- This is a new kind of investor, committed. Spanish companies are aware: almost 60% of CSR professionals consider issues related to ESG factors in investor decision-making over the next three years to be “material”, according to Francisco Román, president of SERES Foundation
- “We want to make investors aware of the progress made by our companies in the field of CSR, because Spanish listed companies are at the forefront worldwide in their social commitment”, according to Benito Berceruelo, president of the SID.
13/01/2020. Spain Investors Day (SID), aware of the increasing importance that international investors are giving to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies, has organised this year’s round table “Corporate Responsibility in Spanish Listed Companies” which will analyse the current situation and challenges facing companies in the face of CSR.
During the round table, which is organized in collaboration with the SERES Foundation, investors will be able to learn about the challenges, objectives and risk faced by Spanish listed companies in managing corporate social responsibility and their CSR plans for the coming year.
Likewise, the commitments acquired by the companies with respect to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Objectives (ODS) will be reviewed. In Spain, an increasing number of companies are taking ODS into account when defining their CSR strategy. In this sense, it is worth noting that 84% of the organizations and institutions participating in the VI Corporate Social Report of the SERES Foundation, claim to take into account the ODS in their CSR strategies.
Francisco Román, president of the SERES Foundation, will moderate the round table tomorrow, Tuesday 14, which will be attended by top-level business leaders such as José Carlos García de Quevedo, president of ICO; José Bogas, CEO of ENDESA; Juan López Belmonte, CEO of ROVI and Rafael Contreras, president of AIRTIFICIAL.
According to Román, "Corporate Social Responsibility is an intrinsic part of the social philosophy of most of our large companies, which are increasingly committed to programmes of integration, innovation, sustainable investment and competitiveness".
The experts participating at the table will present their companies' CSR plans, as an example of the important work in this field, which is becoming increasingly important in large listed Spanish companies and also in the investment criteria of the international funds that come to the SID.
International investors are increasingly demanding in terms of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, to the extent that there are specific stock market indices and investment funds that only invest in companies that they consider socially responsible and that meet the highest standards in this area.
Influencing investment decisions
The Spain Investors Day International Forum serves as a showcase for Spain's leading companies to international investors and funds from various countries that will gather in this edition of the SID, on 14 and 15 January 2020.
In this scenario, "we plan to inform investors of the progress of our listed companies in the area of CSR so that they can take it into account in their purchase decisions", says the President of the SID, Benito Berceruelo.
The 43 participating companies represent 71.4 percent of the Ibex-35 index in addition to other large companies in the Continuous Market of great interest to investors. The confirmed companies are as follows: ACCIONA, ACERINOX, AENA, ATRESMEDIA AMADEUS, BANKINTER, CAIXABANK, CATALANA OCCIDENTECE, CECABANK, CIE AUTOMOTIVE, CORPORACIÓN ALBA, EBRO FOODS, ENAGAS, ENCE, ENDESA, EUSKALTEL, FERROVIAL, FLUIDRA, GESTAMP, Grupo ACS, IBERDROLA, INDRA, INMOBILIARIA COLONIAL, INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES GROUP, MAPFRE, MASMOVIL GROUP, MEDIASET ESPAÑA, MERLIN PROPERTIES, PRISA, PROSEGUR, PROSEGUR CASH, RED ELECTRICA DE ESPANA, REPSOL, SACYR, SIEMENS GAMESA, TECNICAS REUNIDAS, TELEFONICA, UNICAJA BANCO, VIDRALA, VISCOFAN Y VOCENTO. In addition to these, ROVI and ARTIFICIAL are participating in one of the round tables scheduled for this edition.