In the unprecedented scenario in which companies nowadays operate, a thorough re-thinking of the development model is necessary, in order to create shared value for all within an Innovative and Sustainable system. Confindustria deems Social Responsibility as a winning element for the competitiveness of companies in this context and to this scope it has elaborated the Manifesto “for companies that change, towards a more sustainable country”, which has been the object of a presentation in Ravenna last Monday June 18th, as second date of the roadshow. The speakers: Alberto Di Perna (VicePresident Confindustria Romagna with mandate for the Companies’ Social Responsibility), Rossana Revello (President of the Confindustria Technical Commitee or the Companies’ Social Responsibility), Adriano Aureli (Honorary President Scm Group Spa), Sara Cirone (AD Stafer Spa and member of the Confindustria technical committee of the Companies’ Social Responsibility), Alessandro Curti (CEO Curti Spa and Vice President of Confindustria Romagna with mandate for Work and Trade Unions Relations), Elisa Tamagnini (RSI Delegate of SGR Group), Massimo Lo Rizzo (Advisor of TozziGreen).
Why a Manifesto?
With the Manifesto for the Social Responsibility for the Industry 4.0, Confindustria aims to illustrate the path taken in order to bring a contribution to the ongoing fast-developing debate around these subjects of these last years. Furthermore to identify areas of practical intervention for Companies, especially small-to medium sized entities. The manifesto is a testimony that the Companies Social responsibility is not a mere marketing instrument any more, or luxury for those who can afford it. But rather a subject linked to the vision of companies looking at the future with an industrial policy background: a clear answer to the anti-industrial culture, a way to differentiate from those who operate with inadequate standards, taking notice of the consumers’, the citizens’, the investors’ and the rulers’ changes. The Manifesto is an instrument of competitiveness.
The 2030 Agenda
In 2016 Confindustria joined the 2030 UNO Agenda, focusing its attention in particular on 3 of the 17 Goals: no. 8 (economic growth), no. 9 (innovation), no. 10 (reduction of disequalities). The main target of the Manifesto is to involve the small-to-medium companies in the roadmap.
Italy: Where are we standing?
The study carried out by ASviS shows that Italy does not match any single one of the Sustainable Development goals. Although it is evident that the subject is hot: 7 consumers out of 10 are willing to pay more for products coming from sustainable brands, identified as those companies that make a responsible use of resources, perform checks throughout the supply chain and care for the rights and the well-being of workers. As opposite, consumers do not buy products or services from openly non-sustainable companies and do not encourage friends and relatives to do it.
What do Italians think?
According to statistics, in 2018 37,4 millions of Italians feel personally involved in sustainability, which accounts for 74% of the population and to 83% of Italians respect for the future generations is the principal reason to make sustainable choices. From 2012 until today 55% of Italian investors has increased the capitals allocated to sustainable investments funds, with a much higher revenue with respect to the more traditional financial markets.
More and more companies towards Sustainability
The interregional project for the creation of a network for the diffusion of the Companies’ Social Responsibility (RSI) has been launched in 2013. This is a platform with guidelines for Public Administrations intending to support socially responsible Companies. The platform at the same time encourages companies to approach the subject of a socially responsible and competitive management as an essential asset to face global markets, satisfy consumers and improve the well-being of workers. 80% of Italian Companies above 80/100 employees declares to be engaged in initiatives of Social Responsibility, for a global investment that reached 1 billion and 122 millions Euros in 2015, a constantly growing figure. Many of these companies merge Sustainability with their core business and acknowledge to draw benefits that by far abridge the related costs. There are many reasons to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the strategic business plans of a company, because SDGs are an important catalyser of new business opportunities.
Responsible Companies
Every entity interprets the experience of Sustainability and the Goals of the 2030 Agenda according to its own identity and sensitivity: training projects in Africa (Scm); welfare initiatives – corporate training, energy saving and enhancement of the territory (Stafer and Curti); Sustainability balance sheet (Sgr Group) or international projects for energetic supply in critical areas of Peru or Madagascar (TozziGreen).
The importance of communication
For this reason, the Integrated Report becomes an important strategic communication tool to adopt, in order to ennoble the nature of the company, and what the company implements, in order to give a practical expression to the UNO Goals. The Integrated Report emphasizes the concept of a Company as a collective good, to be expressed and communicated to the Stakeholders in its financial and non-financial aspects. The Integrated Report tells the story of how a company creates value and addresses the subject of posterity. To build something that lasts in time: this is Sustainability. This involves many aspects: generation change, codification of the know-how, interaction with the territory, innovation and research, orientation towards mutual sharing (partners, workforce, stakeholders). It allows communicating all the good things done in favour of the company, the territory, the planet and it allows people to take suggestions, share things, as it used to be in ancient times, when people gathered in the agora or around a fireplace.
Creating a story of values towards a responsible evolution. Together.
SARA CIRONE GROUP SRL SOCIETA’ BENEFIT