INTRODUCTION
Today's world is experiencing different crises that are mainly associated with the environmental impact and drastic socioeconomic conflicts that imply a change in the way of doing economics in the different national and foreign regions.
The increasingly industrialized and technological panorama, as well as the classic dynamic between an excessive supply and demand, has caused CEOs, government and illustrious thinkers to continue to question and seek a way to stop this acceleration in environmental deterioration, since Nobody in the market is willing to lose, not even to reduce their profit margins, despite the fact that this implies irreparable damage to the environment.
Among some factors that have caused a disproportionate acceleration are:
- Overpopulation Poor environmental planning (global warming) Industrial overproduction Saturation in food and technology markets
Usually the wrong idea is had that when talking about caring for the environment or reducing environmental impact generates a greater investment and economic expense that is not paid in any type of favorable benefit for the organization. However, despite how difficult it may seem to assimilate, with the disregard of caring for the environment, companies and organizations are wasting the economic, social and image benefits generated by becoming a socially responsible company.
Today, the impact and importance of preserving and caring for the environment generates such a broad effect and impact that the companies that lead the observance of environmental parameters are also leaders in their field. In other words, caring for the environment becomes the path that leads to success.
This article has the purpose of raising awareness individually and collectively how essential and vital the environment is for the development of any type of life that exists, be it plant, animal or human. As well as highlighting the benefit and the area of opportunity that exists for organizations and companies that are willing to implement sustainability in their business model.
SUSTAINABILITY
The concept of sustainable or sustainable development was applied to socio-economic development, which was formalized for the first time in the Brundtland report in 1987, as a result of the work carried out by the World Commission on Environment and Development of United Nations, created in the United Nations Assembly in 1983.
Sustainability encourages companies to adhere to sustainable development and its principles. According to the World Council for Economic Development (WCED), sustainable development is considered when:
For the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the definition showed that sustainable development means:
For its part, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAC) attributed the meaning of sustainable business as follows:
For the United Nations on Trade and Development, the way to face and reduce the damage to nature is through economic and vanguard plans that seek to protect (or reduce the damage) to natural resources by defining and structuring alternatives for a better tomorrow..
WHY BECOME A SUSTAINABLE COMPANY?
Companies that practice caring for and promoting a green environment have understood that business sustainability is a challenge translated into innovation, creativity and experimentation in new ways of producing and doing business. Among the great advantages that these companies have found are:
- There is a market trend to acquire and prefer brands committed to the environment.The savings are enormous when recycling or reducing the raw material, considering at the same time that the waste is raw material for other companies and therefore they have a price and value.There are great economic savings with the importance in the attitude and level of awareness of all collaborators and work team.The cost-benefits of implementing eco-efficient alternatives and solutions is essential to position in the market and become competitive.Growth in the Sales is possible with a better image of the company by being seen as an ethically and environmentally conscious brand.
MAIN BENEFITS
Those characters who lead an organization and who have managed to see this issue as a challenge on the way to better efficiency, and not a nuisance, have been able to experience the following conditions:
- Reduce production costs Differentiate yourself from the competition Recognition of the brand as it is ecological generates a positive effect Improve its image and reputation The future belongs to companies that more than deplete resources, create an ecosystem that makes it possible for them to operate Fairly Save raw materials and supplies (mainly water and energy) Capitalize on new opportunities Capture markets that support and promote sustainability and green growth Open to collaborate with national and international entities Allows the possibility of innovation in methods and products that capture the attention of the consumer. Comply with the legislation (government laws to operate). Satisfy the expectations of customers. Position themselves as leaders in their field.
According to information from the World Federation of Exchanges (wfe) there are 1,000 financial institutions governed under the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment initiative. In other words, investors are increasingly attentive to companies that are governed and present a sustainability report. This is due to the fact that better long-term results are presented with the administration of sustainability in a transparent way, according to data from the Governance and Accountability Institute (G&I).
ASPECTS TO CONSIDER WHEN STARTING THE SUSTAINABLE PATH
If it is difficult to define corporate sustainability, putting it into practice still involves a double effort. To establish decision-making regarding this issue, the geographical, contextual, economic, socio-political, and even cultural framework must be considered, which is a challenge and challenge.
Therefore, for it to be truly considered sustainable change, important issues must be addressed at the macro level, among the main ones are:
- Economic efficiency (innovation, prosperity, productivity) Social equity (poverty, community, health, well-being, human rights) Environmental responsibility (climate change, land use, biodiversity)
To promote business sustainability, the following aspects should be focused:
- Participation of all stakeholders: it is learned from customers, employees and the community in general, in addition to establishing a commitment from all parties Environmental management system: these systems provide useful information to be applied, facilitating structures and processes that help to achieve environmental efficiency in addition to mitigating risks. Among the many standards that stand out, the one that stands out is the ISO 14001 Standard. Reporting and transparency: there is effective measurement and control. The Global Reporting Initiative is an example of an information standard that allows both collation of information and interaction with the audience. Analysis of the lifetime of products,it must be systematically analyzed by organizations that wish to excel and take a leap forward through the precision of the impact of such products.
It goes without saying that because the outlook is based on promoting business sustainability through decisions, strategies and actions for business development and growth, the generation and emergence of these changes must come from their high levels to achieve a true organizational restructuring.
The importance and emphasis on caring for the environment is so great that Gerardo Borges, in Forbes Mexico magazine asserts “Wild capitalism is no longer in fashion. Today the die is cast and companies that do not adopt an environmentally friendly strategy are destined to fail ”.
Stephan Schmidheiny, poses and establishes the million dollar question: How to respond to market trends, comply with environmental regulations and generate higher profits? His ideas and contributions were presented to politicians, scientists, researchers and also businessmen, which began to become notorious over time.
GREEN TECHNOLOGY
The term Green Computing also known as Green IT and translated into Spanish as Green Technology is understood as the efficient use of computational resources, maximizing its economic viability but minimizing environmental impact and ensuring social standards.
Thus, Green Technology is understood as the set of methods developed to minimize the computing impact on the environment, considering the recycling and use of the components of the technological process by other people.
HISTORICAL EVENTS
The term Green Technology had its origin in 1992, when the Environmental Protection Agency -EPA, for its acronym in English- developed the Energy Star program, created with the purpose of promoting and recognizing the energy efficiency of different technologies among which computers, monitors and air conditioners stood out.
This Agency has a tool that works on the internet and with which an Environmental Assessment of Electronic Products (EPAET) can be carried out in order to select and evaluate desktops, laptops and monitors based on the environmental characteristics they have..
On the other hand, with EPAET products, maintenance activities can be reduced, energy consumption minimized and it gives the opportunity to recycle materials, increasing the life time and efficiency of computer products.
Throughout history, the concept has undergone evolutions and modifications in relation to the needs of contractual situations, giving rise to two different approaches or ways of interpretation over time.
These approaches are as a result of the technological advance that the countries have and its application in the daily life of the nations. Both perspectives can be clearly appreciated in the West:
- Northern approach: for countries such as Canada and the United States, the Green Technology concept encompasses notions of cleaning or recovery, trying to avoid negative impacts or correcting mistakes on the environment. Southern approach: in countries that still do not suffer the onslaught of industrial pollution, Green Technology represents more than anything an approach based on environmental responsibility when manufacturing a commercial product, where in addition to having an economic perspective, it is also viewed in a social, environmental and cultural way.
MEXICAN ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
Through the institutions that promote and foster care for the environment, people are beginning to be made aware of the damage it causes and the fatal consequences that are being triggered by our indifference and lack of values towards our environment. Each time a greater force is exerted to achieve a radical change in the treatment that is given to Mother Nature. Among the main intervening agencies are:
- Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) National Institute of Ecology (INE) National Commission for Energy Saving (CONAE)
Among its activities, responsibilities and assignments, it stands out to promote the reduction of environmental problems in the country, encouraging the acceptance of Green Technologies within the institutions and companies of the government and private sector.
CLASSIFICATION OF GREEN TECHNOLOGIES
This classification includes the Technologies that contribute to the reduction in energy consumption or the emission of carbon dioxide, among which are:
- Cloud computing: it is a comprehensive solution where all computing resources - hardware, software, storage, network systems, etc. - are provided to the user quickly and as determined by demand. These resources are controlled in order to provide high quality, security and availability, allowing access to these resources without having sophisticated equipment to support them. Gird Computing: allows the coordinated use of all types of resources that may be heterogeneous - specific applications, storage, computing, etc. - and that are connected through large area networks, for example, the internet Visualization: shares computing resources in different environments allowing different systems to run on the same physical equipment, that is,creates a single physical resource for applications, storage, and servers. With visualization, the carbon footprint is reduced by reducing the number of physical services and being able to consolidate several applications on the same server, thereby reducing energy consumption and requiring less cooling, in addition to saving space. a form of remote employment using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with which the environmental impact and pollution generated by the displacement of the worker to the company is reduced.With visualization, the carbon footprint is reduced by reducing the number of physical services and being able to consolidate several applications on the same server, thereby reducing energy consumption and requiring less cooling, in addition to saving space. a form of remote employment using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with which the environmental impact and pollution generated by the displacement of the worker to the company is reduced.With visualization, the carbon footprint is reduced by reducing the number of physical services and being able to consolidate several applications on the same server, thereby reducing energy consumption and requiring less cooling, in addition to saving space. a form of remote employment using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with which the environmental impact and pollution generated by the displacement of the worker to the company is reduced.
ABOUT ITC
The International Trade Center (ITC) is an attached agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. Its objective is for companies from developing countries to become competitive in the global market, with the intention of accelerating economic development and helping to achieve the objectives that the United Nations has set for this millennium.
Its objective is the economies in transition and countries with potential for development through trade and the promotion of international business. In coalition with the political formulation, trade support institutions, exporters and public sectors of interest, it focuses on ensuring the success of exports that carry out small businesses in connection with developing countries and that promote the creation and extension of SMEs to achieve their incorporation into world trade. ITC focuses on the least developed countries by seeking to:
- Facilitate market expansion: links between companies and associations in all matters relating to Green Technologies Strengthen the competitiveness of green technologies: with special emphasis on SMEs in developing countries, by identifying opportunities to export and the promotion of its non-polluting technological solutions in international markets Improve trade support institutions (IAC): so that these, in turn, better support the development of trade in Green Technologies Facilitate access to information on Green Technologies markets and opportunities. Enhance the dialogue between the public and private sectors on the development of the Green Technologies export trade.
TRAINING
For ITC's trade and environment training, there are six main areas of interest:
- Eco-friendly food products and textile fibers Sustainable non-wood forest products Sustainable trade in wood products and forest carbon Sustainable and eco-labeled fishery products Green technologies and related services Environmental management
Among the benefits provided by each of these areas are: facilitating trade, strengthening supply chains and improving the competitiveness of exporters of organic goods and services.
SUCCESS STORIES TO IMPLEMENT BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY
M innesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Through the Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program, the 3M company published the reduction of its pollution and energy use by 50% from 1975 to 1990, generating savings of up to 750 million dollars (million dollars) in the early years.
Xe rox
Xerox, with the participation of its suppliers, began a campaign of reusable containers and packaging that, in addition to avoiding producing 10,000 tons of waste, generated savings of 15 million dollars annually.
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
The creation of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which brings together more than 350 global companies that are leaders in their field and that apply technology that favors the protection of the environment, has given a guideline to the creation of the Business Sustainability Index in Mexico. (Sustainable IPC).
between November 2008 and January 2013, the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) found that the behavior of the IPCS was 89.42% while the IPC was 20.5% and comparing the IPC with international indices, the BMV specifies that in the same period, the behavior (yield in dollars) of the IPCS was 200.76% while that of the Nikkei 225 was 36.93% and that of the Dow Jones obtained 56.9%.
United Nations Development Program
Another example is found in the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - an entity belonging to the UN - which, through funding from Norway, grants businessmen and communities in Mexico technical assistance from FAO to increase the growth of the country's timber sector without neglecting the regeneration of forests.
This is how UNDP supports the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) for the implementation of a project that strengthens national capacities to:
- Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV). Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD +). Conservation and sustainable management of forests. Assessment of carbon stocks.
Biobolsa: Mexican Business Sustainability
A clear example in the way of visualizing the present and the projection that is had towards the future is that of the Mexican company Biobolsa, who have established projects even in the African continent with the offer of urban health services.
Biobolsa consists of a biodigester system that receives manure from farms every day and with which it produces biogas and a powerful organic fertilizer. With the use of biodegestories, the farmer is given the possibility of obtaining renewable energy in the short term as well as social well-being since he is making use of animal manure.
The places of application of Biomass are:
- All kinds of farms, be they small, medium or large, Community centers, Traces, Urban projects, etc.
The purpose of the Mexican company is to take the project to Madagascar with a capacity seven times greater and it will affiliate with Water and Sanitation for Urban Poor in order to benefit 30 thousand people in that country.
Entrepreneur México magazine highlights that the biodegestion technology project will also be taken to Ethiopia, where it will be aimed at access to clean energy and will be located at the SNV Monitoring Center and with the support of the NGO that leads the program of biogas in Africa.
CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that the concept of sustainability is thirty years old, it has been difficult for companies to understand when applying it within their business model. The companies –mainly small and medium-sized- continue to carry out their activities in the same direction, be it economic, environmental or social, but without being able to adhere to each other. Really few companies have been able to establish sustainability as their main development and growth strategy.
The company as a social entity will undoubtedly continue to seek the generation of wealth, however, this function must be developed in consideration of the environmental and social variables that exist. The environment must acquire such importance that it has the same influence from other types of variables such as the economy, the market, raw materials, etc.
A deep reflection is really needed that goes beyond what the laws dictate, a reflection that starts from the damage that as individuals we cause to nature and the future that awaits the next generations. The environmental aspect must play a leading role when undertaking a business activity, where it is included within the market study, within marketing and economic resources, as a deterministic factor for the continuity or cessation of business activities.
Unfortunately, the activities that generate the most economic income are related to the extraction and devastation of natural resources, this means that there is still no legislation that correctly regulates this damage to the environment and although many companies support themselves with activities such as reforestation, recycling etc., the negative impact is undoubtedly totally disproportionate to the positive effect.
Nowadays, a change should no longer be expected abroad, since the system is clearly defined. Also, it would be absurd to blame others for the present adversity that we have, it corresponds to us, from our possibilities, to achieve a benefit for Mother Nature that can range from not throwing a paper down the street, to picking up a paper that is thrown in the middle of the sidewalk, recycle garbage, even reuse products through reengineering, and generate initiatives and alternatives that are feasible and accredited by society.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- D evelopment of industrial lubricants from solid waste. (February 17, 2014). Retrieved on March 21, 2017 from: https://www.ecoticias.com/residuos-reciclaje/86823/noticia-medio-ambiente-Quimica-verde-Mexico-fabrican-lubricantes-industrialesdecer-residuos-solidosBerges, G. (August 29, 2013). Being Sustainable, the future of successful companies. Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com.mx/ser-sustentable-el-futuro-de-las-empresas-exitosas/ C entro de Comercio Internacional. (sf). Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from: http://www.intracen.org/itc/sectores/tecnologias-verdes/J., P. (May 4, 2016). Financial Platform. Retrieved on March 20, 2017, from Prendanet: http://prendanet.mx/sustentabilidad-empresarial/Luisa Montes, GB (September 9, 2013).The most Sustainable companies in Mexico. Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from: https://www.forbes.com.mx/las-empresas-mas-sustentables-de-mexico/#gs.iygfCckNavarro, M. (September 28, 2015). Business Sustainability Does it really exist? Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from https://elsemanario.com/negocios/121160/sustentabilidad-empresarial-realmente- existe / Ortíz, H. (June 27, 2011). Green Technology Today. Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from: http://expansion.mx/manufactura/2011/06/27/la-tecnologia-verde-hoyRed, E. (sf). Retrieved on March 19, 2017, from https://www.ecured.cu/Tecnolog%C3%ADa_VerdeBusiness Sustainability Does it really exist? Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from https://elsemanario.com/negocios/121160/sustentabilidad-empresarial-realmente- existe / Ortíz, H. (June 27, 2011). Green Technology Today. Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from: http://expansion.mx/manufactura/2011/06/27/la-tecnologia-verde-hoyRed, E. (sf). Retrieved on March 19, 2017, from https://www.ecured.cu/Tecnolog%C3%ADa_VerdeBusiness Sustainability Does it really exist? Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from https://elsemanario.com/negocios/121160/sustentabilidad-empresarial-realmente- existe / Ortíz, H. (June 27, 2011). Green Technology Today. Retrieved on March 21, 2017, from: http://expansion.mx/manufactura/2011/06/27/la-tecnologia-verde-hoyRed, E. (sf). Retrieved on March 19, 2017, from
GRATITUDE
Sincere gratitude to the Technological Institute of Orizaba, for becoming and continuing to reign as the parent home of our professional training. To the Division of Graduate Studies and Research (DEPI), for encouraging us to search for a better future. To the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) for the support and backing it gives us. Finally and in a special way, to Dr. Fernando Aguirre y Hernández, a pioneer in the construction of a different vision and results.
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