RedES-CAR: Sustainable Enterprise Network in Colombia

The RedES-CAR sustainable enterprise network was launched in 2013 as a cleaner production and industrial symbiosis dissemination programme developed at the Universidad de los Andes School of Management (UASM). The programme responded to the needs of the regional envi-ronmental authority (CAR), to improve SME environmental performance. As elsewhere in the world, improvement of SME environmental performance has been a challenge for CAR, as many SME shared an antagonistic view of the environmental au-thority and considered environmental improvements as a burden instead of a source of innovation and competitiveness. Moreover, large numbers of disperse SME discouraged environmental authorities from reaching out to them. RedES’ main objective is to promote productive transformation of firms and value chains through the application of change strategies, such as CP and IS, in supply chains led by anchor organizations. This objective is achieved by strengthening SME capacities regarding key factors for productive transformation, such as network collaboration and learning by do-ing. RedES’ methodology emerges as a voluntary mechanism to transform and optimize SME processes and products in order to achieve greater productivity and competitiveness. The change model follows the following principles: voluntary participation and adoption, public-private collaboration, integration of organizational, economic and environmental benefits, measurable impact, and empowerment. See: van Hoof, B., & Duque-Hernández, J. (2020). Supply Chain Management for Circular Economy in Latin America: RedES-CAR. Industrial Symbiosis for the Circular Economy: Operational Experiences, Best Practices and Obstacles to a Collaborative Business Approach, 103. From 2013 to 2020, over 500 firms, mainly SMEs, have participated in RedES-CAR to strengthen capacities in sustainable production and to design projects with tangible economic and environmental benefits focused on efficient use of resources, closing material cycles, collaboration through the supply chain. Total economic benefits totaled about USD$20 million, with an average payback period of 14 months. Environmental benefits are assessed by savings in energy, water, waste, CO2 emissions, raw materials and inputs on a monthly or yearly basis. Each indicator has a yardstick or equivalence based on the per capita consumption or generation in Colombia. Water savings are equivalent to supplying more than 40.000 persons per year, avoided residues are equivalent to waste generated by almost 90.000 persons per year, power savings equivalent to supplying over 15.000 homes per year, and avoided CO2 emissions equivalent to withdrawing 11.500 vehicles from circulation per year. According to RedES-CAR follow-up surveys and workshops, almost 60% of participating firms implemented the project they designed. Moreover, 40% of participating firms used the methodology learned to autonomously design and implement new cleaner production and industrial symbiosis projects with tangible economic and environmental benefits See all the projects designed in http://www.redescar.org/resultados-redescar/casos-de-exito