The Strategy of Social Responsibility at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana …
441
Plan declared the importance of an integral model that considers the care of the
renewable and non-renewable resources used daily by the institution, designed to
protect and to strengthen the social capital of the university community. Hence,
the UPB recognizes and appropriates the call of the GRI to consolidate a sustainable
economy in which organizations are managed responsibly and comprehensively, and
transparently communicate their management to different stakeholders.
Beyond the numbers and measurements, the challenge of the institution is to
create a culture of sustainability with which all the organizational work is permeated, to make possible its great commitment to envision a better world for the
present and future generations. In other words, for UPB, sustainability means good
practices, leadership, transparency, and accountability. It is important to highlight
that in January 2018, the World Economic Forum ratified the need to strengthen
the commitment to sustainability in order to help its partners and members make
a substantial contribution toward sustainable development and, in this sense, has
offered a platform for public–private cooperation. Sustainability policies of organizations are more prone to succeed if all the different parties are involved. The
participation of stakeholders, suppliers, and others to join shared efforts that generates collective outcomes, as opposed to individual actions, results in superior effects
that are more comprehensive. However, before embarking on the path of sustainability within the institution, it is necessary to establish a measurable action plan,
such as the Strategic Plan (2017–2025). This plan should have achievable and challenging goals since what is not measured is not improved. It is also necessary to
establish indicators to monitor the implementation of the sustainability plan and
achieve a balance that allows the organization to endure over time in an increasingly
competitive international environment.
Through its 83 years of existence, the UPB has had as one of its guiding principles the positive impact on each of the dimensions of what is now called sustainability. In terms of its structure, the institution has designed a series of policies
aimed at promoting the well-being of its stakeholders. Throughout several administrations, this policy was aligned with the initiatives that occupied the panorama of
social responsibility: The Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals.
Certainly, and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Objectives, efforts,
such as the setting up of an Environmental Committee during 2017 conformed by
a interdisciplinary team, have been made. The committee is led by the Environmental Research Group at the UPB headquarters in collaboration with the Colombian National Center for Cleaner Production. They built the annual report where
measurements of the environmental footprints and the use of waste disposal, among
others, are addressed.
One of the most important achievements of the first Sustainability Report (2017a;
b) was the establishment of the bases for the analysis of unsustainable practices and
the identification and prioritization of interest groups that are part of the university.
Interest groups are conceived as actors constituted by persons or entities that have
direct or indirect influences in the activities and decisions correlated with the performance of the UPB organization. It has been configured as an essential element in
strategic planning, as indicated in the GRI Standards (2016).
441
Plan declared the importance of an integral model that considers the care of the
renewable and non-renewable resources used daily by the institution, designed to
protect and to strengthen the social capital of the university community. Hence,
the UPB recognizes and appropriates the call of the GRI to consolidate a sustainable
economy in which organizations are managed responsibly and comprehensively, and
transparently communicate their management to different stakeholders.
Beyond the numbers and measurements, the challenge of the institution is to
create a culture of sustainability with which all the organizational work is permeated, to make possible its great commitment to envision a better world for the
present and future generations. In other words, for UPB, sustainability means good
practices, leadership, transparency, and accountability. It is important to highlight
that in January 2018, the World Economic Forum ratified the need to strengthen
the commitment to sustainability in order to help its partners and members make
a substantial contribution toward sustainable development and, in this sense, has
offered a platform for public–private cooperation. Sustainability policies of organizations are more prone to succeed if all the different parties are involved. The
participation of stakeholders, suppliers, and others to join shared efforts that generates collective outcomes, as opposed to individual actions, results in superior effects
that are more comprehensive. However, before embarking on the path of sustainability within the institution, it is necessary to establish a measurable action plan,
such as the Strategic Plan (2017–2025). This plan should have achievable and challenging goals since what is not measured is not improved. It is also necessary to
establish indicators to monitor the implementation of the sustainability plan and
achieve a balance that allows the organization to endure over time in an increasingly
competitive international environment.
Through its 83 years of existence, the UPB has had as one of its guiding principles the positive impact on each of the dimensions of what is now called sustainability. In terms of its structure, the institution has designed a series of policies
aimed at promoting the well-being of its stakeholders. Throughout several administrations, this policy was aligned with the initiatives that occupied the panorama of
social responsibility: The Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals.
Certainly, and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Objectives, efforts,
such as the setting up of an Environmental Committee during 2017 conformed by
a interdisciplinary team, have been made. The committee is led by the Environmental Research Group at the UPB headquarters in collaboration with the Colombian National Center for Cleaner Production. They built the annual report where
measurements of the environmental footprints and the use of waste disposal, among
others, are addressed.
One of the most important achievements of the first Sustainability Report (2017a;
b) was the establishment of the bases for the analysis of unsustainable practices and
the identification and prioritization of interest groups that are part of the university.
Interest groups are conceived as actors constituted by persons or entities that have
direct or indirect influences in the activities and decisions correlated with the performance of the UPB organization. It has been configured as an essential element in
strategic planning, as indicated in the GRI Standards (2016).