In the climate emergency context in which we find ourselves, sustainability is not a fad but a global necessity, and investors know it. According to Rethinking, listening, collaborating: report on reporting, transparency and sustainability of brands, prepared by the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE), nine out of ten respondents confirm that investors increasingly request to know environmental criteria, social and corporate governance that companies possess.
At the same time, this is a concern shared by consumers, as is unanimously evident in the different studies carried out by organizations ranging from the Edelman confidence barometer to the data periodically published by entities such as the Organization of Consumers and Users ( OCU).
The companies, aware of this change of interests on the part of investors and citizens, have placed sustainability in a priority place in their communications. So, amid the onslaught of ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ products, how do you distinguish the companies that truly make a positive impact from those that just do a green facelift? With independent seals that certify it and give all stakeholders the assurance that they are contributing to environmental and social change.
The Third Sector Platform has just opened the period to request the Solidarity Company Seal, which accredits those companies that seek to generate a positive impact on society by checking the Solidarity Company Box in the Corporate Tax. This is a voluntary contribution with which organizations can allocate 0.7% of their corporate tax to finance projects managed by Third Sector entities aimed at guaranteeing the rights of citizens, fighting poverty, social exclusion and inequality.
As we explained to you a few months ago, it is a box that has been present since the 2018 tax period and that has helped to obtain funds to improve the situation of the more than thirteen million people who live in a situation of social exclusion in our country. . Thanks to the companies that marked it, in that first year more than 24 million euros were raised for social purposes, an amount that has been increasing in subsequent years, reaching a total of 33 and 36.6 million euros in 2019 and 2020, respectively. This year, 186 million euros in total collection could be reached, according to the estimate of the Ministry of Finance.
Thus, thanks to this new certification, citizens can recognize that a company is socially responsible and defends a responsible business model, which is focused on generating a positive social impact and benefits that go beyond the economic.
How to apply for the Solidarity Company Seal
The Solidarity Company Seal can only be obtained if the Solidarity Company Box has been checked and, therefore, only companies that can certify it may apply.
As announced by the Third Sector Platform – the only organization that will validate the seal – the period to request it is now open, with the aim that interested companies can value their decision to generate a positive impact on society and communicate it with accuracy to their clients.
The request must be made electronically through the web, from now and before March 2023. In order to obtain the seal, companies will have to demonstrate that they have checked the Solidarity Company Box in their Corporation Tax and fill in a model of responsible declaration.
Once the requirements have been verified, the Third Sector Platform will share the seal in different formats to facilitate its use and application. Thus, the companies that obtain it will be able to freely use it in their communication actions, including it next to the logo or name of the company, on their website, on their social networks or in their email signature. At the same time, they may also use it in their communications with their clients and with the media, with other companies or entities in the public and private sectors.
