OBSET It is an initiative of the Paterna Technology Park Management and Modernization Entity and Paterna City of Businesses This initiative aims to motivate companies to assume a greater commitment to solving economic, social, and environmental problems, thereby increasing their social responsibility and commitment to sustainability. It involves sharing and disseminating information and providing companies, especially SMEs, with the knowledge, methodologies, and tools to incorporate environmental and social sustainability criteria into their management.
In this second edition of the OBSET awards, recognition has been given to Saica Group, Caixa Popular, Cárnicas Serrano, Laboratorios BABÉ, Cabka, Aquaservice - Viva Aqua Service Spain SA and Cabañero Ventanas for the valuable contribution they are making to society, generating value in all dimensions of social responsibility and sustainability, serving as a benchmark for other companies.
During the evening, Isabel Castillo, head of the sustainability office of Valencia Chamber, collaborator of the Chair and co-director of the Diploma of Specialization in Corporate Social Responsibility – Sustainability Leaders Program at the University of Valencia, gave the presentation 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗮 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗮, during which he emphasized the following aspects:
✅ The purchasing function is crucial for businesses and sustainability.
✅ Between 80% and 90% of the impacts are generated in supply chains, so they are part of the problem and also part of the solution.
✅ The value chain is a chain of people, hence the importance of generating social value, in addition to economic and environmental value.
✅ The work to transform the business model involves identifying risks and impacts, preventing, mitigating, and communicating them.
✅ Sustainability policies must be integrated into purchasing policies; otherwise, the CSR+S strategy will fail.
✅ The challenges of CSR+S cannot be faced alone; partnerships are required, and collaborative work with suppliers is vital.
On the other hand, Isabel emphasized that important actions are being carried out at the legislative level, such as the European Commission Directive on Due Diligence in Supply Chains, published in February of this year, or Decree 118/2022, of August 5, of the Generalitat Valenciana, which regulates the inclusion of social responsibility clauses in public procurement and in calls for aid and subsidies.
The big conclusion of this day is that The challenges of SR+S are the order of the day for all types of companies, regardless of their size, sector and turnover.While there is an obligation, there is also a conviction, and any company can work toward sustainable development in accordance with its own capabilities.
