Sustainable Future Only Possible if It Is Collaborative

In a world where companies are fiercely competing for position and to have the best relationships with their stakeholders, entrepreneurial sustainability is no longer an option. It is an essential obligation that is becoming a part of a company’s organizational heart. But to become truly sustainable, collaboration is key.

Experts estimate that over 80 percent of an organization’s environmental impact can be traced back to its supply chain. Big companies are no longer focusing on money-saving projects but are similarly concerned with finding ways to create value by collaborating with their strategic suppliers. Constructing and effectively managing new company ecosystems allow brands to provide better benefits in the eyes of consumers.

Every day, the evidence regarding the importance of sustainability to supply chain stability grows. This evidence has become even more prominent in the wake of the global pandemic. Choosing the right course of action that ensures companies have optimal impact and allocating sufficient resources to achieve their operation and financial goals are becoming absolute priorities.

Energy company Enel is among those that have understood this notion for a long time. The company has busied itself with building a sustainable model aimed at incorporating all of its stakeholders, with the purpose of protecting the environment, fostering positive relationships with local communities and motivating people, building strong client relationships and investing in innovation as well as clean energy development.

The company’s model has received greater results due to its collaboration with leading companies in various sectors that have decided to create a positive effect on their clients and the planet itself using sustainable energy and best practices that confirm their commitment to socio-environmental responsibility.

‘The Generation of Demand’

Climate change is harsher and faster than anticipated and, for the first time, the Top 5 risks for global industries are all within the environmental category, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its Global Risks Report 2020. In this scenario, sustainability is an imperative need aimed at protecting the environment, in addition to becoming a significant added value for businesses.

This issue has set off alarms around the world, especially for the new generations who in turn have forced the market to set the trend of practicing responsible consumption. These modern consumers are looking for more than just a product or service; they want to leave a net positive impact on society and the environment and are aware that small actions can make big differences in the world. Sustainability is positioned as a benefit that strongly influences purchasing decisions.

Enel promotes strategies that feature a 360° approach to taking care of natural resources and people alike. Moving toward renewable energy and including sustainable practices involves everyone to the benefit of the corporate responsibility that “the generation of demand” needs.

Moreover, Enel has sustainability models that drive its Creating Shared Values (CSV) programs, with which the company promotes productive activities for communities that live near its power plants.

Sustainable Alliances

The approach of organizations that have set their path toward sustainability has an integral need for alliances with other companies that have track records and experience to match and achieve these objectives.

The pandemic crisis has shown how fundamental energy is to society. Healthcare, home offices and the need to continue industrial production require a safe and continuous electricity supply that must also take the Earth’s delicate balance into account.

The development that Enel promotes from within is not only sustainable in the business environment but through a social lens as well. For instance, by promoting the energy transition, decarbonization and electrification of new business sectors and contributing to the world’s mission to reach the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Via Enel’s Project and Portfolio Management (PPM), the company classifies its sustainability projects based on environment, social and governance (ESG) objectives. These are aligned with industrial goals that promote a sustainable model for Enel’s clients throughout the entire business value chain.

The New Role of Businesses

Businesses have a vital role to play within the communities in which they operate. From there, the need to implement a sustainability strategy flourishes, as does the necessity to modify their production chains aimed at providing communities with fair opportunities for their social, environmental and economic development. Sustainability cannot be developed without constant innovation, so moving to more state-of-the-art and cost-effective electricity sources, such as renewable energy, gives companies a competitive edge. By developing new technologies, companies achieve lower prices and exceed customer expectations of integrity and respect for the planet.

Enel’s goal is to apply sustainability to more business models that contribute to the development of a more just and sustainable world. This is only possible by working together, along with companies committed to the future and conscious of the challenges encountered in the word. Enel is convinced that Mexico’s present and future depend on abundant action and companies willing to be agents of change.

Since 2008, when Enel first entered Mexico, the energy giant has been a source of support for corporations concerned about the planet and its diverse population. Together, they form a cooperation that seeks to generate a set of shared norms and values. Enel is convinced that achieving strategic plans that will benefit people and the environment — priority objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — can only be achieved by joining forces.