SANTO DOMINGO. -The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), and the Popular Foundation, through its “Alejandro E. Grullón E.” Chair of Sustainability, trained 88 representatives of the Dominican business sector in workshops on “Impact Management and Measurement for Sustainability”.
The initiative, carried out with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, aimed to strengthen the capacity of organizations to integrate sustainability criteria into decision-making, increasing their contribution to the country's sustainable development through actions that generate a positive impact on people and the planet.
These workshops are part of the efforts of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD) to design an integrated national financing framework (INFF), which will allow the Dominican Republic to align its public and private financing sources with sustainable development priorities, according to a press release.
The event aimed to train companies to incorporate sustainability into their initiatives. (EXTERNAL SOURCE).
The training was led by Belissa Rojas and Diego Pereira, international experts in impact and sustainable finance, with local support from UNDP specialists Melisa Bretón and Víctor Rodríguez.
The approach taught will enable companies to assess and manage the effects of their activities, optimize resources, improve decisions, promote innovation, and produce more accurate reports, aligning their operations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Strengthening capacities for sustainable impact
In this regard, Angye Rincón, director of the “Alejandro E. Grullón E.” Chair of Sustainability, stated that “this training, led by UNDP experts in partnership with other entities and business associations, seeks to move from statements to the effective measurement of impact, promoting a culture of transparency and accountability in all sectors.”.
Sanja Bojanic, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, noted that “in the Dominican Republic, more and more companies have committed to this mission, taking key actions to mitigate risks and transform their business models. However, there are significant challenges to maximizing these contributions, especially among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 32% of the national GDP.”.
Meanwhile, Dabeida Agramonte, manager of the Projects Division of the Popular Foundation, highlighted that “we are at a point of transformation of business practices and investment; financial decisions no longer have to be separated from social and environmental impact; measuring and managing impact is now a fundamental pillar for sustainability and competitiveness.”.
