Indra’s board approves the new sustainability master plan to boost its leadership
The Board of Directors of Indra, one of the main global technology and consulting companies, has approved an ambitious Sustainability Master Plan for the period 2020-2023, which aims to strengthen the company’s leadership in this respect, as well as turning it into a strategic and differentiating element, by implementing numerous specific actions.
The Sustainability Master Plans draws inspiration from the Sustainable Development Goals, the frame of reference for sustainability at a global level, and from Indra’s Sustainability Policy, which was renewed in March of this year. It aims to strengthen the company’s governance model for a responsible business, enhance its technology with an impact on sustainable development, contribute to combating climate change and protecting the environment, as well as strengthening the relationship with the different company stakeholders, such as professionals, investors, clients, partners, suppliers, and society in general, thus promoting the creation of long-term value for all of them.
In order to achieve this, the Plan establishes a total of 28 specific initiatives within seven pillars – with the KPIs and other detailed indicators to measure their starting point and their progress. These pillars are: Good governance, ethics and transparency; World and Climate Change; People and Talent; Society and Community Engagement; Sustainable Impact Technological Offering with impact; Relationship with Stakeholders and Cultural Transformation.
Among the initiatives which ensure that the company abides by the best good governance, ethics and transparency practices, Indra seeks to reinforce the risk management model in regards to ESG (Environmental, Social and Government) and to continue working in order to guarantee the highest information security, privacy and data protection and to move forward in the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
In order to actively contribute towards the fight against climate change and towards protecting the environment, Indra intends to improve the measurement and reduction of the carbon footprint and energy efficiency, to move ahead with the adoption of the recommendations of the European working group on climate-related financial statements ( TCFD) and manage waste in a more responsible way, according to the principles of the circular economy.
Technological offering with an impact on sustainability
Most of Indra’s products and services already have an impact on sustainability, thanks to such factors as emissions reduction, safety improvement, health, etc. The company wants to make these facts known, highlight their value, and position itself as a technological ally for the sustainability of its clients. Moreover, Indra aims to develop a specific sustainability offering, and design technological solutions which respond through innovation in social and environmental challenges: the fight against global warming, improvement of people’s health and wellbeing, inequality reduction, sustainable cities and communities, and the furthering of peace and justice on a global scale, among others.
Indra already has, for example, solutions which are playing a key role in global climate action, covering a broad spectrum that few corporations can achieve and with a strong impact on the main causes of climate change. Technologies that tackle climate change from space or that move towards transportation, aviation, rail and sea infrastructures that are more environmentally friendly; solutions for the intelligent, efficient and green management of energy in cities and their mobility; and those which, through digital transformation, enable a better use of resources, are all part of the portfolio of solutions that Indra contributes to the protection of the planet. With its technology, it also helps governments and companies be more sustainable.
Indra has also shown its power for social impact during the coronavirus crisis by rapidly developing new solutions in order to respond to the new challenges in health, safety, mobility, etc., developing everything from technologies to provide logistical support to the armed forces during the worst moments of the crisis, to the C-19 Pass application, which made it possible to return to work in offices quickly, safely and easily; and Industry 4.0 solutions, as well as solutions intended for tourism so that companies could respond to the challenges posed by the pandemic. It also developed the Radar Covid application for the Spanish government to track contacts, temperature control systems for airports, capacity control and payment with a bank card for transport as well as cash withdrawals from ATMs without having to touch them.
With its new Plan, Indra also intends to incorporate ESG criteria in its design and manufacturing of products and services. Furthermore, this year, it has geared the fourth edition of its initiative towards intrapreneurship and innovation, Innovators, towards sustainability and post-Covid solutions, presenting professionals with challenges with strong social and environmental elements.
People: at the core
People and their talent are at the heart of Indra’s effort to create a motivational work environment, which fosters innovation, commitment and equality of opportunities. The satisfaction, commitment, health and wellbeing of professionals, as well as the drive to diversity and equality and the development of an inclusive environment for employees with disabilities are all initiatives planned for this area.
The promotion of technological career choices (STEM), the drive to corporate volunteering and the development of sustainability alliances with associations, institutions and national and international bodies, are all part of the goal to generate a positive social impact and contribute to the development of communities where Indra is present.
The pillar of cultural transformation, due its potential impact on the world, people and society, operates across the spectrum and includes the initiatives conceived for the fostering of values connected with sustainability in Indra’s professionals, thus making them true “activists” for the planet and society, launching their initiatives and making their impact known. The first actions planned are the fostering of sustainable mobility, as well as the reduction of single-use plastics, responsible consumption and recycling.
Sustainability leadership
In order to add value Indra’s to leadership in terms of sustainability, the Sustainability Master Plan aims to strengthen the dialog with stakeholders, improve communication and ESG content published by Indra.
Indra has been included as one of the world’s leading companies in terms of sustainability in “The Sustainability Yearbook 2020”, the most prestigious annual report in this field; it has stayed within the Dow Jones Index for 14 consecutive years and has just renewed its stay for the fifth year in a row in the FTSE4Good Index. In addition, it has Prime status in the ISS-ESG Index, and the Morgan Stanley analysts grant it the second-highest rating (AA) in its MSCI index, which values sustainability and information transparency.
Indra is also one of the 15 Spanish companies included in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, a world-wide reference index in connection to diversity, and was recognized as a Top Employer in 2019 and 2020.
Even so, its Sustainability Master Plan aspires to improve its position in the sustainability indexes and world-wide reference ESG indicators.
Measurable commitment
For Indra, responsible business management to maximize its social impact and contribute positively to the sustainability of the planet through technology is an essential part of its purpose as a company. Therefore, it works to integrate sustainability at all levels of the organization and link it to its strategy.
The Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors, created at the end of 2019, will periodically review the progress of the Sustainability Master Plan. On a day-to-day basis, a Sustainability Committee (made up of heads of different areas of the company with an impact in this area) will be in charge of it.
Among many other KPIs, some of the indicators that will be taken into account to assess the progress of the Plan are: the percentage of professionals trained in information security and data protection; the calculation of the carbon footprint and the reduction of energy consumption in the workplace, the tons of CO2 emissions prevented by eco-design and the emissions generated by employee travel or business trips; the percentage of women, of people who can work remotely from home, of people with disabilities in the company and of vacancies filled through internal mobility, the investment in Social Action and the number of beneficiaries from STEM initiatives and volunteering.
