With increased investments and ambitious goals, Colombian companies advance in sustainability more quickly compared to other Latin American countries.
34% of the country’s organizations indicate that they have incorporated more issues related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their strategies in the last 12 months. With this data, they exceed those of the region, which reach 30%.
(Colombia, 29 in the Davos Forum’s Energy Transition Index).
Besides, Colombia is the second market with the greatest progress behind Argentina (38%). And, in this line, it beats Brazil (28%) and Mexico (21%). And it is that progress in Colombia is accelerated in this matter: today 77% of companies have this type of strategy in place, 32 percentage points more than in 2021 (45%).
Meanwhile, only 6% of organizations recognize that they operate without a sustainable plan and that percentage is higher (10%) in the Latin American average.
These data on the performance of companies in this area are part of the second edition of the study “Sustainability in the Latin American Leadership Agenda” that consulted 410 regional leaders, sponsored by SAP.
(Colombia presented its Green Taxonomy to US investors).
More than half of the managers consulted said that their sustainable policies are already yielding results. Instead, the average for the region is 39% for this response.
Another 27% of national managers expect to see the first results in the next 12 months and 20% expect to see the fruits of this effort in 2 to 4 years. In Latin America these percentages were 29% and 32%, respectively.
“Colombia is the country in the region where the largest number of executives today see business results in their sustainability efforts, ahead of Brazil and Argentina, respectively”warns the report.
READY INVESTMENTS
58% of business leaders say that there are plans to increase investments in this field compared to those in 2021. In contrast, 40% said so in Latin America.
(Ingenuity and sustainability, what makes Colombian coffee special).
Similarly, 3% contemplate a reduction in the resources directed to this business policy. The Latin American average in this case is 5%, according to the study. 39% of the executives consulted in the country say that the investments for this year will be similar to those of last year, and at a regional level the answers in this sense correspond to 55%.
LESS CARBON
In a separate chapter, the study investigates the tasks that organizations face in relation to the reduction of carbon emissions.
That is how In Colombia, this percentage reaches 50%, far from what was found for the average of the region (36%).
Another 25% of the directors of the companies that participated recognize that they do not have actions underway to reduce CO2.
Additionally, 15% in the country say that they are working to execute it and 10% assure that they are in the process of developing one.
USE OF TECHNOLOGY
In Latin America, 43% of organizations reported using technology to manage and measure their sustainability activities.
In Colombia that proportion is 49%. Another 32% of those consulted identify themselves with the statement that “we are considering using technology for them”, while 20% emphasize that they do not have tools to measure their sustainable management and that they do not contemplate acquiring them in the future.
Of those who indicate having technology implemented for these purposes, 32% confirm that they are solutions to reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions and another 18% refer to reducing or eliminating waste, which contributes to the circular economy.
16% indicate that they have solutions that facilitate the control of sustainability in their value chain, while another 15% affirm that they do not use any technology. In addition, 11% express that they have tools that help them reduce or eliminate inequalities within their work groups.
Regarding the study, in general, Cristina Palmaka, president of SAP Latin America and the Caribbean, affirms that “today more than ever, companies that take into account the triple bottom line – people, planet and income – will have more advantages and will be more successful in an increasingly competitive and globalized economy”.
For his part, Pedro Pereira, Chief Sustainability Officer of SAP Latin America and the Caribbean, considers that “a great cultural leap is that companies no longer do this just for a reputation issue, but also to fulfill their purpose as responsible companies.” And he adds that “there are still many challenges ahead and there is an urgency for the world’s companies to take action, especially those related to the environment, but the advances that have occurred in just twelve months invite us to be very optimistic.”
CONSTANZA GOMEZ GUASCA
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