Marcela Chacón shares with us about ESG, female leadership, and Bayer´s commitment to the Environment

Marcela Chacón is the  Bayer Senior Manager, International Stakeholders Relations, also assuming functions of Counselor of the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Industrial Chamber of Costa Rica. Previously, Marcela held positions in the Government sector as Vice Minister of Public Security and Interior, being also a columnist in "La Extra" newspaper. Her early career was as a Legal Advisor and Training Specialist at the US Embassy in Costa Rica.
Latin Counsel has spoken with Marcela about her experience and her vision for the coming year.

Latin Counsel: What can you share about your experience at COP27?

Marcela Chacón: Although it is true that the expected commitment objectives were not achieved on the part of some of the main actors, COP27 became the stage in which, for the first time, important issues that were not mentioned in Glasgow during COP26 were brought up to the discussion table. In particular, the issues of agriculture as part of the solution, food safety, exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and which has affected a huge number of countries including the Arab world that depends on Ukrainian wheat production, and water as a transverse component that directly affects the two basic elements for human and animal life: health and food. This last issue is so critical that the United Nations Conference on Water will be held in March 2023, in an attempt to reach real commitments on the part of the member countries, and will also aim, in an inclusive way, to extend conversations about good practices and innovative models with the "academia", civil society and the private sector. On this matter, I am convinced that COP28 will emphasize water issues both due to the need for access for human and animal consumption, as well as in relation to clean and renewable energy. The United Arab Emirates will serve as a forum for this new COP, a destination that undoubtedly requires profound and surgical changes in the issues of energy use and the reduction of fossil fuel production.

Latin Counsel: On your LinkedIn profile, you wrote about Bayer’s initiatives to combat climate change, touching on important issues such as deforestation (LEAF Coalition) and desertification (Drought Resilience Alliance). What other commitments and responsibilities does Bayer have with the environment?

Marcela Chacón: Bayer has a significant range of projects and responsibilities within its sustainability objectives, and in general ESGs. Participation in the LEAF Coalition, a global public-private initiative in which more than $1.5 million has been mobilized since its launch during COP26, will favor the purchase of carbon emission reductions from countries within the tropical belt, in order to reforest this protective ring around the world. Costa Rica, Ghana and Ecuador will be the first to benefit from this project during 2023. Interests from other actors are added to receive these benefits, and during COP27 four Brazilian states signed letters of intent that once the respective negotiation process was completed, will make it possible to allocate funds for the reforestation of areas surrounding the Amazon.
On the other hand, Bayer has been the first private sector company to participate as a member of the "International Alliance for Resilience against Drought", under the tutelage of the United Nations Convention against Desertification (UNCCD), co-chaired by Spain and Senegal, within the framework of the incidence that climate change caused by droughts has on the population, agriculture and forests.
Regarding our internal projects, for example, Bayer has announced its commitment to increase the efficient use of water in rice production. Almost 50% of the water in Asia at some point passes through the food production chain. Similarly, we are developing varieties of corn, cotton, vegetable seeds and wheat that require less water for their production. The company annually invests 2.5 billion dollars in research and development, keeping in mind three "Rs" for such investments: reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by the agricultural sector, supporting producers by removing atmospheric carbon, and finally, increasing resilience against extreme weather events. Mitigation and Adaptation are the new M&A for our businesses; that’s what sustainability is all about.

Latin Counsel: At ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) level, what are Bayer’s strategies for 2023?

Marcela Chacón: By 2023, Bayer will continue to participate in the various international forums in which we will strengthen our focus on food safety and efficient agriculture, and the issue of water will be vital. Within the water issue, our commitment will go in two ways: increasing awareness internally and with our stakeholders about the importance of water and having access to it and mobilizing other actors from the private sector with the intention of having a significant presence and real commitment throughout the year, particularly during the United Nations Conference on Water. Additionally, we are in the process of launching our efficient water use strategy in all our production plants and facilities and we will continue with our innovation and development projects.

4) What challenges have you faced in your career as a professional woman at the level of diversity and inclusion and how have you handled it?

Marcela Chacón: Any woman who says that she has not faced challenges throughout her professional career would be lying, and for this reason I have become an activist for women’s empowerment, participating in a large number of groups and forums with the intention of promoting public policies methods, share good practices and lessons learned and generate synergies that make it possible to move forward with innovative proposals on gender issues, such as access to modern contraceptive methods that allow women to plan their studies, enter the labor market, and to decide how, how many, when or if they want to have children; This complete circle will allow women to get out of the circles of poverty and marginalization in which they have traditionally found themselves together with their children, in less favored countries or communities with high rates of poverty and/or vulnerability.
Having worked for many years in a sector typically led by men such as citizen security, I learned a lot about resilience and empathy, and above all, to understand, value and seek to improve the deficiencies that as a patriarchal society we experience on a daily basis. My time in the public sector and now in the private sector allows me to have a much more holistic vision of gender-related issues and for this reason I love finding spaces where I can share with other women, especially younger ones, so that they have tools that allow them to get ahead and find their strengths.
How have I handled it? Trying to be very analytical in challenging situations due to my condition as a woman, preparing myself academically, emotionally and psychologically to improve myself and creating a good amount of self-esteem that has allowed me to earn the trust and respect of my male colleagues throughout all my life.

Latin Counsel: Currently, what are Bayer’s policies on gender equity and inclusion?

Marcela Chacón: Bayer has specific policies on both topics. Our leadership positions are held by a high percentage of women and we work in an environment of equal opportunities for all. Regarding inclusion and diversity, Bayer celebrates the differences of its collaborators; it is part of the richness of our internal culture, which is why the focus is on a completely inclusive culture. We have internal networks that play a very important role in this regard, made up of groups of volunteers and sponsored by the company. No person at Bayer will see their development possibilities within the company limited due to their sexual orientation, personal characteristics or beliefs, and this is part of the reasons why it is a great company.

Latin Counsel: Being one of them, what roles does a professional woman leader in senior management have and how do you plan future strategies?

Marcela Chacón: In my personal case, I have several roles that I try to manage simultaneously: ensuring that the results of my projects and work are of the best possible quality, learning and receiving continuous feedback to improve weak areas, generating empathy with all people and seeking to serve as an example to follow for the new generations. Leadership requires a good dose of listening and attention, allowing others to do things and "unlearning" with an open mind in order to have the necessary flexibility to adjust to the passage of time and the generation of new dynamics. I plan my personal future strategies well in advance; I don’t think in the short term, I am always planning my. next steps for the next 5 and 10 years; I believe that this has been key to consolidating a professional career that fills me with great satisfaction.

Latin Counsel: What message would you like to share with young lawyers regarding these issues?

Marcela Chacón: My development as a lawyer has given me a broad vision of the functioning of judicial institutions, of the prevailing need for prompt and enforced justice in all latitudes, and of the way in which - unfortunately - the world continues to violate fundamental human rights. Our training becomes an extremely useful tool in many fields; not necessarily or exclusively to be a litigator. The humanist vision of the lawyer takes him further; we can contribute from an endless number of areas, in the construction of better conditions for other people. It can be called the legal department, public relations, ethics and compliance, or any other title that comes to mind: the conceptual bases that accompany us give us the versatility that both the public and private sectors require for an adequate, more equitable, fairer operation and better calibrated. I believe that having studied law has been one of the successes that to this day allow me to continue in this continuous development and that I hope will always accompany me, both in my professional life and in the various volunteer programs in which I participate.