“We are losing the battle against climate change,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphatically stated a few days ago during a speech at Tshinghua University in Beijing, China, adding that “we must not take this planet for granted, for it is the only one we have.”
This is a legitimate and urgent concern of humanity, and although it is not a recent development, it should call upon us business leaders now more than ever. From our actions, which must transcend the mandatory ones, we are called to discourage any dangerous and polluting activity in our operation that puts the sustainability of the planet at risk, and to join together to make an effective contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, through the protection of biodiversity, water resources, mitigation and adaptation to climate change and social integration.
In this regard, and despite the fact that ISA is not a major emitter of Greenhouse Gases, as it generates an average of 48.000 tons per year of direct CO2 emissions, while other industries generate an average of 6 million tons per year, we created Conexión Jaguar in 2016. This is the flagship sustainability program of ISA and its technical allies, South Pole Group and Panthera, which contributes to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
The program consists on the one hand in the implementation of the carbon component in forest recovery and preservation projects, for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in priority areas for the protection, recovery, and connection of natural habitats, which coincide with the territories where ISA is present. On the other hand, the program seeks to promote protection areas for the jaguar in the continent with actions that positively intervene in its passage corridors.
The jaguar is “the largest feline in the Americas” and plays a fundamental ecological role in the balance and proper functioning of ecosystems. In the food chain, it is considered a superior species, acting as a natural regulator of minor species, whose overpopulation destabilizes even essential water sources. It is classified in the IUCN Red List as an endangered species and the number of individuals is declining. Their disappearance would cause changes in ecosystems, including the reduction of water sources. And if there is no water there is no life.
The social component is also key to the program, as it is leveraged in the rural communities where the projects supported by Conexión Jaguar are carried out, contributing to improving the living conditions of rural residents, strengthening their social organizations, as well as raising awareness about the deterioration of the environment and the loss of biodiversity in these communities.
Conexión Jaguar makes us proud because it is an effective contribution to the change we need to save our planet. As a leader, I invite you to reflect on the idea that beyond “doing”, our duty is to motivate, to inspire others so that good deeds transcend for generations. And the time is now.
