The five most sustainable firms in Latin America: the 2023 Latin Trade IndexAmericas Sustainability Award

Miami, March 23, 2023 — Latin Trade  honored the five most sustainable companies in Latin America.  The business publication honored these firms with the 2023 Latin Trade IndexAmericas Sustainability Award. The winners of this year’s recognition for excellence in ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance), are IBM Latin America, AstraZeneca and . In the category of Development, the winner is Banco Santander Chile and inn Multilatinas, Bancolombia.

This award is given annually, since 2018, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, and this year was supported by the Panama Canal.

The winners share a rigorous method to formulate and execute sustainable operations. Their Boards set clear goals and ESG standards; they also measure and monitor their progress towards meeting these goals. Their corporate culture places an uncompromising emphasis on ethics, human rights and is characterized by a strong drive to reach out to stakeholders and to promote transparent reporting.

Winners were selected by an editorial board in a process that begins with the universe of more than 4,000 firms that comprise the Thomson Reuters Sustainability database. The Inter-American Development Bank screens and narrows down the list to the best 100, which are placed on their IndexAmericas. Latin Trade’s editorial board then selects the most salient of them in five categories: Environment, Social, Governance, Development and Multilatinas.

The combined actions of this year’s honorees have impacted the region in many ways. IBM (winner in the Environment category) provided methods and advanced tools to measure and benchmark sustainability at individual companies and in complex settings like across global supply chains. IBM’s offer that includes intensive use of AI and high-performance computing and reporting, is clearly beneficial for the region as a whole; it shortens the path to the sophistication needed to guarantee environmental protection. The award was received by Manuel González del Yerro, IBM Sustainability Software Market Leader, Latin America.

AstraZeneca (Social category) promoted the responsiveness of healthcare systems to shocks and “improving preparedness for future shocks and enhancing international coordination on key processes such as scenario planning, response protocols and reserve capacities.” All of these have a relevant social impact on the region. The award was received byCarlos Sánchez-Luis, Area Vice President Latin America.

Amcor (Governance) adopted methodologies and metrics across the whole company to assure that all areas synchronically move in the direction of ESG goals. The award was received byJuliana Seidel, Sustainability Senior Manager Latin America.

Banco Santander Chile (Development) has a collection of goals that impact Chile from many different angles. From eliminating single-use plastic at Bank offices and branches, to striving to get gender pay equity, and grant green and social funding. The recipient of the award was Antonio Procopio, Head Markets & Funding, of Banco Santander Chile.

Grupo Bancolombia (Multilatina) developed a superior degree of sensitivity around ESG and development in the region. It has a high reach as far as number of municipalities covered, penetration in the SME market, and other indicators. In these markets it has been a champion of sustainability, an attitude that stems from genuine respect of management for people, suppliers, banking correspondents and customers. This truly respectful culture has been developed over the years and has almost become an institutional trademark. Receiving the award was Franco Piza, the Group’s Director of Sustainability.

This year’s keynote was delivered by Andrés Cadena, Senior Partner at McKinsey Global Institute. Speakers were also The Inter-American Development Bank’s Bernardo Guillamón and Victoria Florez, BBVA Mexico’s Sergio Torres, Head of Innovation, Strategy & Sustainability, and Canal de Panama’s Vice President, Luis Rovira.

 “We believe that showcasing the practices and the methods that the Latin Trade IndexAmericas Sustainability Awards winners use, will help transform the way business are carried out in Latin America,” said Santiago Gutiérrez, Executive Editor of Latin Trade.

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About Latin Trade Latin Trade is a 28-year-old publication that covers business in Latin America. Latin Trade magazine is published in English and Spanish and is distributed throughout the Americas to subscribers, Airline VIP lounges, selected hotels, and regional events. The company’s portfolio includes newsletters that reach a large proportion of the region’s business community, and specialized business events.

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