR development under the current financial crisis in Spain?
From the Club the Excelencia en Sostenibilidad we have wanted to face the crisis from a constructive perspective, focusing on the opportunities and based on the idea that responsible and sustainable companies can better resist it. For example, the corporate volunteering continues growing during the last years. In the present times of crisis, of spending cuts and austerity, volunteering has become one of the most reliable tools to increase belonging pride and a way to live and embed the corporate values.
Also the third multi-sectorial Study revealed that companies have improved their behavior on this field, also based on the fact that it has increased the number of participants. Compared to 2009, it has increase the number of companies with integrate Corporate Responsibility or sustainability reports into the annual report: ‘one report’ (23%); increase the number of companies making responsible innovation activities with specific budgets and resources (52% In 2009, 61% in 2011); increase the number of companies that award their responsible suppliers (12% in 2009 to 20% in 2011).
What are other future project initiatives for Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad?
In the up-coming months we will launch two important projects: the Responsible Consumerism and Sustainable Development 2011 study and the Spain 20.20.20 project, the last as an initiative of the Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad in collaboration with the public sector.
The aim of the Spain 20.20.20 study consists of demonstrating the huge ICT potential to drive a sustainable economy in Spain over the next decade and to present experiences in which their use has achieved important economic, social and environmental advantages.
In order to keep updated about the latest news from the Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad, we invite you to subscribe our newsletter, which it has today, more than 25.000 subscribers all over the world: http://www.responsabilidadimas.org/
For more information don´t hesitate to contact:
paola.castaneda@clubsostenibilidad.org
Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad
Madrid, Spain
http://clubsostenibilidad.org/index.asp?idioma=2
More information:
Read More about Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad at: http://www.responsabilidadimas.org/
Previous interviews:
