Madrid, 25 June 2025. The Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) and the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors (EJE&CON) held a meeting entitled "New sustainability information scenario: opportunity or risk?" A meeting that highlighted the need to defend the key role of international standards in turning sustainability into a competitive advantage for SMEs.
The session brought together executives, experts, and SME representatives to discuss how to address current sustainability challenges and, above all, how to transform these challenges into real opportunities for competitive improvement.
The debate follows the European Commission's latest decisions, which ease some regulatory requirements on sustainability, but also open the door for SMEs to position themselves as active players in the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) field.
Javier García, director general of UNE and vice president of ISO, defended the importance of international standards as management tools: "Global standards provide an effective response to major ESG (environmental, social, and governance) challenges, helping SMEs advance in sustainability and strengthening their competitiveness".
Cristina Sancho, president of EJE&CON, highlighted “the challenge that the demanding European regulatory framework represents for SMEs, even now that reporting obligations have been relaxed, which must be implemented for it to be applicable. If achieved, sustainability will bring great value to businesses: reputation, financing opportunities, efficiency and innovation".
During the day, Iván Moya Alcón, head of Sector Transformation at UNE, presented the benchmark standards for the sustainability challenges of SMEs, recalling that "although many SMEs are not currently required to report on ESG, having a management model aligned with these standards is already a differentiating factor and a way to improve competitiveness".
The round table moderated by Yolanda Pérez (Vice President of Good Governance at EJE&CON) gathered very practical experiences from companies such as Arteche, Hispasat, and Specialisterne, which are incorporating sustainability into their culture and business model:
Cristina Ordóñez (Arteche): "The conversation around ESG has spread throughout the organisation. It's a long-term process of cultural change".
Miguel Tauler San Miguel (Hispasat): "Integrating these standards helps us strengthen the company's DNA, although it requires continued effort and commitment from senior management".
Diana Bohórquez (Specialisterne): "International standards have allowed us to strengthen trust with our clients and integrate neurodiversity into decision-making".
The Meeting was closed by Luis Rodulfo, Vice President of UNE, President of CEPCO and member of the Board of Directors of CEPYME, who highlighted UNE's purpose: "to contribute to the shared progress of society and to building a safer, more sustainable and competitive world".
UNE and EJE&CON are committed to continuing to promote the use of technical standards as a lever for building a more sustainable and competitive economy, convinced that properly applied sustainability can offer Spanish SMEs a real advantage in the coming years.
