Thomas Gonzalez-Cruz, director of the Chair of Business and Humanism of the University of Valencia, has participated in the Sustainable Development Forum 2022, organized by Valencia Chamber, which took place at the Valencia Conference Centre on 28 November.
The Forum addressed the most important issues regarding the present and future of sustainable companies in collaboration with key players in the transformation of the business model, such as the administration, unions, the third sector and academia.
Essential topics such as climate crisis, green transition, circular economy, supply chains, taxonomy or social transformation These have been the main topics that have been treated and debated with rigor and depth by various experts, among which the participation of Dr. Tomás Gonzalez has stood out.
“Social responsibility and sustainability -RS+S- have become a challenge that all companies must face if they want to survive in the medium term”
Thomas Gonzalez-Cruz
The director of the Chair has highlighted in his presentation that “Social responsibility and sustainability -SR+S- have become a challenge that all companies must face if they want to survive in the medium term.”
The European Union and its member states are exerting a series of regulatory pressures that force action, but at the same time, both the EU and the states and local administrations are developing initiatives that facilitate and support the adoption of RS+S practices. “In the face of the unavoidable, the question is not whether to do it, but how to do it to turn RS+S into an axis of competitiveness”, Tomás has highlighted.
That is why the CEiH, based on a series of studies carried out among Valencian companies, has proposed this series of 10 recommendations in the forum:
- Be proactive, if you haven't started, start now.
- This is a change that your organization must assimilate: It takes time; Manage the times.
- Seek help. There are resources and tools available in the field of business associations and public administrations, specifically the GVA. This is a path that is best not taken alone.
- It all starts with a good, data-driven diagnosis. Don't worry about how you are, but about how you are going to improve.
- You have to tailor the suit to your needs. Even if you start from broad reference models, you must adjust them to the complexity and characteristics of your organization.
- Integrate SR+S into your business model. Incorporate SR+S indicators into your balanced scorecard. This exercise will help you deploy SR+S in all your activities.
- Turn systematic dialogue with all stakeholders into an opportunity to identify new business opportunities.
- Let RS+S be a guiding element of your innovation efforts.
- Let transparency be an argument to strengthen your ties with clients and employees. The commitment of both is essential.
- Incorporate SR+S as a relevant topic in senior management team meetings. Link your managers' evaluation to SR+S indicators, only then will they understand that it is important.
