Sustainable development is not only a responsibility to future generations and the environment, it is also an adequate way to face current work activity in a decent way.
What is sustainable or sustainable development
Sustainable or sustainable development is a form of growth whose main objective is the well-being of humanity while maintaining a balance with its natural environment. This type of development translates into improvements in the quality of life of the population, conserving the environment and even reversing existing damages. Likewise, it implies the harmony of a system formed by The Economy, Society and the Environment, but the effects must go beyond the quantitative terms characteristic of economic growth; therefore it requires motivation, active participation, innovation capacity as well as a sense of commitment of the entire developing society.
With the passage of time, the Management of the companies has realized that the performance oriented to productivity, quality and protection of the environment gives great advantages to organizations in terms of competitiveness, marketing, positioning of their products and services, among others. Therefore, companies have begun to take the environment and the community itself into account in their production strategies, investing in new technologies and redesigning their processes and / or procedures, which can be called a sustainable business model or sustainable
The four R's of sustainability
A common characteristic of companies that are known today as sustainable is the effective application of good practices known as " the four R's of sustainability ", which consist of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
- Rethink: the process of rethinking is related to reengineering, that is, to make an exhaustive evaluation of how things are being done, raw materials and products, processes and procedures, in order to make the necessary changes. Reduce: this process is associated with productivity, that is, effective performance, efficient use of resources, avoiding or reducing the generation of waste, and with it the pollution and associated economic costs, allowing the company to use these resources and invest them in continuous improvement. Reuse: this process involves the reuse of liabilities, products and / or waste to generate new products. This practice considerably reduces the raw material costs of the new product, as well as widens the markets, reduces the accumulation of waste, among others. Recycling: this process involves recovering the waste material (glass, paper, aluminum, etc.) that can be introduced into a production process, with the intention of improving its properties and obtaining it as a new product. The ways to actively participate in this process is not only through carrying out recycling as such, but also by using recycled products or sending waste to be recycled.
There is no doubt that for companies to be sustainable a joint effort is required, Government-Business-Community. For this reason, the application of strategies in favor of sustainable development must start from within the company as such; through the establishment and self-regulation of policies that seek productivity and protection of the environment, but in turn, the State is responsible for motivating and collaborating with the policies of these companies, whether through fiscal or other incentives. For its part, the Company-Community relationship must become increasingly close, through activities where both feel committed and seek a common goal for the good of all, through Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
In short, companies will become sustainable when they identify with strategies for the harmonious development of societies and the environment. These tactics involve significant changes in the organizational culture, mission and vision of the company, administrative structures, value engineering, reengineering, recovery and / or reuse of waste, among others.
Indicators of sustainable development
Given that sustainable development is an integral process that encompasses economic, human, environmental, institutional and technological dimensions; It has been necessary to establish indicators or parameters that allow monitoring the progress of each country in terms of sustainability and, based on this, make the required improvement decisions and measures.
In this way, the indicators of sustainable development have been created and classified according to the dimension of development to which they are associated:
1. Social indicators
Social indicators are associated with human behavior, basic quality of life parameters as well as the behavior of the population itself.
- Equity, is measured through the levels of poverty, income and unemployment related to gender (relationship between average income between men and women).Health, is measured through the states of nutrition, death rates, sanitation, access to drinking water and medical care. Education, is measured in relation to the access and training levels of the population. Human settlements. Population, it is studied through population changes, that is, migration, births, density, among others.
2. Economic indicators
They are associated with those parameters by which the economic growth or decrease of a population can be estimated.
- Economic structure: Performance of the economy, imports and exports; related internal policies; financial status.Evolution of consumption patterns: It is measured according to the behavior in terms of resource consumption, energy use, waste generation, use of transportation systems.
3. Environmental indicators
With the determination of these parameters, the levels of contamination, protection and protection of the environment can be estimated.
- Atmosphere, is monitored according to climatic changes, state of the ozone layer and air quality. Land: it is measured through agriculture, forests, desertification, urbanization and territorial ordering. Oceans, seas and coasts. Coastal areas and fisheries Mountains: the behavior in terms of the sustainable use of resources, demographic evolution and well-being of the population of mountain areas is recorded Fresh water: the quantity and quality of available water is monitored Biodiversity: ecosystems are monitored and species.Waste: sources of waste (domestic and industrial), hazardous waste and toxic products are monitored.Biotechnology, the scope and impact of developing biotechnology are monitored.
4. Institutional indicators
The determination of these parameters allows estimating the national and international governmental and / or business cooperation that each nation receives.
- Institutional Framework, these indicators allow quantifying the implementation of strategies for sustainable development as well as international cooperation. Institutional capacity, advances in communication and infrastructure are determined; science and technology and citizen participation in the different activities of sustainable development.
On the other hand, companies also have their indications of sustainability, some of the best known internationally are:
Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index (DJSGI)
The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index was launched in 1999 as the world's first sustainability benchmark. The DJSI family is jointly offered by SAM Indexes and S & P Dow Jones Indices. The family follows the performance of the actions of the world's leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria.
The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios, and provide an effective engagement platform for companies that want to adopt best-in-class sustainable practices.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a non-profit organization that works for a sustainable global economy, providing sustainability reporting guidance.
A sustainability report allows companies and organizations to report sustainability information in a way that is similar to financial information. Systematic sustainability reporting provides comparable data, with agreed disclosures and metrics.
The role of management
In times of current globalization, a management committed to the sustainable development of its country, must in principle adopt the following habits:
- Promote self-knowledge and human development. Participate in the development of skills of its collaborators. Inquire about opportunities for improvement from the scenarios where you are, at a personal, labor and social level. Be updated on current legislation and technical standards. updated in relation to technological advances, engineering and human talent management Plan and Execute activities in the framework of quality and productivity Inquire what successful organizations are doing in terms of Competitiveness and Social Responsibility Approach their surrounding communities.To promote the practice of Social Responsibility.
Bibliographic references
- Association of the United Nations in Venezuela - ANUV (2007). Sustainable Development. United Nations Association in Venezuela - ANUV (2007). Diploma in Corporate Environmental Management, Global Reporting Initiative. https://www.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx Sustainability Indexes. http://www.sustainability-indices.com/International Labor Organization. (ILO). Official Website.
