In Bridgestone, the recognition of sustainability as the center of the business strategy in the medium and long term has been fundamental, this coupled with the commitment of the company, which goes from the top management to all the collaborators, has been fundamental for the success not only from sustainability strategies, but from the company.
“Sustainability has always been part of Bridgestone, it is reflected in our mission statement to Serve Society with Superior Quality and since the beginning of the company in 1937, when our founder Shojiro Ishibashi stated that“ a company that only seeks to generate Profits cannot prosper, while the one that contributes to improving society and its country will be prosperous forever ”, highlighted Josseline Leiva, Senior Specialist in Public Relations and Social Responsibility.
Aligned with the commitment to collaborate in the construction of a more sustainable society, in this year, in Bridgestone they established a new sustainability structure, in which the commercial strategy considers sustainability at the center and which aims to establish a business model in that business value, as well as revenues and profits, are generated sustainably.
In addition, the company has a global commitment to social responsibility known as Our Way of Serving, focused on three priority areas: Mobility, People and the Environment, with which it contributes to improving the way people move, live, work. and they play.
The environmental axis is central to the organization, so in 2020 they launched new global environmental objectives, among which the following stand out: increase, by 2030, the use of recycled and renewable materials by 40%, execute a management plan of water in production plants located in areas of water stress by 2030 and reduce CO² emissions by 50% by 2030.
At the Latin American level (including Mexico), the company has a sustainability plan that aims to collaborate to fulfill its vision of continuing to provide social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company by 2050. “To achieve this we focus on initiatives closely related to our products and solutions such as: developing a robust portfolio of products for hybrid and electric vehicles, strengthening the positioning of products aimed at reducing carbon emissions during use, such as Ecopia and Fueltech, and strengthening the Bandag renewed business, which it saves oil, water and other materials by replacing just the tread, ”explained Josseline Leiva.
As a company, they also work on initiatives aimed at making efficient use of natural resources in their production processes, increasing the recycling of tires that have ended their useful life and have social responsibility programs on issues such as road safety, health and education in the communities.
The issue of diversity and inclusion is also a fundamental axis in Bridgestone’s sustainability strategy, which is why they maintain initiatives to promote greater gender equity in their operations through diverse and inclusive recruitment programs. There are also two ERGs (Employee Resource Groups or affinity groups): BWIN focused on women and BProud for the LGTBIQ + community and its allies, these groups are support networks led by Bridgestone’s own collaborators who seek to provide opportunities for community service, learning and development, strengthening the business and also building a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
With all the challenges that 2020 and 2021 have faced in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has maintained its commitment to society and the initiatives in these years have been focused on meeting the needs that have arisen in this scenario. .
In the case of Mexico, the country has been part of regional campaigns with the following results:
- Donation of 910 packages of masks, food and personal hygiene products distributed in Mexico and Costa Rica.
- More than 200 tires were delivered to equip 53 Red Cross ambulances in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic
- Delivery of 1,800 Covid-19 contagion prevention kits in information campaigns to carriers in Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia.
- Donation of tablets, school supplies, toys and jackets to children of the Amelia B. de Casas school in Iztapalapa.
In 2021, the company also resumed its Llantatón tire collection program in Mexico, in which, in alliance with the Secretariat for Sustainable Development (SDS) of the Morelos government, we were able to collect 65 tons of tires that reached the end of their useful life.
“For next year we will continue working on the issues that have been defined as core to the organization: Product portfolio aligned to sustainability (for hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient vehicles, etc.), continue to strengthen our Bandag business, reducing the use of natural resources in our manufacturing plants, promoting end-of-life tire recycling and circular economy initiatives, and of course supporting communities and promoting diversity and inclusion in our operations ”, he highlighted Sr specialist in Public Relations and Social Responsibility.
Finally, it should be noted that the sustainability strategy is also aligned to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at the regional level they are working and making active contributions to 12 of the 17 SDGs. In addition, from the global corporate, efforts have been made to carry out materiality studies and analysis of what are the issues on which resources should focus and this has been of great value for decision-making at the regional level to become a company of advanced solutions that add value to society and customers, by 2050.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx