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

Sustainability is in our company’s DNA, and not just as a competitive advantage. Health and wellbeing often go with sustainability. As a result, we are combining thought leadership, culinary expertise, and technology to achieve our goals. One of our primary objectives is to reduce food waste. This remains a top priority for us. The reduction of food waste is good for both the planet and our business. We have now implemented food waste tracking technology in approximately 8,000 locations worldwide, and with every region united in support, we have proudly exceeded our original target of 6,000 locations.

We are driving a circular approach to promote the reuse of materials, while also striving to encourage clients to prioritise the use of reusable packaging. Packaging serves as a major contributor to the worldwide single-use culture. We aim to minimise the unnecessary use of plastics wherever feasible. While we acknowledge the critical role packaging plays in food safety, we have a responsibility to take sustainable action in partnerships with our suppliers. We are striving to fast-track sustainable alternatives to replace single-use products and fossil fuel-based plastics. Our businesses are actively reducing unnecessary packaging and are committed to introducing reusable solutions, while continuously searching for greener alternatives. 

In Mexico, it is our legal team that leads and directs sustainability efforts. We manage all types of resources to make progress on sustainability issues, including convening and supporting our operational areas to implement recycling measures and waste reduction initiatives. We work with various associations to provide training and raise awareness among our colleagues regarding our commitment to the environment.

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

It may sound like a joke, but we have the law on our side, especially for companies that are committed to regulatory compliance. Compliance with laws, international treaties, and corporate commitments, which lies at the heart of our vocation as in-house lawyers, positions us in a great position as drivers of change in management and operations, ensuring that sustainability is addressed by our corporations.

On the other hand, it seems to me that we are also the ones who are “naturally” more involved and influenced by corporate, legal, and even natural values, and we are probably the only ones with the technical ability to ensure regulatory compliance by addressing issues and linking them to sustainable actions. With our knowledge of the entire legal and business environment, we, as lawyers in high governance companies, are aware of practically every strategy, association, and latent risk within the organisation.

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?

For me, at least in Mexico, clear tax incentives are needed to enable the implementation of sustainable strategies that make sense for businesses. It is important to recognise that the cost of implementing environmentally friendly strategies is usually too high, involving significant investments for companies and consequently greater expenses. From a perspective of community convenience, the state or country should grant subsidies that encourage these types of investments or make investments that favour the implementation of environmentally friendly technologies.  

For example, on one occasion, I visited a beverage producer whose factory is entirely sustainable. While the investment and production capacity are reasonable for a small producer, it is certainly much more challenging for companies that need to produce large quantities of products.