Carolina López (SERNAUTO): ‘Spain is making strong progress in corporate sustainability’

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Interview published in AutoRevista 2,404

SERNAUTO's Communication and Sustainability Manager, Carolina López, explains how the sustainable activity of companies in the automotive sector is structured in our country, and what role SERNAUTO plays in all of this, with the Sustainability Impact Portal as the main protagonist.

AutoRevista.- What is the current status of the Sustainability Impact Portal and how has it been received by members?

Carolina López.- We are in the phase of dissemination and amplification of the scope, that is, making it known to the greatest number of companies in the sector, so that they can see its usefulness. Although the advantages are clear, implementing a system for collecting and managing non-financial information in any company involves a change in the way of working and requires time. The reception by the associates is being good, as they tell us the advantages of having a digital system and not having to work with several excels. But this platform is not only for members, so I encourage other companies in the sector to join, because I am sure it will make their work much easier. Moreover, during this year it is free of charge.

AR.-What is the work of Carolina López, as SERNAUTO's Head of Communication, within the Portal? And that of the rest of those involved?

C.L.- Since 2020, in addition to the Communication Department, I have been leading and coordinating everything related to Sustainability. As far as the Portal is concerned, my functions have been multiple: from the launch of tenders for the selection of suitable suppliers, to the strategic planning, coordination and monitoring of the project, and of course its dissemination. The project has been led by Cristina San Martín, Director of Coordination, Projects and Services at SERNAUTO, and we have also had the support of the association's Communication and Institutional Relations areas. 

The conceptual development was carried out by Conese, a consultancy firm specialising in sustainability in our sector, and the technical development was carried out by Sygris, a leading technology consultancy firm with more than 15 years' experience in the digitalisation of sustainability. In order to carry out a project of these characteristics in one year, it is key to choose the right partners and I believe that in this case we could not have had better travelling companions.

AR.- How does SERNAUTO structure the activity of its associates through this portal?

C.L.- The Impact Portal was conceived and developed within the framework of our Responsible Business Commission, from where all the needs, functionalities and improvements to the portal are channelled. The project was developed after a process of internal analysis in which the companies of the commission actively participated through workshops and personal interviews that helped us to define the strategy and focus on what they needed to comply with the regulation and respond to queries from customers, funders and investors. From the outset, it was clear that it had to have very specific functionalities that would facilitate the management work of the companies and, to this end, the necessary adaptations have been made. 

Thus, the impact portal is the tool where all the sustainability initiatives and actions that SERNAUTO works on with our companies come together. It is the way to materialise all the ESG issues that are important for our companies and to convert actions into facts and concrete data that allow companies to measure their contribution to sustainability. All the sustainability needs of our companies end up being addressed through the Portal. I would also like to stress that it is a scalable project.

AR.- What steps have been taken this year?

C.L.- This year we have implemented two very relevant innovations: on the one hand, we have developed a simplified questionnaire (containing only 150 indicators, useful for small companies) and, on the other hand, the possibility of consolidating information from different plants/countries.

AR.- How has the sector evolved through this portal and through ESG practices?

C.L.- Some time ago, sustainability was seen as a purely regulatory and risk management issue. In recent years, we are seeing that the integration of sustainability in companies in the sector is becoming key to winning contracts, becoming approved as a supplier and/or obtaining financing. In this sense, sustainability has become a lever for competitiveness. Many companies are seeing it in this light, strategically and with a long-term vision, and see the portal as an essential tool for the collection of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) data and the monitoring of the objectives set by the company. Because what cannot be measured cannot be improved.

AR.- What are the next steps to be taken by SERNAUTO?

C.L.- Our focus now is on continuing to bring the portal closer to the companies and to actively listen to those that are using it in order to continue implementing improvements. In addition to making it known to SMEs in the sector, we see the need to help them better understand what sustainability is and how they can develop strategies and plans.

AR.- What improvements can be included both in the portal and in the ESG measures of the partners?

C.L.- The portal includes several functionalities, among them, a Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint calculator (direct and indirect emissions from purchased energy) which, with the approval of Royal Decree 214/2025 of 18 March, is mandatory for companies to calculate. One improvement we will make to the portal will be to incorporate the calculator for Scope 3, which includes all other indirect emissions generated in the company's value chain, such as the production of raw materials or the transport of products.

And, of course, another improvement we have in mind is the updating of the questionnaires according to the requirements of the law resulting from the transposition into Spanish law of the European Corporate Reporting Directive (CSRD). Currently, the law that applies is Law 11/2018, whereby companies with more than 250 employees are obliged to prepare and submit a report detailing relevant non-financial information, such as environmental, social and good corporate governance aspects, known as EINF (Statement of Non-Financial Information). The Sustainability Portal facilitates this report by providing all the data collected on a single platform, as well as including the corresponding evidence, which in turn facilitates the auditing and verification process.

AR.- How does SERNAUTO influence these initiatives and decisions? 

C.L.- At SERNAUTO, we provide member companies with a better understanding of the regulations that apply to them and we develop reports and tools to help them in their decision-making, strategy orientation and other key processes for their companies. Since 2022, the association has had its own Responsible Business Master Plan 2022-2025 that guides all our actions, which we report on in the Sustainability Report that we publish each year, in integrated report format. In it we explain how the association is creating value over time, integrating financial and non-financial information to show the strategy, governance and performance of our organisation in relation to people and our environment.

AR.- How do you think Spain as a whole is progressing in this respect?

C.L.- Spain is making strong progress in corporate sustainability. Companies are increasingly integrating ESG criteria into their strategies, showing a formal commitment to environmental and social issues, with large companies standing out in particular. 

According to the report ''Communicating Progress 2024. The value of sustainability reporting'', by the United Nations Global Compact, an organisation to which SERNAUTO belongs, 75% of CEOs currently periodically review sustainability risks and 74% supervise environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports. Spain's commitment is particularly notable in environmental sustainability. 92% of Spanish companies participating in the Global Compact declared a formal commitment to the environment, positioning it as the area with the highest level of involvement at management level ahead of other areas such as human rights (86%) and anti-corruption (86%). 76% of the companies in the initiative have implemented energy efficiency measures, exceeding the global average (71%).

However, we see that there is a great challenge with SMEs, which we must all help to get on this ‘train’, because they are key to our business fabric and to the achievement of global objectives. At SERNAUTO we advocate an orderly and fair transition that leaves no one behind and, to this end, it is essential to help SMEs by providing them with financing (public and private), knowledge and support. That is why I always encourage member companies to join our Responsible Business Commission, and thus take advantage of all the knowledge generated around the issues affecting the sector and, in addition, to share good practices and synergies with other colleagues who are immersed in the same processes and situations.