Can you discuss your or your company’s efforts relating to renewability, sustainability, or other environmentally-friendly activities?

One of our main pillars is Social and Environmental Sustainability, based on our Sustainability Policy and Norm, and two principles:

As a global company, we adhere to the UN Global Compact, and are therefore guided by its 10 Principles, which address the environment, labour, human rights, and the fight against corruption, as well as the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We base our Sustainability Strategy on best practices, ESG legal compliance, and international standards, with materiality as the starting point.

ALEATICA and its Business Units conduct a materiality analysis every two to three years. Based on its findings, we address material issues through programmes, projects, and actions, with implementation thoroughly monitored and impact evaluated through social and economic assessments.

Based on both principles — the global sustainability agenda and materiality — we address major issues such as Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Mitigation is based on the identification of primary sources of emissions and energy consumption, while Adaptation relies on a climate effects vulnerability assessment.

As a company, we have set a target to reduce scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. We have also identified our primary scope 3 sources and implement actions to reduce these as well — including initiatives like EcoTag, Arena of the Future, and EV charging stations.

Regarding Adaptation, we have worked closely with the Corporate Risk Office to identify physical and transitional risks in each Business Unit, so each one has a Resilience Action Plan to prevent and mitigate risks from climate events.

Finally, based on a residue diagnosis across our Business Units, we developed a Circular Economy Guide, which will be shared with the global Sustainability team. This supports our current target of 20% solid residue valorisation per quarter and 35% by 2028. We also continue to monitor and reduce water consumption and increase the use of treated water.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

In-house lawyers are uniquely positioned to drive change within their organisations due to their comprehensive understanding of legal frameworks, coupled with full access to and knowledge of the company’s operations and culture. Whether through training, investigations, monitoring, compliance reviews, or risk assessments, this combination enables them to become key business partners and implement strategic initiatives that align with compliance requirements while fostering positive organisational growth.

It can be challenging to measure a company’s track record in environmentally friendly behaviour. What, in your opinion, has mostly been missed in discussions about how green a company is?

We should focus on what companies must address based on the issues material to their sector and operations. Decisions about which actions to implement and where to direct economic, technical, and human resources to address environmental and social issues should be based on materiality and where the most impact may be generated.

There are virtually no environmental aspects that do not involve communities, neighbours, collaborators, and other stakeholders — so projects should involve participation, communication, and shared responsibility.

As a company, we should not focus on labelling ourselves as green; we should avoid terms that could mislead the public or expose us to accusations of greenwashing. Instead, we should focus on material issues and indicators that allow us to monitor our environmental and social performance — concentrating on impact and how this contributes to the long-term sustainability of the business.