David Auerbach and Javier Zapatero are perfectly positioned to address the rise in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues across different sectors and jurisdictions on the continent.
Auerbach is the co-founder of Regen Organics, part of the Sanergy Collaborative, a company which manufactures organic fertilizer and insect protein for animal feed from residual organics in fast-growing cities in emerging markets.
Zapatero is the head of the project finance legal team at Proparco, part of the French Development Agency group, and has been working with development finance institutions (DFI) since 2010, with a streamline focus on infrastructure, telecommunications and energy generation projects in the past nine years.
Their business strategies have been centered around the green revolution to ensure that food production meets the needs of the growing population, and to mitigate inequalities while fostering economic resilience and growth.
While Regen Organics is able to successfully tick all the boxes when it comes to being ESG compliant, Auerbach says it has become a challenge for small companies to accurately account for carbon emissions, adding that it places a burden and expectation on a company to be able to prove truth through very complicated measurements.
Zapatero points out that from a DFI perspective, thorough due diligence on ESG matters is carried out with a client, taking the local regulations into account. Furthermore, Proparco has its own environmental and social plan which is followed and will go beyond the local regulations if their standards dictate the need.
Technology is also playing a key role when it comes to reporting on ESG efforts. Auerbach says the company is looking into the prospect of engaging with the end users of their products through an AI-generated survey, among other technology tools and apps.
In the podcast Zapatero and Auerbach provide details on how they engage with stakeholders, including local communities, government and investors, to support their ESG goals.
This lively conversation wraps up with the host and guests sharing their views on the COP 28 summit.
Click here to listen to the full podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music.
Click here to access additional audio platforms.
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