Blog | The ESR Distinctive, the first approach to Sustainability in Mexico


For many organizations, the ESR Distinctive is the door to begin aligning with new national and international standards and indices.

The Socially Responsible Company Distinction (or ESR in Spanish) is awarded by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI) and the Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexico (Aliarse); it is relevant in Latin America and, in terms of sustainability, it is the most well-known in the country by both the private sector and the consumers.

The distinctive recognizes companies for integrating socio-environmental value to their operations considering their stakeholders interests, and for stating voluntarily and publicly that Social Responsibility management is a fundamental piece both in their corporate culture and in their business strategy.

Its importance at the business level lies in the fact that it considers indicators aligned with various frameworks, standards, recognitions, communications, agreements, and national and international certifications, such as:

  • ● ISO 26000
  • ● GRI Global Reporting Initiative
  • ● OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
  • ● Manual of Good Corporate Practices CCE
  • ● Standard AA1000
  • ● SA 8000 certification
  • ● ETHOS / Peru2021 CSR Indicators
  • ● Principles of the UN Global Compact
  • ● ISO 14001
  • ● Vienna Convention O3
  • ● Declaration of Rio Environment and Development
  • ● Millennium Development Goals
  • ● Earth Charter
  • ● UNIAPAC CSR Matrix (USEM)
  • ● Family Responsible Company

The integration of these indicators is the reason why the ESR distinctive can function as a first approach to all these frameworks and indices, since in addition to providing a self-diagnosis for the organization, it also generates an overview of the interconnection between the different assessments that exist and are related.

These indices and frameworks help companies to identify the most relevant issues and areas of opportunity, as well as to develop mechanisms and strategies that allow them to establish clear objectives in the various sectors that make up sustainability.

Both for the ESR distinctive and for other recognitions, it is recommended that companies have tools that help them in the collection of information and management of documentation. This is important especially for new companies in the field of sustainability as it will help them to fully comply with the requirements for each of the processes.

On August 2, the call for ESR 2022 for large companies began, the registration is open until November 12 2021 and it can be consulted (available only in spanish) at the following link: https://www.cemefi.org/esr/descargas/2021/Convocatoria_ESR_2022_Grande.pdf

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