The Agbar Group has invited its stakeholders to participate in an innovative general meeting where it aimed to be accountable to citizens and consolidate its procedures for "active listening," transparency, and continuous improvement. The three pillars that focused this Wednesday's meeting—commitment to solidarity, employment, and environmental protection—are the basis of the social pact that Agbar has begun to propose in the different municipalities where it operates.
This pact aims to respond "to the main social challenges and contribute to recovery after the pandemic," explained the group chaired by Ángel Simón. Cities like Huelva or Cambrils are already implementing this pact. "It is a fundamental tool to advance future challenges and help sustainable economic recovery," emphasizes the mayor of Huelva, Gabriel Cruz.
Representatives from the third sector, such as Josep Quitet, president of the Red Cross in Catalonia, defended public-private collaboration during the general meeting, as "it is essential to advance social initiatives in current times, where inequality has become chronic."
In this vein, the new CEO of Aigües de Barcelona, Felipe Campos, from the Itaca Educational Association, emphasized "the importance of alliances, with the prominent role of companies, to address the social problems arising from the pandemic."
According to Miguel Vicente, president of Barcelona Tech City, this collaboration is also vital to support the technological ecosystem, as "we must bet on open innovation and connect companies with startups and universities."
"As important as acting is sharing progress in initiatives and providing mechanisms to incorporate viewpoints that allow for continued improvement. This is even more relevant in the current era to provide joint responses to the challenges we face as a society," stated Ángel Simón within the framework of the participatory meeting.