Andalusia Paves the Way Towards a Sustainable Future at the Corresponsables Conference in Málaga

The Auditorium of Unicaja Banco hosted the Corresponsables Conference for the presentation of the 18th Corresponsables Yearbook, a gathering attended by organizations such as Unicaja Banco, CECA, CEM, Edufinet, Bodegas Robles, Famadesa, Grupo Mayoral, Metrovacesa, Foro RSE Málaga, ACES Andalucía, Málaga City Council, University of Huelva, Marketing Club of Málaga, and DIRSE. The event generated significant social media buzz, with #JCorresponsablesMLG reaching over 7 million impressions and more than 125,000 people reached.

This morning the Corresponsables Conference was held in Málaga, at the Auditorium of Unicaja Banco. The event, which was supported by Unicaja, Socially Responsible Companies of Málaga, and CEM, brought together 14 leading organizations from all stakeholder groups in sustainability, including Unicaja Banco, CECA, CEM, Edufinet, Bodegas Robles, Famadesa, Grupo Mayoral, Metrovacesa, Foro RSE Málaga, ACES Andalucía, Málaga City Council, University of Huelva, Marketing Club of Málaga, and DIRSE. The event had a significant impact on social media, with #JCorresponsablesMLG achieving over 7 million impressions and over 125,000 people reached. Additionally, it had more than 46,000 viewers through Twitter streaming.

Corresponsables, a media outlet, foundation, and observatory, leader in journalism and responsible communication in Ibero-America, presented the 18th edition of the Corresponsables Yearbook during a session under the theme: “Alliances as the Key to Sustainable Production and Consumption”.

Inauguration
Inaugurating the event, José María López Jiménez, Director of Sustainability and CSR of Unicaja Banco, opened the Corresponsables Conference by stating that “the main challenge lies in customer relations. We are discussing business models and relationships with suppliers, but this transition towards sustainability will succeed when customers can exercise their sovereign right to choose. Unicaja Banco aims to include the concept of sustainability in financial education.”
Following this, Miguel Gil, Director of Social Activities at Fundación Unicaja, emphasized that “sustainability goes beyond an ethical code. It is a task that concerns us all. The application of sustainability principles in companies is an existential issue that ensures present and future growth.”
Subsequently, Alberto Aza, spokesperson for CECA, remarked that “CECA is an association representing 40% of the banking sector, and this year we are pleased to have celebrated our 95th anniversary. For CECA, sustainability is the greatest global challenge facing humanity. It is the only path to ensure economic growth for future generations.”
Next, Noelia García, Coordinator of the RSE Forum of Málaga, expressed her enthusiasm for collaborating once again with Corresponsables, stating, “We want to continue promoting such initiatives in the future.”
Furthermore, Ricardo Martín, General Director of Corresponsables, stated that “we believe it is essential to give voice and disseminate the best practices of organizations. As a medium, we will always report on this. We thank Unicaja for the opportunity to celebrate and promote this conference. The intention is to place special emphasis on the challenge that all organizations face in reaching out to citizens.”
Finally, the Territorial Delegate of Economy, Finance, European Funds, Industry, Energy, and Mines, Mr. Carlos García Giménez, thanked all participants for their commitment to sustainability and the ESG criteria.

Edufinet Presentation
After the inauguration, a presentation was given by María del Mar Molina, from Edufinet, where she discussed the keys to financial education within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. María del Mar noted that “many people are still unaware of the 2030 Agenda, beyond having seen some politician with the ODS colors. Society as a whole, with awareness and greater pressure on governments, can have a significant positive impact. Financial education is a transversal matter for all aspects of the 2030 Agenda. Alliances are a fundamental pillar in all areas of society and life. Education is crucial for achieving the ODS.”

Business Panel
Following the presentation, the first panel of the day focused precisely on the event’s theme, namely, alliances as the key to sustainable production and consumption for businesses. Moderated by José Joya, General Director ROADMAP of the RSE Forum of Málaga, the first to speak in this business panel was María José Rueda, Technician in the Sustainability and CSR Management of Unicaja Banco, who explained that “since 2011 we have been working on CSR and sustainability. We have a great responsibility towards our stakeholders, not only in economic matters but also in environmental ones. If you want to promote something as important as the 2030 Agenda, you must establish alliances to rely on them because we cannot be everywhere at once. We must raise awareness among the population, as the ODS are still not widely known.”
Following her, Francisco Robles, Manager of Bodegas Robles, expressed his gratitude to Corresponsables for being here to inform about their work in sustainability and alliances. He added, “Sustainability is something that must be applied to business activities without exception. Spain is the world leader in the production of organic food. Management must believe that sustainability is highly profitable.”
Next, Carolina de la Paz Guerrero, Dircom and CSR of Famadesa, stated, “Famadesa is a very important meat industry in terms of exports. For a long time, we have been committed to environmental management. We are linked to social, cultural, and sports initiatives. There is a commitment from top management. Sustainability must be a top-down approach.”
Afterwards, Sara García, Sustainability Coordinator of Grupo Mayoral, revealed, “We have moved from cooperation to alliances because it is no longer just about providing a service/product to our customers; we must add value to our stakeholders.” She also shared that “the first alliance we carried out was over 10 years ago. It is essential to create a product supported by respect for all people.”
Finally, David Sierra, Projects and Sustainability Director of Metrovacesa, focused on the importance of alliances between companies. “We are 5 different companies sitting at the table to discuss the same topic, sustainability. These collaborations are transforming into alliances where there is a win-win situation. We add value. It is important because these alliances provide us with much information that we do not always have access to individually,” he noted.

Stakeholder Panel
Following the business panel, the stakeholder panel was inaugurated, moderated by Rocío Calleja, Legal Advisor for social entities. In this session, Álvaro Oliver, Vice President of ACES Andalucía, participated in the debate by stating, “I thank Corresponsables for the opportunity to share this experience. We are educational cooperatives representing the workers and students of the educational system, both public and private. Often, from the CSR perspective, the focus is not placed on the powerful opportunity to reach consumers. Small gestures by companies can help generate resources that schools alone cannot obtain.”
Next, Alicia Martín, Head of Department at the Autonomous Agency for Tax Management of Málaga City Council, noted, “We have a strong commitment to CSR since 2009. We have been advocating collaboration for many years. We appreciate what Corresponsables does for society and the environment. Alliances are fundamental, and we must create them with our stakeholders, which is obvious for any organization. If you want to have good governance, you not only have to love what you do but also take care of the people around you and build alliances. I am delighted to achieve ODS 18 because if you do not communicate well, you are achieving nothing.”
On his part, Carlos García, Manager of CC Centro Plaza, focused his speech on the fact that “for many years, the Marketing Club, in its annual awards, has included a CSR category. There are many tools, but it has taken many years for this to be permeable to SMEs, which can develop the greatest impact with stakeholders. It is important to allocate resources to identify your stakeholders. Communication must be pragmatic and with conviction so that, in the end, this theme becomes part of your identity.”
Subsequently, Francisco Molina, Delegate of DIRSE in Andalucía, detailed that “DIRSE aims to achieve well-trained sustainability professionals, which is essential. We need to start differentiating what CSR is, which goes beyond what the law requires.” He also mentioned that “We fear that these departments may become compliance departments. We understand external stakeholders as well as internal ones, who are the workers of our company and suppliers who are our great supporters.”
Finally, Francisco Aguado, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism of the University of Huelva, expressed, “I want to thank Corresponsables for the invitation and Unicaja Banco for their commitment to sustainability. 99.81% of companies in Spain are SMEs. Stakeholders are the ones who must facilitate alliances. I summarize my participation in 3 words: education, awareness, and communication.”

Data
45,465 viewers followed the Corresponsables Conferences live on Twitter. Once the event broadcast was finished, nearly 50,000 people have followed the conference, either live or in replay. The potential impact of the Corresponsables Conferences stands at 7,066,788 people. 70.81% of tweets have been retweeted, and the number of likes has risen to 412.