- The meeting +B More than 1,200 economic actors from all over the world will meet under the slogan "Let's Live Impact", with lectures, workshops and workshops to get inspired, share experiences and discuss solutions for the future of the economy in the face of inequality and the climate crisis.
- On the first day, the guests of impact called to lead from a "conscious capitalism" and to listen to the voice of the youngest. The B movement declared a climate emergency and invited all B companies to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Under the slogan "Living Impact" the second global edition of the "Naves Complex" in the city of Mendoza began today at the meeting +Bwhich will bring together the main leaders of the B Movement from more than 30 countries, 14 of which are from Latin America.
The event is supported by the Municipality of the City of Mendoza, the Government of the Province of Mendoza and its Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure and Energy, the provincial Secretariat of Environment and Land Management, the Municipality of the City of Mendoza and the National University of Cuyo; and strategic allies such as Bancolombia, BMW Foundation, IDRC International Development Research Centre, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC, Danone, fiiS International Festival of Social Innovation, Limpiolux, Mercado Libre and Natura.
The Governor of the Province of Mendoza, Alfredo Cornejo, welcomed the participants and emphasized: "two years ago we and our government team set out to be part of the impact".
Theory U: The systemic change we need.
The first plenary session of the morning was given by Otto Scharmer, Creator of Theory U, Professor at MIT and founder of Presencing Institutewho shared and reflected on his theory on the systemic change that society needs for the future that is emerging.
Scharmer started from the idea that we live in a disruptive world "When we face disruption, we close our mind, our will and this leads us to ignorance, fear and hatred; on the other hand, if we open up, we generate curiosity, compassion and courage. We must face disruption," he said.
To drive social change it is necessary to generate an amplification mechanism that "generates positive change". This implies "starting to make a difference in our own sphere of influence". Thus, "success depends on the internal place from which I operate. This means going with an open mind, an open heart and an open will".
In relation to the democratic system, he stressed the need to "create new structures so that democracy is more direct, more distributed and more dialogued". Scharmer reaffirmed the need for a democratic system that includes everyone: "we need a democratic and economic system that cares about the welfare of all. Together there are no limits to what we can do, but we have to unite to carry forward the 4.0 system", the latter being based on the premises of creativity and collective action.
B Corporations: success stories and future challenges.
Late in the morning it was the turn of Juan Carlos Mora, Chairman of Bancolombiawho, under the moderation of Virginia Suarez, President of SB Uruguay and Leader of the Financial Council Bshared with an audience: B Corporations in the Mainstream: Bancolombia Case.
At the beginning of his speech, Juan Carlos Mora stated: "a committed bank understands that we not only have an economic role, but we also have another function, which is to bring people together. I feel proud of what I do, mainly because I am making a difference in an activity that is frowned upon by many". Regarding the role played by financial entities, he commented: "I feel that there is still no awareness of the economic responsibilities of financiers".
Bancolombia has been working with Sistema B for four years: "we have been infected by this vision, measuring what is important". Mora addressed the agents of change: "we are going through a process of progress, but everything that is happening is inevitable, the challenges are not only technological and economic. The hope is there, there are more and more entities that are moving forward and betting on triple impact," he said.
Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO of Danone Global, was present at the meeting through a video, in which he said: "Danone's journey with B Corporations started in 2015 and accelerated when last year, we decided that becoming a B company would be one of Danone's goals for 2030. I am very happy and proud, because only 2 years after starting, we already have 30% of sales certified as B Company and, by the way, I would like to announce and share that in Argentina besides Aguas Danone, which is already B Company, we now have Nutricia Bago, an early nutrition company as B Company.
As far as the challenges of the future are concerned, Juan Garibaldi Vice President Latam, Danone Waters explained Danone's work, which revolutionizes the market every day.
For Juan Garibaldi, the commitment to change depends on everyone. "We have a formal commitment to reduce our carbon footprint, we have a regenerative culture. But we cannot make these commitments alone, we are all responsible," he said. He also stressed the importance of feeling protagonist of this change: "for this to work we have to feel ownership, that is why each member of the company has at least one share of the company", said the Vice President Latam of Danone Waters.
Challenges and the role of business in the face of inequality and the climate crisis.
Guilherme Leal (Co-founder of Natura) y Halla Tómasdóttir (CEO The B Team) discussed the role of business in the face of inequality and the climate crisis. This exchange was moderated by Angela María Camacho, President of Sistema B International.
Leal commented "the climate crisis and the inequality crisis is real, it is concrete but at the same time a great change can be seen today". From his personal experience he affirmed: "I believe that this change is possible, each person is key in this process. We need to have more conscious companies and good governments, because without policies we will not achieve any change. We have a challenge ahead of us, but also a great opportunity".
For her part, Halla Tómasdóttir, highlighted the importance of giving more participation to women in today's economy. "We are going in the right direction, over the last few years we have entered an unsustainable level of inequality. It is a very challenging time." He went on to state, "We need to stop the fight between women and men. Put gender aside, it's about values. We need to change the values at the heart of how we run our businesses."
The closing of the morning plenary sessions was in charge of Maria Paz CigaranCo-founder and CEO of Libélula, and Gonzalo Muñoz, Champion COP25 and Co-Founder of Sistema B, shared the challenges of the climate crisis and inequality in the framework of COP25, which will be held in Chile in December of this year.
In his plenary Gonzalo Muñoz declared a climate emergency on behalf of the B movement, urging and inviting all agents of change and B companies present to join this global initiative. "The B movement declares climate emergency and commits to reach carbon neutral by 2030. The power is in our hands" in front of a packed auditorium at the Scale of the Warehouses complex.
For her part, Maria Paz mentioned "This year is a critical time to follow up on the important agreements that were made for climate change in the Paris Agreement in 2015."
Transformative initiatives: Innovative solutions to common challenges.
In the afternoon, under the slogan "living the impact", attendees joined multiple transformative initiatives in the form of panel discussions around the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), where leaders from various industries shared tips, trends and success stories to put them into practice.
Some of them were; How to discard waste; The role of women as a channel of synergies for the new economies; Responsible ownership; How a triple impact company can ensure its mission in the long term; How to create links of co-creation and possibilities for a sustainable community; The role of women as a channel of synergies for the new economies; Responsible ownership; How a triple impact company can ensure its mission in the long term; How to create links of co-creation and possibilities for a sustainable community.
+B 2019 meeting in numbers
- 3300 people participating in the process
- 83 companies supporting
- 3500 attendees at the meeting and at FiiS
- 15 academic papers presented
- 150 volunteers
- 62 social leaders
- 430 kilos of cardboard for the signage
- 7000 caps for the construction of the signage.
- 21 social organizations.
