The sustainability actions, projects, and initiatives implemented by companies will depend on the sector or industry they represent, but they must be aligned with the business agenda. This was stated by Arlette Palacio during her presentation at the first module of the third edition of the AMCHAMDR SDG 101 Workshops, organized by the Sustainability Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR).
"Depending on the business sector we belong to, we impact some Sustainable Development Goals more actively than others. That's why organizations must always look for ways to innovate to increase positive impacts," he said, after highlighting the importance of measuring all of the sustainability efforts organizations undertake.
Palacio focused his presentation on the impact of COVID on the SDGs, emphasizing the delays experienced in some indicators and the changes the pandemic has brought for both people and businesses, as well as the importance of integrating innovation into a company's products, services, and processes.
The expert identified the main global risks that could affect companies, based on their likelihood of occurrence and impact, and called for reflection on how organizations can adjust their business models to the current context and how they should address the changing nature of work.
“If we analyze the implications of remote work, we can see that it has an impact on SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being, which seeks to halve the number of accidents by 2030, and on Climate Action Goal 13, which integrates climate change measures into policies, strategies, and plans. In both cases, there is a reduction in travel, which contributes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” Palacio pointed out.
Previously, Indira Lorenzo gave a historical account of the global need to unite the economic, social, and environmental agendas, and how this led to the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the following decades.
In her introduction to the SDGs, the expert explained the steps the Dominican Republic has taken to implement them through the establishment of a multisectoral and comprehensive agenda, their approach in the National Development Strategy, the prioritization of the Goals, and the role of the private sector.
Lorenzo explained that the need for companies to contribute to the planet's sustainable development was first discussed in 1972. That year, the first Earth Summit was held, and the report entitled "The Limits to Growth" was presented.
The first module concluded with the topic of Sustainability from a Gender Perspective, led by Catalina Gutiérrez, who focused on mainstreaming gender perspectives into the SDGs, the implications of the pandemic on inequality, and private sector participation.
"There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 169 and 232 indicators. Of the latter, 54 are gender-specific," said the expert, who advocated for the empowerment of women so they can participate in all sectors and at all levels, since, according to a UNDP report, the Dominican Republic loses 441% of its human development potential due to gender inequality.
“The transformation that achieves gender equality is not just personal. It requires collective action for sustainable social transformation,” Gutiérrez asserted, highlighting the importance of companies conducting a self-assessment and making a commitment to equality at the highest level, in order to develop an internal action plan that impacts the value chain and the community where the organization operates.
This Thursday, August 19, the next module of the AMCHAMDR Sustainability Workshops continued, focusing on the topic of Impact Identification and SDG Prioritization.
The third edition of AMCHAMDR's Sustainability Workshops seeks to promote innovation and sustainable transformation in the country's private sector through interactive workshops, delivered online and under an agile approach.
Speakers of the first session
Indira Lorenzo is the Sustainability Director of Grupo MARTÍ and the Tropigas Foundation. She graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra and later completed an Executive Master's degree in Renewable Energy from the School of Industrial Organization. She is certified by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in the Standards for Sustainability Reporting.
Arlette Palacio is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of working in the public policy sector, particularly in the areas of sustainable development and institutional capacity building.
She is a certified sustainability practitioner and focuses on bridging the gap between the public and private sectors to help drive sustainable development on both fronts. More recently, she has focused on strategy design using Design Thinking methods that help deliver viable solutions to businesses.
Catalina Gutiérrez holds a degree in International Relations with a specialized diploma in management with a gender perspective, and master's degrees in Public Service Institution Administration and Marketing and Communication from New York University (NYU), Barcelona University, and Open University of Catalonia. She has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable development programs in the public, private, and international sectors.
She was the Country Program Coordinator for UN Women and managed projects in the area of Poverty and Governance for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She has been a consultant for the Ministry of Education, where she evaluated civil society projects for Competitive Funds. She worked as Project Director for the Ademi Foundation and as Marketing Manager at Banco Ademi. She was the Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAMDR).
