Sustainable commerce
Business and commerce with a declared mission of social awareness and responsibility are being rewarded by a public which is demanding changes
The number of businesses that apart from making more profits are working with ethical values. This is known as “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) and nowadays refers to a type of business: the so-called 3.0 group, that go further than just business. The concept and practice involves respect for employees, the product, the environment, customers and suppliers, transparency and how companies define this new way of selling, increasingly demanded by consumers. According to experts, trends in corporate social responsibility for the coming years will be marked by voluntary good practice policies but also with certain legal requirements, which will move in that direction.
“Being closer to society and moving toward sustainability is essential”, said Joaquim Deulofeu, PhD in Economics and Business Administration, and managing partner of the consultancy Qualitat Serveis Empresarials, who concludes that the future path of sustainability “is the only one possible.”
This is now evident in many larger companies, such as Capbrabo, which 25 years ago began policies that would lead to closer contact with society with the Baby Welcome Basket. Capbrabo runs three social programmes and is associated with the Red Cross and the Food Bank. Another Catalan brand operating in 3.0 is luggage company BIBA with more than 20 stores and more than 100 workers. Safareig, in Barcelona's Gràcia, last year received the Award for Environmental Sustainability from the City Council for action in the prevention and reduction of packaging waste. The movement is common sense, but it is also good for business.