Scopen conducts a study to analyse the involvement of companies with SDGs

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The study took place between June and July 2021 across 13 countries on the American continent, with a total of 163 marketing and communications professionals (advertisers, agencies, media, NGOs / foundations, public companies, associations and freelancers) participating.

Asked about the words most associated with sustainability, “environment” appears first, followed by “responsibility” and “future”. Respondents also maintain that the sustainability goals they consider companies to be most involved with are good work, economic growth, gender equality and the creation of alliances to achieve objectives.

However, looking ahead, they plan to place more emphasis on other goals such as sustainable cities and communities, quality education and clean water and sanitation.

Actions currently taken by study participants to comply with sustainable goals include improving living conditions, followed by working to reduce environmental impact; promoting diversity, equality and inclusion; and a focus on the circular economy.

Companies and brands in the marketing and communications industry are especially involved in complying with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG-12, which guarantees procedures for responsible production and consumption. Fifty-four percent (54%) of the leaders interviewed rank its importance at 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 to 10 - above the average for other goals, where Brazil and Colombia are the countries with the highest concern at 8.3.

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Fulfillment of sustainability goals

Industry leaders suggest they can best work towards the fulfilment of sustainability goals, in particular, through “the creation of communication and awareness campaigns that value sustainability”.

During the interviews, professionals were also asked about the brands and/or companies in their region that, in their opinion, stand out with their commitment to sustainability goals. The most mentioned ones were recognised by the new Sustainability Awards held at the Latin American Summit of the Creative Economy + CTG, which took place recently.

In Latam, Natura was awarded first prize, with Grupo Nutresa taking second prize and third going to Unilever. Other finalist brands were ABInbev, Alpina, Alquería, Bancolombia, Coca-Cola, Grupo Argos, Grupo Sura and Nestlé.

In Colombia, the winning brands were once again led by Grupo Nutresa, with Alpina taking second prize and Grupo Argos third.

César Vacchiano, president and CEO of Scopen, says: “It is very rewarding to verify the degree of involvement of Latam companies with the fulfillment of the sustainable development objectives

“At this point, there is a vital focus on equality issues and, when analysing future efforts, equality gives way to other important matters, which shows a belief that equality goals will be achieved in the short-medium term.

“The actions promoted by UN Women and their support for events such as + CTG undoubtedly contribute to this.”

Ximena Tapias, president of UCEP and + CTG adds: “At UCEP we are focused on building on important issues within the industry. This study and the new awards within the framework of + CTG are a proof of our commitment.

“We will continue to revisit this study in future and believe it will be very interesting to see how the analysed indicators evolve."

When accepting first prize at the 2021 Sustainability Awards, Alexandre Lemos, General Manager of Natura Colombia, said: "I am very proud to accept this award on behalf of Natura.

“I want to give a special thanks to our entire network of Natura consultants and all the company collaborators, as this achievement has been a collective one, where we have all immersed sustainability in our processes.

“It is thanks to this network and their total commitment to sustainability that we are receiving this recognition today. Despite the obstacles caused by the global pandemic, we managed to work as a team and joined forces to make Natura the company we all want it to be.

“With our ‘Commitment to Life’ initiative launched a year ago as part of our 2030 sustainability vision, we will continue to intensify our actions to address the climate crisis, protect the Amazon rainforest and guarantee equality and diversity in the world.”