A New eSG Lab to Promote Sustainable Companies, Growth, and Development
The project "eSG Lab - excellence in Sustainability and Governance for SMEs", by SDA Bocconi, promoted by Fondazione Sodalitas, with the support of Fondazione Enel and Falck Renewables, has been launched.
eSG Lab aims to help companies of all sizes to fully integrate the most advanced sustainability logic and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues in their strategies, to grow sustainably and thus become more competitive. In order to achieve this goal, the Lab is committed to developing a strategic-organizational model, fit for all the sectors that represent the backbone of our economic and industrial system.
eSG Lab was created to implement the commitment expressed by the 77 business leaders who joined the "CEOs Call to Action" in Italy, the European appeal promoted in our country by Fondazione Sodalitas precisely to mobilize other companies, their stakeholders, civil society and institutions towards a more sustainable and inclusive growth.
The great challenges of sustainability promoted by the UN 2030 Agenda have become a fundamental reference for every company. Climate change, social inequality, human rights, poverty reduction and responsible use of resources require all companies to develop new managerial practices that enable them to combine business growth with social and environmental issues.
Today, large companies that integrate sustainability and innovation into their governance and business processes can share experiences, tools and knowledge with small and medium-sized enterprises.
In fact, these companies represent an essential asset of the national system, providing 80% of employment and 67% of added value, playing a fundamental role in value chains, both in Italy and internationally. For these companies, effectively adopting sustainable models means becoming more competitive, more effective in managing risk profiles and attracting investment, while contributing to the country's efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
eSG Lab was created to build an innovative strategic-organizational model and a tool for sharing knowledge and experiences that can guide strategies and business decisions in a context in which sustainability and governance are increasingly important for the long-term success of companies of all sizes.
This is an initiative that combines the rigor of scientific research and the practicality of business needs, to be developed through a process that involves companies and supply chains motivated to participate. The goal is to contribute to the implementation of a widespread model of Stakeholder Economy, in which each company generates more value for itself to the same degree that it generates more development for society.
"Over the years, we've observed a true cultural shift, in which we look at the 360° impact and value that companies create with respect to all stakeholders in the broadest sense of the term, from shareholders to end consumers, without losing sight of workers and the territory," comments Gianmario Verona, Rector of Bocconi University. "Issues such as sustainability, ethics, inclusion have become central objectives for companies. The post-pandemic world that we must build together must start again from these principles. The eSG Lab, conceived by SDA Bocconi, School of Management, together with Fondazione Sodalitas, wants to be both a stimulus and a catalyst for this positive energy, in order to stand by the side of companies engaged in this process of profound transformation."
"eSG Lab is a project with a particularly innovative profile, which Fondazione Sodalitas promotes because it includes companies that consider sustainability a key factor in the creation of value," says Enrico Falck, President of Fondazione Sodalitas. "We want to realize this initiative first and foremost by recognizing the value of the example of our member companies and business leaders who signed the 'CEOs Call to Action' and are committed to integrating ESG issues to promote the necessary change and transformation along value chains. We believe that many more companies can feel encouraged by these examples to build sustainable success based on the strong synergy between company growth and societal development."
"Enel Foundation is pleased to share its wealth of knowledge and experience and put it to use to effectively respond to the social, environmental and energy challenges of our time. eSG Lab will represent an important element of connection and cohesion in the Italian business system and will enable the sharing of a methodological and operational path that allows to integrate sustainability in all business activities," comments Ernesto Ciorra, Director Innovability® of Enel Group.
"In Falck Renewables, sustainability is the driver that guides our choices and is an increasingly significant factor of business success, thanks to the creation of shared value. We are happy to support and participate in the eSG Lab, a project that we believe is ambitious and of great importance. We want to share our experience of ESG integration in corporate governance processes, for the definition of a new organizational model that can enhance companies' competitiveness and sustainability," says Toni Volpe, CEO of Falck Renewables.