COLOMBIA - Energy & Mining
Director General for Latin America, INSUCO
Bio
An agro-economist and geographer, Guillén Calvo has worked for many international organizations (UNESCO, Bioversity International, the World Bank, and so on), setting up development projects and managing inter-governmental platforms, as well as looking at the interface between scientific research and political decision-making. For the past 10 years, he has specialized in corporate territorial responsibility for companies in South America and Africa. He is also involved in designing and implementing international initiatives and south-south cooperation projects to promote bio-cultural heritage.
TBY talks to Guillén Calvo, Director General for Latin America, INSUCO.
What is INSUCO’s value proposition for the business community?
INSUCO is a new type of consultancy being both a consultant and a think tank. We are specialized in the social components of sustainability in that to achieve a green economy and sustainability, we need to fully understand the social impacts of transition in sectors. We need to better evaluate the social impacts of diverse business projects, understand the challenges of sustainability, and create trust amongst the stakeholders. We need to rethink the way corporations and companies relate to the territories where they operate. In the region and particularly in Latin America, there is a huge gap between the level of investments of companies when arriving and the advancement of public services, education, and labor. INSUCO is here to close the gap. We make them understand that their competitiveness depends on the sustainability of their territories of operation and conduct considerable multi-stakeholder dialogue to discuss issues of sustainability. We work with private companies, local and national government, international corporations and civil society.
What is the strategy to give matters of social consultancy a wider reach among the business community?
About 50% of our clients come from the mining sector. Additionally, we work on projects in infrastructure, energy, hydro, tourism, and public services projects. The approach is always the same. We ask companies what type of business they intend to be: Do they want to be compliant with the regulatory framework and national obligations and conform to such a framework? They want to be more sustainable and, thus, more strategic. The social aspects have always been part of the problem and not the solution. The competitiveness and sustainability of a company depends heavily on the social sustainability of operations. We actively push for an agenda where social aspects are part and parcel of adding value to the business since it ensures fewer conflicts, better stakeholder relations, improved value chains, and better visibility for investments in territories of operation.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
COLOMBIA - Green Economy
Interview
President, Transportadora de Gas Internacional (TGI)