SAP presented the third edition (2023) of its sustainability report, which shows an x-ray of how sustainability objectives are progressing in the region.
According to the main findings, 70% of Latin American organizations have a sustainability strategy, which translates into one percentage point more than in the 2022 edition and 24 points more than in 2021.
Among the main reasons that have led companies to have such a strategy are corporate reputation (68%), part of the company’s purpose (63%), the commitment of the board of directors (62%) and customer demand (32%).
In terms of barriers, the study shows that companies in the region face three major challenges. The first is the difficulty of demonstrating the return on investment (53%), problems in measuring the impact of actions (48%) and lack of clarity on how to incorporate sustainability into business processes and management systems (42%).
In Colombia, SAP highlights that local companies are beginning to make significant progress in the implementation of sustainable strategies through the use of new technologies.
Among the success stories mentioned by the company is the strategy being implemented by Ecopetrol, which focuses on having a tool to manage its carbon dioxide emissions levels, achieve its sustainability goals and comply with local, national and international standards.
Grupo Éxito has integrated processes from different areas such as human resources, finance, supply chains and services into a single system. This has enabled the company to have better administrative control of operations and projects.
«Technology shows us that sustainability is no longer an abstract goal. Today, the tools that we have traditionally used to generate productivity allow us to add layers that facilitate the management and control of information in a prompt, agile and effective manner,» says Marcela Perilla, president of SAP’s Northern Region for Latin America and the Caribbean.
However, with regard to the investments In this edition, 58% of the companies surveyed said that in the coming months they plan to invest in sustainable issues in a similar way to the previous year.
Similarly, 29% of these companies said they plan to invest in the area with respect to the previous year and 13% intend to reduce their allocation of resources for the initiative.
Thus, in a cut by country, Argentina has the highest proportion of companies that would increase investment in relation to 2022 (34%), followed by Chile and Colombia (32%), Brazil (29%) and Mexico (20%).
Article taken from: https://www.portafolio.co/negocios/empresas/el-70-de-las-firmas-latinoamericanas-apuestan-por-la-sostenibilidad-586386
