Características de la comunicación para la sostenibilidad (CS) en empresas multinacionales en Colombia incluidas en el Índice Dow Jones de Sostenibilidad (2019)

Abstract

The growing damage that the planet faces, such as pollution and overexploitation of natural resources, to name a few, as a result of the exercise of various actors in society, are becoming increasingly visible and, therefore, different sectors of society are implementing initiatives that aim to have a positive impact and greater balance from the triple bottom line of sustainability: the environmental, social and economic aspects. In this context, organizations are called upon not only to assume their responsibility in the face of the crisis facing the planet, but also to develop initiatives that motivate other sectors to commit to change and responsible care of resources. Based on this, this work aims to analyze the characteristics of Sustainability Communication (SC) in three multinational companies in Colombia included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, in 2019. To achieve this, qualitative descriptive research was carried out, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed, and an analysis of the content of the sustainability reports and news on the websites of the companies under study was made. The findings allowed us to conclude that, although the companies do not work consciously on the concept of SC, they are implementing actions from the communication pointing to the characteristics proposed by the Sustainability Communication. However, ensuring that these aspects transcend all sectors and the different companies operating in Colombia is a challenge. Therefore, it is necessary that, from the academy and the same organizations, this perspective is developed and promoted much more, which not only covers the strategy of a company, but also impacts the way in which it relates to its environment, allowing a greater balance at all levels. In this sense, Sustainability Communication is a set of efforts articulated between different actors and sectors of society to achieve better conditions for life and the planet, and it is relevant that companies are the ones that significantly demonstrate this commitment.

Los crecientes daños que enfrenta el planeta como, por ejemplo, la contaminación y sobreexplotación de recursos naturales, por nombrar algunos, producto del ejercicio de diversos actores de la sociedad, están siendo cada vez más visibles y, por esto, diferentes sectores de la misma están implementando iniciativas que le apuntan a tener un impacto positivo y un mayor equilibrio desde la triple cuenta de la sostenibilidad: el ámbito ambiental, social y económico.