Sustainability as a driver of corporate growth

In recent years, both the concept of corporate sustainability and that of sustainable development have been undisputed protagonists in the social and economic debate. This happens both in corporate terms and at the level of public policy, in order to implement a development model that preserves the environment and is socially equitable. Sustainability encourages companies to make very specific decisions in terms of environmental impact. It all depends on the focus of the action to be implemented. Therefore, we can talk about environmental sustainability (reducing waste, preventing pollution, adopting clean energy policies) or social sustainability (health and social equity, labour rights, decent working practices and conditions, diversity and inclusion).

The impact of climate change must be taken into account because it influences companies' production. Nor should consumer decisions be overlooked because they are crucial for companies, which must adjust their strategy accordingly. Governance, media attention and consumer awareness are precisely in this direction as manufacturers strive to invest in sustainable business models. If we read the research "The Changing Climate of Sustainability" conducted by NielsenIQ we can see that in 17 countries around the world, consumers increasingly care about environmental sustainability: "69% of Italian shoppers," reads the document, "believe that this issue is more important than it was two years ago and, above all, that the biggest contributors to progress in sustainability are primarily brands (46%) and local governments (40%) ahead of consumers themselves (37%).

The consumer decision revolution upsets the policies adopted by companies that are forced to review production because they cannot disappoint consumers, loyal customers. This is a real challenge thrown down by consumers to the world of companies, which are called upon to make a strong and growing commitment in the social sphere, without forgetting greater transparency: the sample surveyed rated the presence in companies of a sustainability report as 'very important' and stated that they preferred companies that make use of it. These small revolutions turn the business world upside down, as it has to reckon with consumers' demands for more and more sustainable objects, organic food, appropriate and socially friendly business behaviour.

The research 'Donors, donations and corporate social responsibility (in Italian society) 2023' speaks clearly. It emerges very clearly that "48.5% of the sample, in the last year, preferred the purchase of products from responsible brands to a free donation to an organisation, and that consumers are very interested (4.29 on a scale of 1-5) in purchasing a product knowing that part of the proceeds will be used for a charitable cause known to them. The propensity to donate increases further (4.37) if the donation does not involve an increase in the cost of the purchase, and the products in the purchase of which consumers are most likely to donate are food and travel and holidays".

In order to get a clearer picture, it is worth recalling the Research data highlighting the sustainability most appreciated by Italians. In pole position, according to the Ipsos, is "social sustainability (37%), followed by environmental sustainability (34%) and economic sustainability (29%). Individual commitment, therefore, is central, even though, according to the Ipsos survey, the achievement of the Targets to 2030 is for many individuals the task, first and foremost, of the public sector and companies. It should also be noted that individual commitment is particularly active in the student segment, while it is more contained in the rest of the population'.

The research Istat shows "a decrease in the number of service enterprises that report carrying out socially sustainable activities, to 55.4 per cent of service enterprises carrying out socially sustainable actions. For socially sustainable actions, a stationarity or decrease in the proportions of companies carrying out socially sustainable actions is observed. For the period 2023-2025, companies in Transport and Warehousing Services will have the highest proportions of companies active in the various social sustainability practices, with a gradual increase in their engagement in almost all investigated activities. The sector of Tourism Services will see a decrease in the number of companies engaged in socially sustainable actions.

When we look at the geographical breakdown, it emerges from the research that "among the economic sectors, the highest share of companies that undertake sustainability actions is found in the Manufacture of coke and petroleum products (90.5% of companies), followed by Pharmaceuticals (88.2% of companies) and the Manufacture of transport equipment (85.7% of companies). The Metallurgy sector emerges as the least virtuous with 57% of the enterprises, followed by Other Industries (62.6%). Looking at the components of sustainability, in the Coke and Petroleum Products Manufacturing sector, enterprises are most active in environmental protection practices (89% of enterprises), but also in social sustainability (88.2% of enterprises) and economic sustainability (with 74.5% of enterprises). In the pharmaceutical sector, the social component prevails, with 83.6% of the companies, the environmental component with 80.6% of the companies, and the economic component with 52.7% of the companies.

Also according to the Istat Research "in the market services sector, on the basis of companies' statements, an estimated 62.4% of companies had undertaken sustainability actions by June 2023. Of these, 57.1% have carried out social sustainability practices, 49.3% environmental protection initiatives and 35.3% economic sustainability actions. Well over four-fifths of large companies (companies with more than 1,000 employees), i.e. 85.9% of companies, carry out sustainability actions, and 51.6% of companies with three to 999 employees are active in terms of sustainability.

Geographically, the Istat Research shows a presence of companies sensitive to sustainability. "From a territorial point of view, it is the companies in the Centre, with 75.9%, that are most active in sustainability practices, and for the macro-divisions of the North a share of over 50% of companies is active in sustainability actions, respectively 61.5% of companies in the Northeast and 55.9% in the Northwest. The share drops to 45% among companies in the South. Social sustainability actions prevail in all divisions. The Transport and Warehousing sector shows the highest percentage of companies active in sustainability actions with 77.2% of the companies, among them 75.6% are active in social sustainability. The Business and Other Services sector is the least virtuous, only 48.9% of the companies pursue sustainability actions, 41% of these are active in social sustainability".

Sustainability is now more than ever at the centre of corporate strategies and consumer choices. The focus is on both the environmental and social dimensions, in an increasingly regulated framework and under the watchful eyes of consumers. In this context, 3Bee represents an example of innovation in the service of sustainability. Climate tech operates in the three ESG areas of competence, but particularly in the environmental area. Alongside business partners, 3Bee develops projects to protect and monitor biodiversity, using proprietary technologies that generate clear and quantifiable KPIs. These are consolidated in an annual report, a valuable tool to complement the corporate sustainability report. In addition, 3Bee ensures transparent communication of the ESG through reports that comply with the CSRD Directive and reporting standards such as the GRI, ESRS, issued by EFRAG, and SASB.

Article edited by Francesco Fravolini