Careers Newsletter

If you have trouble viewing this email clic here

	July 2014
	Newsletter

Sustainable Luxury

IE Awards for the Sustainable and Luxury Sectors

On the 3rd of July 2014, IE Business School presented its Awards for Sustainability in the Premium and Luxury Sector in a ceremony held in its Paper Pavilion, designed by architect Shigeru Ban (2014 Pritzker Prize). The main objective of the awards, which went to LOEWE, Elvis & KRESSE, SONEVA, Spazio Sumampa, and DANISH INSTITUTE FASHION, is to recognize the culture and practice of sustainability in the premium and luxury sector.

IE Business School and Argentina’s Foundation for Higher Education and Research joined forces to create the prizes, which are of an exclusively social and cultural nature, and are aimed at recognizing best sales practices, and strategies and innovations in areas related to sustainability in the luxury and premium sector.
The prizes are divided into three categories. Given that on this occasion none of the candidates met the requirements for the watch and jewelry category, prizes were only awarded in the remaining two categories, namely Fashion and Accessories, and Hospitality. The winners were:

In the Fashion and Accessories category the winner was UK company Elvis & Kresse. The firm makes all its pieces using waste materials from the London Fire Brigade, particularly old hoses.
In the Hospitality category, the winner was Soneva, a luxury resort chain which is a pioneer in sustainability in its battle against climate change. Its hotels, in the Maldives and Thailand are designed to “decarbonize” the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide instead of producing it.

In addition to these two prizes, there were three honorary recognitions of consolidated firms:

Danish Fashion Institute (DAFI), was recognized for its capacity for dissemination, given that it promotes the need to integrate sustainability and social responsibility in the world of fashion through international events like the Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Spazio Sumampa, was recognized for its contribution to sustainable luxury in Latin America, helping to generate sustainable income that is also sufficient to live on for women in the province of Santiago del Estero (Argentina), through the diffusion of ancestral textile art that is of great historical and cultural value.
Spanish firm Loewe, was recognized for its long trajectory, having distributed traditional Spanish craftsmanship since 1846, and for the efforts it has made to preserve traditional leatherworking crafts by including them in each step of its production process. Its responsible and sustainable approach is recorded in a sustainability report which details the processes, the people involved, and the results.

In this first edition the awards were presented at the IE Business School campus, in its Paper Pavilion, designed by architect Shigeru Ban. Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, served as master of ceremonies. Ms. Cousteau is a champion of the environment and sustainable management practices for aquatic resources, an ambassador of OCEANA. The opening remarks were made by Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School, accompanied by María Eugenia Girón, Director of the IE and MasterCard Observatory on the Premium Market and Prestige Products and Executive Director of the Awards, and Miguel Ángel Gardetti, Director of Argentina’s Center for Studies on Sustainable Luxury and President and founder of the Prize for Sustainable Luxury.
Mónica Chao, Environmental and Sustainability Corporate Manager at NH GROUP, presented the award to Kreese Wesling, founder of Elvis & Kreese; Enrique Valero, General Director of Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, presented the award to ARNFINN OINES of Soneva; Ovidio Egido, General Director of MasterCard, presented the prize to JOHAN ARNO KRYGER of Danish Institute Fashion; Miguel Ángel Gardetti, Director of IESC and Founder and Director of the IE Awards on Sustainable Luxury, presented the prize to Claudia Mazzola of Spazio Sumampa; while Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School presented the prize to Lisa Montague, CEO of LOEWE.

María Eugenia Girón talked about what the prizes are designed to recognize: “Sustainable luxury means a return to true luxury, to products made to last forever by people who made their mark when they strived to create them. That is the essence of a luxury product. These prizes recognize the companies that have always understood luxury this way. They are also aimed at entrepreneurs who launch projects with the conviction that today, the world has no need of brands that do not serve to make it a better place.”
The honorary prizes are awarded in the spirit of the initiative, which, as founder Miguel Ángel Gardetti says, “are not only a way to gain greater respect for the environment and social development, but should also be synonymous with culture, art and innovation in different countries, and with maintaining the legacy of local craft.”

Click here to visit the award's website.

*in the picture above: all the awarded, the awards' directors and members of the jury. First on the right, Santiago Íñiguez de Ozoño, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School in Madrid.

sustainable luxury and social entrepreneurship

Stories from the pioneers - the book

On the 1st of July, IE Business School, the Premium and Prestige Business Observatory, and the Fundación de Estudios e Investigaciones Superiores were pleased celebrate the presentation of the book Sustainable Luxury and Social, stories from the pioneers.

This book about successful stories from entrepreneurs in sustainable business in the premium and luxury industry was discussed in a round table including the pioneers María José Marín and Alberto Bravo (We are Knitters), Daniel Joutard (Aini), Kresse Wesling (Elvis&Kresse) and Oliver Wayman (Bottletop), as well as the book’s editors Miguel Ángel Gardetti and Maria Eugenia Girón. Welcome words by Joaquín Garralda, Dean of Academic Affairs and expert in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Their stories prove that luxury need not to be a destructive force. Instead, this books opens a window on a world where entrepreneurial pioneers can change the rules of the game.

The book is available at the IE Bookshop, Calle María de Molina 4, Madrid.It is also available here.

face to face

with Mónica Chao Janeiro Environmental and Sustainability Corporate Manager at NH GROUP

Maria Eugenia Girón, Director of the IE and MasterCard Observatory on the Premium Market, and Mónica Chao exchanged some impressions about sustainable luxury:

MEG: The support given by your company to the IE Awards for Sustainability in the Premium & Luxury Sectors proves your interest in this field. What other initiatives has NH taken concerning the environmental or social responsibility?

MCH: NH Hotel Group started to work on sustainability issues in 2008, establishing the Environmental Strategic Plan 2008-2012. This plan contributed to reduce the energy consumption by 25%, the water consumption by 30% and CO2 the emission by 44%, generating savings for the company which exceed € 30 M. In 2013 we worked on elaborating the Group Strategic Plan for the following 5 years, where one of the strategic initiatives is the sustainability initiative. For 2014 we are already setting this new plan in motion, a plan that foresees innovative and specific actions in the sustainability area, something that will allow us to achieve further goals.

MEG: What are the reasons behind this?

MCH: Since we started our Environmental Plan we have been able to get substantial economic savings in operational costs. But besides the economic profit, the development of a sustainability model has allowed us to be leaders of this sector in terms of environmental innovation, sustainable growth, reinvention and solution-offering for the necessities of all our interest groups creating a shared value. This way, developing effectively our plan, we advance in terms of economic, social, and environmental performance, strengthening both the external and internal reputation and promoting competitiveness and sustainability in this sector.

MEG: What are the objectives and projects concerning these issues?

MCH: In 2008 we started establishing efficiency measures and since then our hotels have incorporated the most innovative solutions, concerning energy efficiency and water saving, available in the market. When our customers stay in one of our hotels, they can see, for instance, LED lightning, amenities and oxo-biodegradable pens, as well as laundry bags made out of potato starch. But there is so much more behind this. Visiting our hotels around the world you can come across all the eco-efficient solutions available in the hotel-oriented market. In our facilities you can find machines that use sea or lake water to cool off the condensate equipment or the newest free-cooling machine available in the market. We have greywater recovery to irrigate, high energy-efficiency electric and electronic devices, and so on.
But in addition to the investing on our facilities, we work our product designs incorporating sustainability attributes. For instance, one of the commitments made by our product MICE (Meetings, incentives, conventions and events) is to take active care of the environment and that is why we offer our customers the opportunity to turn their event into an eco-friendly experience, helping fantastic projects that protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development.

MEG: What sentence summarise for you the meaning of sustainability in the hospitality industry?

MCH: Sustainability means working with certain ethical criteria and complying with social requirements, such as equality and justice, and also respecting the natural limits of the environment in which we operate.

with Enrique Valero, General Director of Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine

Maria Eugenia Girón also sat with Enrique Valero and he shared very interesting impressions:

MEG: The support given by your company to the IE Awards for Sustainability in the Premium & Luxury Sectors proves your interest in this field. What other initiatives has Abadía Retuerta LeDomanie taken concerning the environmental or social responsibility?

EV: Respect and care for the environment lies at the heart of the Abadía Retuerta winery’s corporate philosophy, and is one of the key aspects in ensuring the sustainable development and unique personality of each terroir. For this reason, it has drawn up an environmental policy consisting of a series of measures that extend to each of its wine production processes.
The Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine Environmental Policy focuses on the following aspects:

To continue its full compliance with and anticipating environmental legislation applicable to both the winery and the hotel.
To promote the conservation of the environment, flora and fauna. Our legacy.
To minimise its impact on the environment and to work towards the conservation of its natural resources.
To regularly monitor our facilities and the measures applied in order to assess the improvements made in matters of environmental management.

MEG: What are the reasons behind this?

EV: The wealth of habitats to be found in Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine and its surroundings are home to a rich biodiversity and numerous animal and plant species. The holm oak woods, thickets and pine groves, riverbanks, wetlands and vineyards boast a wide variety of autochthonous flora and fauna. Preserving natural beauty and value of this setting and the land has become a priority for Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, which is fully aware of its exceptional location.

MEG: What are the objectives and projects concerning these issues?

EV: Abadía Retuerta is currently immersed in a number of key projects, including the following:

Natura 2000 Network, a European initiative aimed at halting the disappearance of natural species and their habitats, guaranteeing their conservation for future generations. Abadía Retuerta participates actively in this project in order to convert this natural setting of immense environmental interest and value into a tourism attraction and therefore a key means of generating added value for the traditional products this area is renowned for. Examples include the winery’s work to enable many species that live in this area to adapt to their environment and the creation of a hunting plan in collaboration with local authorities, in which wildlife conservation is a key priority.
Plan for the Abadía Retuerta countryside. Since 1996 ongoing work has been carried out aimed at caring for the forestland and boosting biodiversity. The activities have included tree planting, the clearing of pine forests and the creation of fire-breaks. To date, around 65,000 pine trees have been planted in Abadía Retuerta. Work on this countryside plan got underway in 2007 with a series of objectives: to conserve, stabilise and improve the forestland; to secure the sustained performance of forestland production; and to consolidate the area’s biodiversity.
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) / PEFC Seal. The standards of excellence that govern our countryside management systems, in keeping with Sustainable Forest Management principles (SFM) have earned us the PEFC seal (the world’s most most important forest management system). This ecological certification extends to all forest-based food and agricultural produce obtained from the Abadía Retuerta woodland, including wood, pine cones and nuts, wild mushrooms, aromatic plants, honey, black truffles, etc. The use of this seal as part of its corporate image is clear proof of the company’s commitment and contribution to protecting the planet’s forestry resources.
Biological pest control projects. The estate is currently working with the International Foundation for Ecosystem Recovery (FIRE) on two projects:

Biological controls using insectivorous birds. Granted by the Biodiversity Foundation (a public foundation funded by the Spanish Government and associated to Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment). In order to provide a natural alternative for vine pest control, more than 50 nesting boxes have been installed in the vineyards and the surrounding pine groves. Destined for small birds with a high metabolic rate, they have the capacity for up to 200 insect feeds in a single day. Some of these species (coal blue tits) feed avidly on insects and their larvae. The project includes the revegetation of 1.5 km of boundaries and hedgerows with no fewer than 13 forest species that are autochthonous to the Mediterranean landscape. The intention is to create areas providing protection, shelter and food for these birds, and to act as a filter for insects arriving from outside the area.

Biological control of starlings (Turdus unicolor) that feed on the grapes. Eight small birds of prey (kestrels and owls) aged between just 30 and 40 days were brought onto the estate in order to enable them to adapt and acclimatise to the area. As part of this project, 50 posts have been installed around the vineyards. The birds of prey will perch on these 5 metre wooden posts and control the birds entering the vineyards. Several of the posts also include nesting boxes for the birds of prey.

Natural fire prevention: An agreement has been reached with the Valladolid Forestry Association whereby herds of goats may graze on the scrubland and plant shoots, thereby providing a natural way to prevent the risk of fire. When conceived as an ongoing action, rather than just a one-off measure, the effects are the same as those obtained from mechanical clearing methods, but with the added advantage of the long-term maintenance of fire-break areas. Likewise, it has been observed that controlled grazing produces strong and thorny regrowth, and that investment costs for livestock breeders are lower in comparison with extinction. This activity is again further proof of Abadía Retuerta’s commitment to conserving the region’s natural and social heritage and to contributing to rural development.

Restoration of the limekilns (Caleras). Several kilns that were formerly used to produce lime using traditional methods have been discovered and restored.These limekilns were dug into the ground and the walls covered with clay to keep the heat in. They were used to fire a paste that was left to dry and could be kept in powder form. Known as mortar, it was a common building material.

MEG: What sentence summarise for you the meaning of sustainability in the hospitality industry?

EV: Here at Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine we have a deep respect for biodiversity and the nature that surrounds us, for the earth, seasons, time-honoured traditions, history and our unique heritage. A sense of respect that drives us to care for, enjoy and put our environment to good use.

MEG: Which are the goals of the company related to this field?

EV: All the challenges are based on our five pillar strategy:

Conserving the environment
Responsible use of resurces
Sustainable grape and wine growing. “No intervention”
Emissions calculation. Carbon foot print
Water management

MEG: What about Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine' sustainability policies?

EV: All the suistainability policies are embraced by our hotel Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine and have conditioned the restoration of the building in order to integrate a 5 star hotel in to the abbey complex rendering it safe and sustainable.

DENMArk and the sustainable fashion

according to Maria Eugenia Girón

This article published inTheLuxonomist deals with the impressions after the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.