Roca Group drives the UN Global Compact’s "Sustainable Suppliers" program

• 3,420 SMEs from over 50 countries have joined the training program organized by the UN Global Compact, ICEX, and the ICO Foundation.

• The program focuses on addressing the barriers SMEs face in sustainable transformation: knowledge, lack of tools, and other training resources.

 

The second edition of the "Sustainable Suppliers" training program, a joint initiative of the UN Global Compact Spain, the ICO Foundation and ICEX, driven by Roca Group and 36 other Spanish large companies, kicks off with the participation of 3,420 SMEs from over 50 countries. This figure marks a significant increase of over a thousand companies compared to the first edition, highlighting the growing interest and commitment of SMEs worldwide to adopt more sustainable business practices.

Small and medium-sized enterprises declare identifying opportunities in this integration, such as attracting new customers or meeting the requirements of large companies, but many do not take the step due to the barriers they face. In fact, supplier companies participating in the first edition identified limited knowledge in the field (37%) and the absence of tools and training resources (34%) as obstacles to initiating sustainable transformation. These findings underscore the importance of initiatives like this "Sustainable Suppliers" training program, which not only provides comprehensive training but also addresses the specific needs and perceived barriers of SMEs.

Specifically, the program lasts for seven months and includes four training modules on sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. All this training is offered online and free of charge through an exclusive platform in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, with access to courses, recorded sessions, guides, and practical cases. This multilingual approach allows the participation of supplier SMEs internationally, as reflected in the participating companies of the second edition, which come from 50 different countries.

The record participation in this second edition has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of 37 partner entities of the UN Global Compact Spanish Network, which have invited supplier SMEs from their global supply chains. These are: Abanca, Abertis Infraestructuras, Acciona, Accenture Spain, Acerinox, Agbar, Aleatica, BASF Española, BBVA, CaixaBank, Cajamar, Enagás, Endesa, Ferrovial, Eulen, Galletas Gullón, Antolín, Grupo Eroski, Grupo Santander, Grupo Tragsa, IBERIA, Iberdrola, Ilunion, Indra, Leroy Merlin España, Mutua Madrileña, Naturgy Energy Group, Navantia, NTT Data, PortAventura World, Repsol, Roca Group, Sacyr, Sanitas, Técnicas Reunidas, URBASER and Vertex Bioenergy.

By being part of the program as driving entities, these companies promote the sustainable transformation of their supply chains and can monitor the performance of their supplier SMEs in it, fostering transparency and collaboration throughout the value chain.

In turn, upon completing the training, supplier SMEs will receive a certificate validating their participation and compliance with the program. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to collaborate in a study designed to identify the main sustainability challenges for all participating SMEs, as well as opportunities for improvement.