The title of the Sustainability Forum organised by the Fundación Alternativas, and supported by the Fundación Iberdrola, was, in this 2018 edition: ‘Sustainable investments: Can money become a driver for sustainability?’.

 

One of the most important things for improving sustainability levels is for investment, both public and private, to incorporate environmental requirements.

Teresa Ribera, head of Fundación Alternativas and director of the Sustainable Development and International Relations Institute (IDDRI), alerted us to the “three big threats” to reaching a sustainable global economy: “A perception that globalisation is harmful, leading to dangerous nationalist movements, the consequences of climate change and poor use of energy resources.” The expert affirmed in this regard that the European Investment Bank should direct “part of its capital” towards sustainability, “although not all stakeholders in the economic and industrial world are aware of this”, and that for sustainable development to be successful “it must be present in all fields”.

For his part, Ramón Castresana, director of the Fundación Iberdrola, commented that the entity he heads seeks to “give the hope of sustainability to the vulnerable groups that need it”, and clarified that they work in educational and training projects, in biodiversity, on social actions focusing on children, young people and women and in art and culture.

Carlos Sallé, director of Iberdrola Energy Policies and Climate Change, underlined that the Paris Agreement assigned civil society a predominant role and this is being demonstrated with”initiatives like those being adopted by the State of California for its companies, despite president Trump, against carbon and other contaminant emissions”.

One of the most important things for improving sustainability levels is for investment, both public and private, to incorporate environmental requirements.  Reducing emissions requires a profound modernisation of the economic model and this in turn requires significant investment in innovation and technological development. The experts are debating this transition at this Sustainability Forum, which will not be without its opportunities and challenges.