The Institute for Sustainable Production and EFE renovate their collaboration agreement
16 March 2016 | Madrid
EFE.
The Institute for Sustainable Production (IPS) and the state-owned news agency AGENCIA EFE will reinforce their collaboration and they will promote new joint measures regarding information on sustainable development after renewing the collaboration agreement between both institutions.
The new agreement renovates that concluded in 2013, and it was signed by EFE’s Chairman, Mr. José Antonio Vera, and by his counterpart at IPS, Mr. José Cabrera, and it envisages, among other issues, EFE’s request of the IPS certificate on Sustainability.
In order to receive this seal of excellence, companies must pass a previous audit, confirming that they “meet the norms, is committed with local development, and that it applies environmental impact reduction policies, among other parameters”.
Furthermore, the agreement envisages IPS providing advice on such issues as development and sustainable certification, implementing savings and efficiency measures, or the participation and organization of symposia on these issues.
Information on sustainable development
The renewal means that the collaboration which both entities had been developing on such issues as the diffusion of information on sustainable development, rational use of natural resources, responsible consumption, and raising environmental awareness will continue.
As Mr. Cabrera explained, 'IPS is committed in promoting a corporate culture focused on contributing to sustainable development, showing to companies that including these criteria to the business strategic vision is a profitable decision for innovation, competitiveness, and for corporate excellence'.
He added that he agrees with the commitment shown by Agencia EFE with the sustainable development, since it works, among others, on those issues on which IPS is interested.
'Besides, this collaboration allows us to collaborate with EFEverde, the platform for environmental journalism professionals and media from the first Spanish-speaking news agency, and continue with the process for developing a corporate culture focused on sustainability”, he added.
The IPS Institute began its activities in 2011 with the goal of promoting the involvement of the Spanish production system in the economic, social and environmental sustainability in line with the efficiency, quality, and social responsibility standards existing in the leading countries in this field.
AGENCIA EFE y Grupo SEPI
The Spanish state-owned news agency AGENCIA EFE belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 16 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a final workforce of around 73,000 professionals in 2014; the Spanish state-owned television and radio corporation, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, which is attached to SEPI, and one public foundation. Equally, SEPI has direct minority shareholdings in a further ten companies, and indirect shareholdings in more than one hundred companies.