WEC & IfS release new sustainable management guide
Latin American companies are witnessing an increasing demand for systematic management of global challenges such as climate change, access to clean water, waste reduction and decent labor conditions. Not only national legislation is taking these issues up, but companies especially in Europe and the U.S. are increasingly requiring advanced environmental and social sustainability when selecting their suppliers. A team of international experts describes key elements of a management system which makes it easier for companies to implement the growing environmental and social requirements from industry customers, investors, governments and civil society.
The practical guide, written by WEC and other experts from Chile, El Salvador, Germany, Mexico and the US, will help companies developing a sustainability management system to navigate through the international requirements and find ways to implement them. For the first time, a thorough evaluation of the 15 most important frameworks in this respect took place and was benchmarked with the practical experiences of approximately 100 companies from Chile, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Switzerland and the US. The guide is part of a scientific research project conducted by WEC & Institute for Sustainability (IfS) and financed by the German Environmental Ministry. Partners in the study included the Chilean Sustainability Consultancy APLE as well as the Private Sector´s Commission for Studies on Sustainable Development (CESPEDES).
Read the guide in English I Haga clic para leer en español. Read the Study here. Learn about the several examples here in English & Spanish. A summary of the Sustainability Management Frameworks is provided here.
WEC HostsLa Red de Innovación e Impacto Annual Summit in Panama City, October 22-23, 2019
The Summit will provide members with training and capacity building in, among other topics, communication and best management practices as well as networking opportunities with stakeholders and other key representatives from the region. Additionally, key actors from corporate value chains, Ministries, multilateral agencies, and the US Government will be in attendance to discuss growth opportunities in Latin America. Highlighted speakers include:
Roxanne Cabral, Charge’ de Affairs a.i., U.S. Department of State- U.S. Embassy In Panama
Isabel Rioja-Scott, Political and Economic Counselor, U.S Department of State- U.S. Embassy in Panama City
Nelson Larrea, Officer and Technical Advisor, CAF Panama (Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina)
David Morales, Trade & Agri-Food Systems Officer, FAO for Central America
Felipe Ariel Rodriguez, President of CECOMRO (Center of Competitiveness of Western Region of Panama)
Ambassador Carmen Gisela Vergara, Executive Director,PROPANAMA
Gerardo Escudero, Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) – Panama
Up to 95% of companies in Central America are MSMEs, creating 61% of all jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The success of MSMEs and the prosperity of the region are inextricably linked. In order for MSMEs to succeed, they must be empowered with support and incentives to access new markets, adopt sustainable practices, and strengthen workers’ rights.
La Red member organizations provide comprehensive assistance to MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean, empowering them to grow and thrive. La Red helps member organizations increase their impact by leveraging their work with financial aid, technical assistance, and expert connections. Through the work of La Red, more than 5,000 MSMEs in Latin America have benefited from technical assistance, of which more than 95% were from Central America. More than 1,800 people have found new or better employment and almost all of them (1,787) were workers in Central America. Also, more than 4,500 farmers have improved their operations as a direct result of the work of member organizations funded by La Red -all of them in Central America.
“Through LA RED´s Annual Summit that will happen soon in Panama, LA RED members, which are organizations that are currently providing innovative solutions to Central American (CA) micro enterprises from the agro, agroindustry and textile sectors, will have a great opportunity to expand their network with key stakeholders that the Summit will gather” states Ernesto Samayoa, WEC Director of Operations for Latin America. He also explains that “with this important event, LA RED members will be able to share their great impacts that they are creating in their countries, and we expect to build a stronger network, where more C.A. micro-businesses can have more opportunities to be part and access international supply chains that are already being developed and strengthened through LA RED´s programs in this region”.
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About LA RED
The U.S. Department of State has funded the World Environment Center (WEC) and its partners, Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel), and RioSlum Studio, to select organizations that are accelerating business development and promoting sustainable economic growth in Latin America. The Program, La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red), was established in 2014 and is a collection of 37 innovative solutions from 11 countries in the region.
The World Environment Center’s (WEC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Exequiel Rolón and Lars Murawski to its board of directors.
Exequiel Rolón Fresnillo, Head of Sustainability (Mexico)
Exequiel Rolón is Sustainability and Community Relation Manager at Fresnillo plc. He oversees sustainability reporting, community engagement, social impact projects and embedding ethics in the organizational culture. He works closely with operations and development projects to gain and maintain the social license to operate. He has work experience in the Canada, Peru, The Dominican Republic and Madagascar. He received his MBA from HEC Montreal and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Lars Murawski Boehringer Ingelheim, Vice-President EHS & Sustainability (Germany)
Lars is the Corporate Vice-President EHS & Sustainability for Boehringer Ingelheim. He is a process engineer by education, with specialization in wastewater treatment and bio-process engineering. Lars started his professional career at Boehringer Ingelheim in 1997 as a plant & process engineer in Ingelheim before he moved to the company’s chemical site Malgrat der Mar in Spain in 2003. One year later, he became responsible to lead international Business Process Excellence – projects as a Six Sigma Black Belt and he established and steered BPE in the worldwide Chemicals network. Using this experience, he performed an extended business trip to set up BPE in Petersburg site, USA.
In 2008-2009 Lars became project lead to outsource Drug Substances to China and coordinated NCE production in the network. Since then, Lars has held positions of increasing responsibility. Some of which have included: 2014: Corporate Vice-President EHS & Sustainability, 2013: Head of EHS, Projects, and General Services in Vienna, Austria, 2010: Senior Manager for Corporate EHS. Lars also serves on WEC European Supervisory Board.
The World Environment Center is thrilled to have Exequiel and Lars as members of WEC’s board. They bring deep expertise, seasoned judgment, and broad, global experience that will help WEC become even more effective in our mission. You can see the press release here.
Secretary Moniz to Present Ingersoll Rand With WEC’s 2019 Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development
Secretary Moniz presents Ingersoll Rand Chairman & CEO Michael W. Lamach the WEC Gold Medal Award in Washington DC
The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 35th annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR). Ingersoll Rand is a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, delivering innovative solutions to customers through the Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® brands.
Former United States Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz will present Ingersoll Rand’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael W. Lamach, the Gold Medal Award on Thursday, May 16, 2019, during the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Through a global competition, the independent Gold Medal Jury selected Ingersoll Rand for integrating sustainability into the core of their business. In 2014, Ingersoll Rand announced 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance targets in the area of operations and supply chain, products and services, and people and citizenship. Since then, it has achieved significant milestones and progress largely by engaging its more than 44,000 employees around the globe in sustainable practices, investing in energy efficient products and services and by incorporating renewable energy technology into its operations.
Lori Michelin, World Environment Center President and CEO, said, “Ingersoll Rand innovates where global trends—such as climate change, urbanization and resource scarcity—intersect with buildings, industrial processes and transportation markets. The World Environment Center congratulates Ingersoll Rand on its Gold Medal Award and looks forward to its continuing leadership to strengthen business performance and create a better society.”
In acknowledging receipt of the prestigious global sustainability award, Michael W. Lamach, Ingersoll Rand chairman and CEO, said, “We are honored to be recognized by the World Environment Center for our contributions to a more sustainable world. Sustainability is core to who we are. The passion and commitment of our people around the world and our leading innovation practices keep us at the forefront of addressing global challenges and enhancing quality of life. With next generation sustainability aspirations, we continue to challenge ourselves to find new and better ways to shape the future.”
Preceding the award ceremony, WEC will host an Executive Roundtable, which will focus on “Innovation in the Built Environment.” This event will bring together business leaders, academics and non-profits to discuss trends and solutions to address sustainability in the built environment. There is much opportunity, as buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
The World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development. Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Ecolab, (2018), HP Inc. (2017), CH2M (2016), SC Johnson (2015), Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestlé (2011), Wal-Mart Stores (2010), The Coca-Cola Company (2009), and Marks & Spencer (2008).
The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and retired industry professionals.
