Grupo CIO presents its Corporate Sustainability Report 2022

Grupo CIO carries out more than 90 actions linked to the environment, its team and development of local community

Grupo CIO has presented its Annual Corporate Sustainability Report, which includes more than 90 initiatives carried out in 2022. The commitment to society, environmental friendliness, care and quality of life of the people who form part of the company are the pillars that underpin its sustainability policies and measures. The Corporate Sustainability (CS) strategy of the Group, to which Hotel Bahía del Duque, Fuentealta, Grupo Record and Grupo Inmobiliario Islas Occidentales belong, is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the CEO of Grupo CIO, Francisco Javier Zamorano: “The Corporate Sustainability policy of Grupo CIO is implemented with the utmost conviction that our growth must go hand-in-hand with our sustainability goals. Our commitment not only extends to the people who are part of our team, it also encompasses our clients and suppliers in our pursuit of transparency and ongoing improvement.”

At the cutting-edge of environmental measures

Grupo CIO places the management and control of environmental impacts for the conservation and maintenance of natural resources among its priorities. Within this field, during 2022, Hotel Bahía del Duque managed to pass the EMAS audit, a tool developed by the European Union which recognises organisations that have implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) and entered into a commitment of ongoing improvement, and it was certified at the beginning of 2023.

Overall, the Group achieved a new record for the amount and quality of waste recovered for recycling, going from 136 tonnes in 2021 to 430 tonnes in 2022.

Also, the Playa del Duque Sur beach was once again awarded a Blue Flag, a milestone that joins the important progress reducing the Carbon Footprint, with the hotel contracting 100% of its power supply from renewable sources. As well as the recovery of 92 tonnes of waste sent to composting; the consumption of 95% desalinated water, and the 20% reduction of greenhouses gases (GHG) per overnight stay.

In turn, the water company Fuentealta has continued to make progress to reduce its environmental impact by improving processes, incorporating several formats 100% recycled plastic bottles. Thus, the use of recycled PET has already increased by 22%.

Contribution to social development

Grupo CIO has the firm objective of contributing to sustainable human development, through its commitment to the community and society in general. During last year it collaborated in projects with a direct impact on the local population along with over 20 organisations from the third sector and social institutions. In turn, through Fuentealta, the Group donated 160,594 litres of water through more than 160 charitable initiatives.

According to the director of Corporate Sustainability at Grupo CIO, Mónica Rumeu, “as a Canarian company we must be close to the people who live in our community, aware that our growth must go hand-in-hand with our surrounding environment. We promote and participate in projects such as “Teje el Porvenir” (“Weave the Future”), and with associations such as the Red Cross, Cáritas, the foundation El Buen Samaritano and the foundation Sonsoles Soriano o Activoz, which enable us to help to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable people.

Projects such as our mountain cleaning initiative illustrate the sustainability vision of Grupo CIO, as it combines our three commitments: staff, environment, and support for the local community, inviting volunteers from associations linked to the integration of people with intellectual disabilities and people from the Grupo CIO team and their families to clean invasive species from a natural space” she added.

Commitment to create jobs and to staff

Among its actions, the creation of quality jobs and care for its staff are crucial for the development of the business and an essential factor for its growth. Grupo CIO currently has 983 staff, 89% with a permanent contract, and a firm commitment to equality with 55% women in management positions.

The establishment of measures for flexibility, work-life balance, and remote working, ongoing training, and the inclusion of people with disabilities feature among the lines of action. So too does the encouragement of measures to boost professional development through a talent management programme, the Duqui scholarship for the children of staff and the involvement of staff in volunteering actions, of which they are an active part and beneficiaries.

Lastly, it is worth highlighting that Grupo CIO participates, through its Corporate Sustainability management, by promoting its model in different academic forums, such as the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and the University of Milano-Bicocca.