Ferran Miquel: "At ISDIN, we believe that a fundamental principle is to use businesses as forces for good."

World Melanoma Day is celebrated on May 23rd. It is the most dangerous and aggressive type of skin cancer. This year, 9,408 new cases are expected to be diagnosed due to sun exposure, so prevention is essential. We spoke with Ferran Miquel, Director of ESG at ISDIN, about the school's training campaigns on the subject.

What are the motivations and objectives of ISDIN's ESG initiatives?

In 2019, ISDIN formalized its ESG area, evolving from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from doing things spontaneously to having a structured strategy, plans, measurement, and dedicated budget. The goal is to be a responsible company with a purpose at its core, implementing its business model responsibly. A fundamental principle is to use companies as forces for good.

What are the objectives of ESG?

ISDIN's ESG initiatives are structured around several areas, including skin cancer prevention and environmental protection. A key scientific premise is that not burning before the age of 18 significantly reduces the future risk of skin cancer (by up to 78%), which has driven initiatives aimed at children, such as the school campaigns that have been running for 30 years. Thus, on the one hand, there is skin cancer prevention, the Love Your Skin Movement, which aims to create a world where skin cancer does not exist. It is pursued through four pillars: an academic component, which has resulted in the creation of the International School of Derma to educate and generate knowledge about skin cancer; and an awareness component, which highlights school campaigns. The third pillar is social action, such as the program in Mozambique to help people with albinism. And finally, partnerships, to raise awareness or assist groups at particular risk, such as transplant recipients.

What are the training campaigns like?

Last year, more than 400,000 children were trained worldwide, 350,000 in Spain. The campaign, which began in Spain 30 years ago, is now carried out in all countries where ISDIN is present, adapting to the local culture. We call on dermatologists and pharmacists who want to provide training in schools and contact thousands of schools offering this training. Professionals are connected to schools; if direct assistance is not possible, teachers or school healthcare staff are trained. Recreational materials are used, such as stories, activities, and texture workshops, developed with educators and dermatologists, adapted to different ages. It is important to note that the content materials are not branded, as the goal is to raise awareness, not sell. Furthermore, we invite diplomas to be awarded and the School Photoprotected seal is granted to schools that meet certain criteria. Associations with sports are also used, such as with Carlos Alcaraz and tennis tournaments, including specific sessions for ball boys.

And what is the Mozambique Program like?

This initiative supports people with albinism. These individuals have a genetic condition that prevents them from producing melanin, leaving them without natural defenses against the sun and at extremely high risk of skin cancer. ISDIN sends dermatologists and sunscreen to assist this community, which is estimated to number around 40,000 people in Mozambique. Furthermore, ISDIN is committed to donating 1% of its sales to society through skin care programs ( Back to the Society ) and aims to become a leader in the fight against skin cancer.

And in the field of the environment?

The Love Your Planet Movement represents ISDIN's way of transcending its business model and having a positive impact on the planet. Given its focus on sun protection and its Mediterranean origins, ISDIN decided to focus on the Mediterranean Sea. Since we couldn't achieve significant change alone, the Blue Wave Alliance was born to generate a broader movement. The goal is the recovery of the Mediterranean. This initiative is structured around three pillars. One is scientific, with a committee of leading experts in the marine environment that guides the actions and areas of action. Another, the Dreamers , includes people and projects that work directly to recover the sea, for example, replanting Posidonia with Manu Sán Félix, or collecting plastic with Gravity Wave . Another pillar is the companies, which provide resources, management capacity, and outreach in support of the Dreamers. ISDIN supports and guarantees the Alliance, but seeks to extend it beyond the company so that more actors join.

Is so-called 'green posturing' a hindrance to ESG?

It's an enemy of all. Greenwashing not only affects the company that practices it, but also the consumer who might be deceived, although it's harder to deceive anyone today than it was a few years ago. The consequence of greenwashing is a social backlash. Society and consumers become skeptical. This skepticism is generating a counter-movement called greenhushing . This behavior occurs when companies do many things related to sustainability but don't explain them publicly. This happens out of fear of being accused of greenwashing . This prevents consumers from discerning what is real and what isn't. Furthermore, it sometimes leads to companies that are actually doing things, like ISDIN, not explaining them, in part to ensure they don't confuse anyone or generate unrealistic expectations. ISDIN itself sometimes ends up falling into a portion of greenhushing . ISDIN's perspective, in general, is that we focus a lot on doing things and sometimes not enough on telling them. We focus more on making things happen than on communicating them to the outside world. Although we do explain some things, I think less than we should. This reinforces the idea that the perceived risk of greenwashing can lead to a lack of communication about real sustainability actions, which is a real problem for the system.

Does greenwashing create distrust among customers?

Green posturing, or greenwashing, is a problem that generates mistrust and, paradoxically, can lead companies that act responsibly to withhold their initiatives for fear of criticism, creating the phenomenon of greenhushing . We report our carbon footprint publicly through CDP, a very demanding standard that evaluates not only the footprint but also the management of associated risks, opportunities, objectives, and plans. Obtaining an 'A' rating on CDP indicates leadership in the management and, therefore, in monitoring one's carbon footprint. Carbon footprint reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreements have been established through the SBTI initiative. These targets are quantifiable, for example, a 50% reduction in direct footprint and a 50% reduction in indirect footprint intensity by 2030, which requires continuous monitoring of progress toward these goals. Although the regulations have been extended in Spain, ISDIN is preparing to report under the European Union's CSRD ( Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive ), which requires robust systems for collecting and tracking non-financial data.

How are ESG objectives implemented?

The implementation of ESG objectives does not fall solely on the small three-person ESG team; the key to the strategy is for the entire company to act responsibly. The ESG team acts as an agent of change, driving the necessary transformations. Thus, the Packaging Innovation teams work on eco-design, and the R&D teams test formulas to minimize their environmental impact. Everyone at ISDIN has an ESG-related objective. The company also influences its value chain, requesting environmental certifications from suppliers and collaborating with key providers to reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore, the company focuses on training for pharmacies through the platform, including sharing ESG initiatives and inviting them to participate.

And how is the company's internal environmental management implemented?

In this area, ISDIN focuses on material impacts such as its carbon footprint, water management, and wood derivatives. ISDIN has been publicly reporting its carbon footprint through CDP since 2021 and has established Science-Based Reduction Targets (SBTI) aligned with the Paris Agreements. We seek to reduce our direct footprint by 50% and our indirect footprint by 50% in intensity by 2030. To achieve these goals, there are multiple initiatives, such as reducing air shipments, using biodiesel (HBO) in European land transport, and migrating the corporate fleet to hybrid vehicles.

What has the B-Corp certification and recertification achieved meant?

The first step after formalizing the ESG area was to assess our position in this area and structure a plan for future growth. We evaluated various certifications and chose B-Corp because it seemed the best fit due to its holistic understanding of the business. Unlike other certifications that evaluate only processes, specific areas, or products, B-Corp evaluates the entire company holistically. This assessment system gave us a very clear guideline for how to grow in the future in terms of ESG. Beyond the certification itself, the most positive aspect was that it gave us a very clear guideline on where to focus, becoming one of the most important drivers for our ESG 2030 strategic plan and the resulting initiatives.

The process to obtain certification began in early 2020 and lasted all year. It is a complex and truly demanding process. ISDIN decided to certify the entire company, including all its geographies and business areas, which was especially demanding. Due to the company's size and the differences between regions, such as the Americas versus Europe and China, B-Lab, the organization behind B-Corp, required two separate assessments and audits to ensure consistency. Confirmation of the certification came on December 23, 2020. The score obtained in that first certification was 85.8 points. The B-Corp philosophy of using businesses as forces for good is something ISDIN deeply believes in and something that inspires our Love Your Skin and Love Your Planet movements. ISDIN recertified as a B-Corp in 2024.

What demands are placed on supplier and customer chains?

ISDIN seeks to influence its value chain. This includes requesting environmental certifications from its suppliers. We also carry out collaboration programs with key suppliers, for example, to help them reduce their carbon footprint. And with the large corporate chains that are our clients, they often have their own ESG teams and their own requirements. ISDIN, as a supplier, must respond to these requirements or attend meetings, as these chains evaluate their suppliers as part of their own sustainability or ESG management. This type of interaction doesn't usually occur with smaller clients who need support. For example, in the case of pharmacies, which are small clients, the main focus is training, and they use the platform, which offers training to thousands of pharmacists on various topics, including ISDIN initiatives. We also invite them to take part in these initiatives, such as the Juntas campaign, where every product sold is donated to cancer research. In this sense, we not only explain what ISDIN does, but we also involve them in it.