Ence’s biofactory in Navia is a reference in terms of contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within Asturian industry and a very relevant actor in this field in the western region of the Principality. This was explained by Reyes Cerezo, General Director of Sustainability of the company, who stressed that the plant “plays a fundamental role” in contributing to these goals promoted by the United Nations: “We generate quality employment in rural areas, we promote generation of renewable energy with biomass to advance in the decarbonization of the electrical system, and we advance in equality until we have achieved a zero wage gap in our company ”.
Reyes Cerezo has participated in the virtual workshop “Asturian Territory and Agenda 2030: the West”, framed within the conference “Asturias in the 2030 Agenda”, developed by the Principality of Asturias in collaboration with the Quality Club. In the session, Cerezo shared with other representatives of companies in the region, as well as city councils, Ence’s strategic vision of sustainability.
“Sustainability is aligned with our business model. We have worked not only to publicize the SDGs in the organization, but to go further, and create a way of working that allows us to include them in our day-to-day life in a natural way ”, Reyes Cerezo has reviewed. In this sense, the integration of these goals in Ence has been developed “in a structured way”, generating an internal organization “that allows us to define the approaches, create a roadmap and establish indicators to measure our progress and achievements”.
Ence’s General Director of Sustainability highlighted that the company works in various areas to comply with the United Nations SDGs. In addition to those mentioned, it is worth highlighting responsible production, by promoting the circular economy through the use of renewable resources, such as wood and biomass. Also by supplying substitute products for plastic, and with “a smaller environmental footprint,” Cerezo pointed out.
In the same way, the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and their biodiversity is very present in the company’s activity: “As forest owners and managers we put a lot of effort into sustainable forest management, and we support the certification of wood. More than 93% of the mountains that we manage in Asturias are certified, and 20% of their surface is destined to the protection of ecosystems ”, Reyes Cerezo pointed out.
The sustainable development of the local economy with the hiring of local companies, the promotion of local talent with scholarship and internship programs, the commitment to the communities around the Navia biofactory and the significant investments made in the plant in terms of reduction of environmental impact, with more than 30 million in 2019, have also been points to be highlighted by Reyes Cerezo during his speech.
