The event also featured the presentation of EGADE Business School's new Master in Sustainable Business, designed to prepare leaders to deliver profitable solutions with a positive environmental and social impact.
By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Sustainable business growth requires vision, action, and a comprehensive understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, agreed experts during the panel “ESG and Sustainable Innovation: Accelerating Business Growth,” held on March 26 in Monterrey as part of the launch event for the new Master in Sustainable Business at EGADE Business School.
Moderated by Eduardo Aguiñaga, National Director of Full-Time Programs at EGADE Business School, the panel featured Karla Lizeth Guerrero, Director and Founder of Ética y Estrategia Consultores and Chair of the Stakeholders Council at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); Adrián Gómez Balboa, Director of Operations at Ramboll Mexico and Executive Committee Member of Chapter Zero Mexico; and Luis Plata Cavazos, CEO and Founder of Girasolve Energy.
Guerrero explained that the ESG approach (environmental, social, and governance) has evolved from a voluntary or philanthropic practice into an increasingly regulated requirement.
“It’s no longer an accessory, because requirements and demands are pushing us, whether we like it or not, to build ESG strategies and take responsibility for our externalities,” she stated.
From his perspective at Chapter Zero, Gómez Balboa warned that many companies still perceive climate change as a distant or unrelated issue.
“One key takeaway is that if we want sustainability to reach the boardroom, we must speak the language of board members, which is the language of finance. If we don’t translate CO₂ emissions into economic impact, we won’t make progress,” he said.
He added that Mexico needs to professionalize boards and promote a more strategic view of climate governance.
Plata shared examples of how companies adopting clean technologies gain reputation and competitiveness.
“Many companies are starting to see solar energy not as an expense, but as an investment. This shift allows them to stand out, keep prices competitive, and reduce their exposure to electricity rate hikes,” he noted.
He also highlighted the technological advances enabling energy independence for households and businesses.
Throughout the panel, the message was clear: sustainability presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
“Let’s not fear change. It’s better to be prepared—responding in the middle of a crisis always costs more,” Guerrero advised.
Plata added that the key lies in conducting honest assessments of energy consumption and seeking solutions rooted in profitability.
“Storing energy will soon be as common as storing water,” he predicted.
A PROGRAM FOR SUSTAINABLE, PROFITABLE, HIGH-IMPACT SOLUTIONS
Prior to the panel, Boyd Cohen, Director of the Master in Sustainable Business, and Paul Juárez, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions at EGADE Business School, presented the new program, which will launch in September 2025 in Monterrey.
Cohen emphasized that the program seeks to position sustainability as an innovation opportunity, enabling the creation of competitive business models that generate positive environmental and social impact while being financially viable.
“We need to rethink the role of business and use technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and renewable energy to generate abundance, improve quality of life, and ensure profitability,” he said.
Juárez highlighted the program’s key differentiators as experiential learning, a global perspective with local application, and faculty connected to Latin American reality.
“We want our students not only to understand trends, but to become agents of transformation for businesses toward sustainability,” he concluded.