Mari Luz Perez, director of integrated systems of the Bertolin Group, has participated in the CEiH Sustainable Dialogues and in conversation with Thomas Gonzalez-Cruz, director of the Chair of Business and Humanism of the University of Valencia, has spoken about the challenges that a company dedicated to the construction sector faces in implementing sustainability.
Technical Architect and Building Engineer, Mari Luz has dedicated more than 20 years of her working life to contributing to the growth of the Bertolín Group, leading issues related to occupational risk prevention, quality, environment and sustainability.
Tomás: What do you understand by sustainability at the Bertolín Group?
Mari Luz: We understand sustainability as a grouping of social, environmental and economic values, both in the medium and long term, that can contribute to the well-being of society with an emphasis on the present and the future. We all have to get on the sustainability train.
From this perspective, what role do companies play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable economy?
Companies must direct their corporate strategies by linking their line of business with alliances that allow us to grow economically through sustainable practices that have an impact on the social and environmental sphere. To do this, it is important to launch business strategies aligned with the sustainable development goals, including the SDGs in the business culture.
We have to take into account social sustainability, so that people can achieve an optimal quality of life with health, education, gender equality, etc. We must also take into account environmental sustainability, considering that nature does not have an unlimited source of resources. In addition, the economy must also be sustainable; we can grow in this area without harming others and natural resources.
What do you think customers expect from a company like Grupo Bertolín in terms of sustainability?
Some external clients, funds or partner companies, asked us to adapt to sustainability and that is why, about 7 years ago, the Group began to draw up a line of work to include green seals that would add value to the company. Nowadays, ordinary citizens are also interested in sustainability and therefore want to know what the company contributes to society and the environment through economic growth.
"We all need to get on the sustainability bandwagon. We must use business strategies aligned with the sustainable development goals"
What strategies and action policies have you developed at the Bertolín Group?
Since I arrived in 2003, I found a policy that integrated quality and the environment and little by little we gave way to the prevention of occupational risks, so important in our sector. From there we generated strategies where we incorporated the life cycle of materials towards environmental sustainability and social impact. We have been generating policies linked to the SDGs. Well-being and health are very important to us. We also carry out actions to preserve tree species, studying the least impact we can have with our activity. The objective is always to generate more sustainable projects and for this we have a specialized department that works with BREEAM, a green seal that adds value and work methodology to incorporate into our works.
What are the Group's main challenges for the coming years?
We have many challenges in mind that are not easy to accomplish in the medium term, but it would be very important for us to generate efficiency and reduce the impacts that our activity generates, in line with a circular economy. We also have the challenge of reorienting our business strategy towards generating values in the interest groups around the company. On the other hand, it would be important to strengthen the contribution of the Bertolín Group to society.
