Supporting the growth of local small business owners

The energy transition is the key to the development of green, circular and decarbonized economies. But in the context of the current climate emergency and the huge changes imposed by the pandemic, merely constructing solar and wind power plants is not enough. These structures, in fact, must be designed in such a way as to be increasingly environmentally and socially compatible, moving beyond the value generated by the production of clean energy to being able to promote the sustainable growth of local communities as well. An excellent example of this model of local development is the Ruta Pehuenche Entrepreneurs Program, the project we are developing as part of the Sustainability Plan for our Los Cóndores hydroelectric plant, under construction in the Maule region of Chile and located approximately 250 km south of the capital, Santiago. Once it is up and running, the plant will contribute to our Group's renewable energy generation with 150 MW of installed capacity. This initiative has been set up in settlements along the Ruta Internacional Pehuenche, an international corridor that stretches all the way to Argentina and boasts exceptional natural attractions, such as thermal springs, rivers and snow-capped mountains. Along this route live small rural populations who are considered to be transitory and who survive mainly on agriculture and traditionally develop few other activities to support themselves. The program was created precisely to improve the ability of these local families to generate income, gradually reducing their dependence on aid organizations and encouraging the development and expansion of new commercial activities. “On one hand, we are helping to maintain and promote these people’s historic skills; on the other, we are adding value to artisanal products that are typical of the area so that they can become a source of income for them, all of which boosts the local economy and delivers long-term sustainable self-development to the community,” explains Pablo Castiglione Castillo, Enel Chile’s Head of Sustainability and Community Relations for the Maule Region. Our aim is to promote the economic growth of the entire community, empowering people with new skills and expertise while improving their quality of life thanks to the introduction of eco-compatible technologies to supply water, food, shelter and energy, and resolve hygiene and sanitation issues. This is a sustainable development plan both from a social and an environmental point of view, and one that weaves together the noble vocations of art and craftsmanship with the principles of the circular economy. For example, more than two tons of wood left over from the construction of the Los Cóndores plant have been salvaged and are now used – together with volcanic stones from the Laguna Invernada and obsidian from the Laguna del Maule – to make handcrafted objects and ornaments, thus avoiding the emissions that would have been caused by their disposal while making the project more efficient at the same time. This is just one example of the invaluable outcomes resulting from the five professional workshops organized in 2019 in the Chilean communities of La Mina, Paso Nevado, Armerillo and Las Garzas, in collaboration with the Associazione Sembra. Eighty participants, seventy of whom were women, were able to benefit from 130 hours of training. “For the most part, they were housewives with a very limited knowledge of any type of business,” stressed David Lizana, a social and environmental analyst for Enel. “Today, however, they have set up micro, small and medium-sized businesses that produce wooden handicrafts and jewelry made from stones and ceramics.” Engaging these women in such activities is essential for their personal development, as Pablo Castiglione emphasized: “This project is a way to promote and strengthen the role of women in the social fabric of their communities.” This initiative helps move us closer to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, among them Gender Equality (SDG 5). But that’s not all: the program is also based on Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8). Proof of this can be seen in the case of La Mina, a rural community that until just recently had almost no distinguishing features at all. “In 2017,” explains Pablo Castiglione, “a prime-time Chilean television program called ‘Lugares que Hablan’ broadcast a report on La Mina. The presenter asked its inhabitants if they were specialized in any particular type of farming, animal husbandry, handicrafts or anything that made them special, but the answer was a simple ‘no’. The village didn’t even have a sign displaying its name. But this gave them the impetus to build a new future for themselves.” Today, in fact, thanks to the Ruta Pehuenche Entrepreneurs Program, La Mina specializes in producing eco-friendly furniture, jewelry made from pumice stone (this too is reclaimed from the Los Cóndores plant), eco-construction and figurines made of recycled materials. Not even Covid-19 was able to dampen the new entrepreneurial spirit that the program has inspired. In spite of the fact that in 2020 the pandemic completely prevented the arrival of any tourists to the area, which usually receives around 30,000 visitors each year, the community responded immediately with determination and a willingness to adapt. Two companies in Armerillo and Pehuenche, in particular, managed to produce around 7,000 anti-Covid-19 protective facemasks that Enel then donated to social organizations in the municipality of San Clemente – a fine example of resourcefulness and the ability to adapt their business model, which bodes extremely well for the future. “Learning new skills is something I never thought I’d do: it was a wonderful experience,” says Rosita Marchan, legal representative of Casa Del Pallet, one of the new companies. “Many people want to earn a lot of money right away, but actually, you need to hone your skills and work together, and then gradually sell more and more. In the future, we’ll keep on improving and persevering each day so that, once the pandemic has passed, we can begin to capitalize on everything we’ve done.” All of these women have also come together as new entrepreneurs to set up Createrra, a company through which they can offer their handicrafts and conscious tourism services. The Ruta Pehuenche Entrepreneurs Program is set to conclude by the end of 2021 with the construction of two workshops, one in La Mina and the other in Pehuenche, which should further facilitate the creation and sale of products along the entire Ruta Internacional.

{{ currentMenugamenu.label }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.label }}

{{ card.title }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.numbers.title }}

Supporting the growth of local small business owners

Supporting the growth of local small business owners

Related content

{{article.title}}

{{article.title}}