CUNEF Universidad holds a roundtable discussion on “Sustainability and Society”

CUNEF Universidad held a roundtable discussion on “Sustainability and Society” last November 14. The speakers agreed that ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) practices present an opportunity to do things better. They also highlighted some relevant issues: 

• The environmental aspect of sustainability alone involves investments of $9 trillion per year and will account for approximately 9% of global GDP by 2050.
• Regulators will be required to define a corporate risk and opportunity management framework.
• To this end, it is essential to standardise data, support companies in their ESG implementation processes and strive to become more efficient.
• Every year, humans emit almost 60,000 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. To reduce these emissions, we need to change the way we do absolutely everything. 
• Throughout this change process, it is essential to emphasise transparency and result measurement.
• The sustainability transformations that are already in place lead to cost reductions, greater resilience and lower risks. 
• Sustainability and corporate purpose have become a crucial element in talent attraction. 

This roundtable discussion was the first of several that CUNEF Universidad plans to hold to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The session was chaired by Juan Carlos Delrieu, Director of Strategy and Sustainability at the Spanish Banking Association (AEB). The speakers were David González, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company; Carmen de Pablo, Chief Financial, Strategy and ESG Officer at CEPSA; Andrés Conde, CEO of Save the Children Spain; Lara de Mesa, Global Head of Responsible Banking at Santander; and Álvaro Guitart, Director of Sustainability at MAPFRE.