Focus on how, not why, you need to achieve sustainability
For Ricardo Martínez, the moderator of the talk, the question of why sustainability is worth pursuing is an old one. Instead, he wants the talk to focus on how to achieve it.
Alicia Montalvo, Climate Action and Biodiversity Manager at CAF, began by saying that for them “sustainability is a critical component of their competitiveness.” And she makes sure that this is embedded in all the sectors she invests in: from resilient infrastructure and renewable energy to water and health. “Sustainability is not an expense, it is an investment,” she added.
Teresa Parejo, Iberia's Director of Sustainability, continued by explaining the vision of a major airline like Iberia in this regard. “It's a holistic approach,” she explained, “it's a balance of economic development, without damaging the environment and encouraging social impact.” It is very difficult for an airline to become more environmentally friendly, but it is not impossible. The importance of decarbonization is clear, she said, but aviation has a very important social impact that cannot be ignored.