Sustainability models shift toward strong environmental protection and business investment

Discussions regarding sustainability are shifting toward more integrated models that view environmental health as a fundamental requirement for economic and social stability.

In Chile, Cristian Echeverría Leal of the University of Concepción emphasizes the concept of ‘strong sustainability.’ This approach argues that natural capital cannot be replaced by technology or economic resources once lost. Unlike ‘weak sustainability,’ which suggests environmental damage can be compensated for with other forms of capital, strong sustainability maintains that critical ecosystems, such as native forests and wetlands, provide irreplaceable functions like water regulation and carbon storage that are essential for human development.

In Spain, the Fundación MAS and the UN Global Compact Spain organized a meeting in Seville to promote sustainability as a business investment rather than an expense. Participants, including representatives from Grupo MAS and the Junta de Andalucía, discussed how to integrate environmental and social commitments into daily corporate management. Companies such as Azvi and Persán shared examples of circular economy practices, such as utilizing waste for construction materials and decarbonization projects, to demonstrate that long-term resilience and value chain management are key to competitiveness.