Representatives of business, social, and financial organizations have come together this Friday to emphasize the importance of corporate commitment to society in emergency situations, such as the DANA, which affected the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula last October, and the complexity of reconstruction, a long-term process that requires the collaboration of administrations, civil society, and the business sector.
Under the title ‘Reconstruction after the DANA: the role of the company,’ the meeting organized by Fundación Seres has seen the participation of representatives from BCG, CaixaBank, the Confederación Empresarial de la Comunitat Valenciana, Correos, Cruz Roja Española, the Instituto de Actuarios Españoles, McKinsey & Company, and Unespa, highlighting that "reconstruction is a complex and long-term process that requires the collaboration of administrations, civil society, and the business sector."
The event began with a speech by the president of Fundación Seres, Fernando Ruiz, who emphasized that "the commitment of companies to society is more necessary than ever, especially in emergency situations like the one experienced after the DANA."
"In our country, we have a business fabric that has shown a willingness to collaborate and act in the face of real challenges by putting people at the center. We will only be able to build a new tomorrow thanks to a company based on responsible management, acting with purpose, and corporate commitment connected to social challenges. The company has an active and essential role in reconstruction and in building a fairer, more resilient, and sustainable future," he said.
On the other hand, the president of the Instituto de Actuarios Españoles, Fernando Ariza, addressed the economic and insurance impact of the DANA, with special attention to the material and human losses that continue to affect thousands of people and companies.
Ariza emphasized that "the protection gap of the DANA in Valencia for citizens and companies is estimated at around 11 billion euros." "Given the increasing frequency and impact of extraordinary natural phenomena, we must invest in early warning elements to anticipate and reduce this protection gap. From the actuarial science perspective, we want to contribute to this cause by sharing our Actuarial Climate Index, with which we measure and predict the intensity of climate change to mitigate its impact," he pointed out.
RECONSTRUCTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE
The meeting featured two dialogue tables focused on the main challenges derived from the DANA. In the first one, on the challenges of reconstruction from the perspective of people, CaixaBank’s CEO, Gonzalo Gortázar, and the national president of Spanish Red Cross, Mª del Mar Pageo, participated. Both agreed on the need to put people at the center of business and social action.
"Nothing has generated more pride of belonging among the staff because the solidarity movement is extraordinary, and when your company, your colleagues, react in this way, you feel truly happy to be part of it," said Gortázar, highlighting that "in a situation like this, cooperation with companies and NGOs is very necessary."
"One of the first things we do to promote solidarity is to channel it in the form of donations from our clients," he pointed out, specifying that by the end of April, the financial institution had channeled close to 30 million euros to entities working to alleviate the effects of the DANA.
On the other hand, Pageo indicated that in addition to making corporate donations, companies are "an ideal vehicle" to channel that energy among their different audiences, especially clients, employees, and shareholders, generating trust in the organization’s choice and cause and providing tools for donations.
Thus, she stated that in the DANA, over 112 million euros were raised, of which 51% came from individuals, 47% from companies, and 2% from municipalities, communities, and councils," she said, thanking for the collaboration.
RECONSTRUCTION FROM COMPANIES
The second panel, focused on the role of companies in the face of the DANA and the challenges of reconstruction, brought together the president of the Confederación Empresarial de la Comunitat Valenciana, Salvador Navarro; the president of Correos, Pedro Saura; and the president of Unespa, Mirenchu del Valle. All three highlighted the involvement of the business fabric as a driver of territorial cohesion, resilience, and economic dynamism.
Navarro stated that, as indicated in the study ‘Rebuilding and Transforming. After the DANA: Future Proposals,’ the reconstruction after the DANA cannot be just a repair exercise but must "move towards a more resilient, safe, and sustainable society, with infrastructures prepared for the challenges of climate change, better metropolitan governance, and an economy that puts people, innovation, and sustainability at the center."
Saura emphasized that "Correos has participated in the reconstruction of the DANA by assuming one of the most strategic roles it has: being a State instrument in emergency situations." In his opinion, this role of Correos is "crucial due to the vast physical presence of Correos throughout the territory thanks to its exceptional material and human resources."
Del Valle, on the other hand, considered that "events like the DANA highlight the importance of being well insured and reducing protection gaps." In her view, the social value of insurance lies precisely there, in that "insurance acts as a safety net for society against any adverse event."
SOCIAL IMPACT IN CORPORATE DECISIONS
In the final session, dedicated to learnings and conclusions, the general director of Fundación Seres, Ana Sainz; the president of BCG Spain and Portugal, Rafael Rilo, and the senior partner of McKinsey & Company, Tomás Calleja, emphasized the need to integrate social impact into corporate decision-making and to strengthen public-private collaboration to generate more effective and sustainable responses in crisis situations.
Sainz stated that Seres is "driven by the commitment to guarantee a strategic vision in projects and to position social initiatives as fundamental within organizations, capable of generating value for society and the company." "The social challenges we face require the intervention of all actors, and companies have proven to be key in driving that change," she considered.
Rilo pointed out that "there are three essential elements: coordination between administrations for prevention and response, availability of updated information in a single repository, and the existence of effective mechanisms for alerting the population."
Calleja added that recovery is not simply about returning to the state before the catastrophe happened but about seizing the moment to move towards a better and more solid future.
In his opinion, effective recovery must be based on three fundamental elements: having a clear vision and priorities that define strategic objectives and guide all efforts, creating an institutional entity that centralizes and coordinates actions, avoiding duplication and maximizing impact, and acting quickly and inclusively involving all relevant actors while avoiding scattered or fragmented efforts.