Team size: 50

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

In recent years, our company, under the leadership of the legal area, has made the decision to take its ESG policies to another level. In particular, the company conducted an evaluation internally and through specialised third parties in environmental, social, and corporate governance matters. This exercise involved considering over 700 ESG criteria that encompass the best international practices in sustainability governance. The objective? To aim for the highest standards in sustainability and environmental practices. As a result, IDEAL recently obtained an ESR distinction for social responsibility, sustainability, and corporate governance, issued, among others, by the Mexican Stock Exchange. The company received a Prime Certificate, signifying a 5-star rating for the aforementioned efforts. Furthermore, we have begun to implement a decarbonisation plan for all our company’s operations.

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

Sustainability and conservation activities need to start at the top. There is no position in an organisation different from in-house lawyers that could present a better case for the company’s stakeholders to gain their engagement and support in sustainability efforts. In-house lawyers, as ‘service areas’, understand that legal services as well as sustainability efforts should not be seen as mere expenses, but rather as investments. In this stage and in this world, sustainability equals revenues.

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?

As a rule of thumb, there are certain steps to measure ‘how green a company is’. Among other factors, these include the company’s environmental policies, carbon footprint, certifications and awards, energy usage, waste management, among others. Nevertheless, there is no better parameter than the stakeholders’ and public perception. Being a green company is not just a matter of declaring :’From this day forward, we are a green or greener company’.  Actions are needed, not just words.