30 YEARS OF IPA, EFFORTS THAT BEAR FRUIT

Thirty years ago, the Institute for Environmental Protection of Nuevo León (IPA), an affiliate of CAINTRA, was born with a premise: to lead the business community of Nuevo León towards the construction of a future in which a positive relationship with nature is a fundamental part of economic development.

The Institute for Environmental Protection of Nuevo León [IPA], an affiliate of CAINTRA, is the chamber's green organization and is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Today the institute is dedicated to accompanying companies, regardless of their size, so that they can incorporate best practices in sustainability and represent them to link them with other actors in society and seek solutions, together, for the environment.

However, this was not always the case. Julio Martínez, IPA Services Manager, who has worked at the institute since 2010, recalls that at the beginning it was a challenge.

"Eight years ago the IPA was perceived as a club that you could only belong to if you had certain credentials. There was a perception that the services provided by the institute were very exclusive," shares Martinez.

"Since we took on this responsibility - Rolando Ibarra, current director of the IPA, and I - we set out to bring together more members, to reach more clients. We wanted the IPA to be an instrument for consultation and management. And, at the same time, to build trust to represent companies and help them overcome their environmental challenges," he continues.

TRANSFORMING LAWS AND REGULATIONS TOGETHER

The IPA has been assumed as a bridge between the business community and the authorities, sustained by the interest of sharing knowledge and best practices. As an example, the technical information obtained in plants and factories becomes an input to improve laws and regulations.

Susana del Toro, a member of the IPA team, talks about this experience.

Susana is a chemical engineer by training, but her role at the institute has led her to provide legal advice to partners on environmental matters. "When you know the technical processes, because of the career, you understand that that there is an impact on the environment and you worry about it from the design of the process," she says. the design of the process," he says. We seek to give back to nature because there is a commitment to to nature because there is a commitment commitment. So the challenge is how to make that retribution and that commitment and commitment can be enshrined in the law, so that more companies can follow so that more companies can follow the right path. the right path.

IPA SEEKS TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY IN ORDER TO SOW AWARENESS AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THAT ACTING IN FAVOR OF THE ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST BEST INVESTMENT.

MAKING AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

One of the IPA's activities consists of to accompany companies to provide them with guidance on how to how to translate their environmental commitment into actions their environmental commitment into action, regardless of each partner's context. context of each partner. "A small or medium-sized partner usually thinks that the or medium-sized partner thinks that IPA services are expensive or not a priority. IPA services are expensive or not a priority," Julio Martinez continues. -It makes sense," Julio Martinez continues. It makes sense, Most companies in this situation live in expectation. live in expectation. They are more concerned about production, about keeping the customer and seeing that their raw material arrives on time. arrives on time.

To achieve this accompaniment, the IPA has an interdisciplinary team, is the only way to provide a comprehensive service that is prepared for all the challenges and the challenges and realities of the different sectors of the industry. industry sectors.

"In our team we have biologists, engineers and even doctors and psychologists -and even doctors and psychologists. We approach the companies We approach the companies and don't tell them what to do. what to do; in the end, they are experts in their products. products. Our task is to offer tools so they can do it better. them to do it better. We want to enrich the customer experience, looking for the why of things. things. We question every parts of the process: why they why they operate at a certain temperature or dispose of waste this or that way. And, as Martínez mentions Martínez mentions, inertia often inertia often causes certain parts of the parts of the process are carried out as a habit, without justification. habit, without justification. Part of the service of the IPA is to put questions on the questions on the table so that clients can answer them, understand them and become more efficient while reducing their environmental impact.

AND HOW CAN A COMPANY REDUCE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?

To achieve this goal, the institute offers two types of services two types of services: training and consulting. consulting. On the one hand, training courses are are published periodically so that members can have access to them. on the environment, occupational health and industrial safety. and industrial safety. The IPA also The IPA also offers members the possibility of tailor-made training courses on specific topics, such as the specific topics, such as hazardous waste hazardous waste management, in which environmental environmental issues and industrial safety aspects. safety issues.

On the other hand, in the area of consulting services, IPA accompanies companies throughout their their entire life cycle; it advises from the customer who arrives with a business idea to the to the company that needs to move or close operations in the right way. We provide complete advice is provided, regardless of the company's the company is, both in technical and legal technical as well as legal issues.

"For me, the IPA should be an information body, a link between companies information body, a link between the companies and the authorities. In addition, it must be more and more more and more open to society. It has established itself as a promoter that shows how to how to do things right in environmental matters, concludes Julio Martínez.

The IPA is clear that it is necessary to continue to change the culture of companies and companies and individuals, so that they are to understand and contribute to the sustainability to the sustainability of their businesses, and, therefore, of society as a whole. It will be there to continue to promote industry to prosper in balance with the environment with the environment, acting responsibly and having a positive impact on society. on society.