Corporate sustainability is consolidated as a strategic factor for competitiveness, according to experts gathered at the University.

Sustainability has ceased to be an area linked only to social responsibility to become a determining strategic factor for the competitiveness of companies. This was one of the main conclusions of the workshop "A day at COP30" held on the campus of the University of Navarra in Madrid, in partnership with CEOE and Chapter Zero Spaincoinciding with the development the climate summit in Brazil.

The meeting brought together executives, researchers and institutional representatives to discuss how decarbonization, energy efficiency, adaptation and climate finance are transforming business models. The workshop highlighted that regulatory, technological and financial advances over the last decade have made a faster transition possible, but significant challenges remain (from the decarbonization of large-scale industrial heat to the expansion of energy storage or the deployment of charging infrastructures) that require strong corporate governance and science-based decisions.          

The president of the University of Navarra, María Iraburu, pointed out that "the complexity of the challenges we face in environmental issues requires decisive bets, interdisciplinary approaches and a strong public-private partnership . At the University of Navarra we are aware of the fundamental role played by the university institution as a generator of research and innovation, a trainer of young talent and a meeting place with companies".

The participating experts agreed that the future of competitiveness depends on business models capable of innovating, reducing risks and obtaining sustainable financial returns in an environment of energy transition. CEOE's Director of Industry, Energy, Environment and Climate, Cristina Riestra, underlined this business commitment, pointing out that business sustainability "is at a core topic. It has been internalized and has already reached the management committees, which establish the strategies of companies from the point of view of sustainability, from the care of the environment but also of profitability".

The workshop also emphasized the importance of providing managers with training The president of Chapter Zero Spain, Beatriz Lara, concluded: "Companies need to really believe in sustainability to be able to commit to it and incorporate it into their strategies and thus make their organizations profitable and competitive".