Madrid, the 3rd of December, 2019.- Within the framework of the Climate Change Summit, the Secretary of State for Trade, through ICEX, together with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the CEOE, have organised a seminar on how to increasingly orient financing towards a model that contributes directly to the achievement of objectives linked to the sustainable agenda. COFIDES, CESCE and ICO have collaborated in the organisation of the seminar.
Sustainable investments are mainly related to the development of renewable energy and adaptation to climate change, access to water and sanitation and infrastructure for non-polluting transport. Financers, both public and private, have shared with Spanish companies the role that everyone can play in order to transform the production model.
In her opening speech, Xiana Méndez, Secretary of State for Trade, stressed that “the link between internationalisation and sustainability in its different aspects - economic, social and environmental - is increasingly evident: when companies manage to integrate into their strategy the impact they have on their environment, they improve their ability to compete and take advantage of the opportunities of global markets through trade and investment."
During the seminar, it was shown how the Secretary of State for Trade is actively working to make the OECD guidelines more flexible in terms of official export support and to better finance projects in sectors associated with clean technologies. Another line of work seeks to invite more countries to join in complying with these guidelines and to strengthen transparency so that Spanish companies compete on equal terms in foreign markets.
The chief executive of CESCE, Fernando Salazar, today pointed out that "we try to apply (our social and environmental commitment) to the daily running of the company. Because we believe that if companies are helping the planet, then we should help them. That is why we have launched CESCE Póliza Verde (Green Policy) to the market, in the Freelance Sector, and we have a substantial and sustainable social portfolio, in the State Employment sector."
For his part, the COFIDES chairman and CEO, José Luis Curbelo, said that “COFIDES has the ability to mobilise resources from the EU´s European External Investment Plan (EIP) and the United Nations Green Climate Fund, which allows it, as the only Spanish institution accredited to the Fund, to present and structure projects for mitigation and adaptation to climate change, thus promoting both the participation of the private sector and the advancement of climate projects in developing countries."
ICEX and sustainability
ICEX has incorporated sustainability into its strategy as a key factor in competitiveness and innovation in the process of the internationalisation of Spanish companies. This new strategy, which also includes its commitment to the Action Plan for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, is transversal to the entire entity and incorporates actions and instruments available to companies, from training and competitive intelligence to the support of emerging markets through sustainable and inclusive business models.
In addition to having provided human and technical resources for the sound development of the organisation and the launch of the Climate Summit, ICEX, in its role as a promoter of sustainable internationalisation, has organised different events in its commitment to improve companies´ positive environmental and social impact and to strengthen the image of excellence of our production sectors.
