Fourth edition for the initiative that rewards companies excelling in sustainability. We spoke with Mirta Barbeschi, founder of the Biblioteca Bilancio Sociale, to understand the benefits and applications of this approach.
The fourth edition of the Premio Biblioteca Bilancio Sociale will be held on 27 November, in Milan, promoted by the first archiving and dissemination centre for sustainability reporting to give a platform to exemplary companies and to share stories and experiences. Registration is free and can be completed directly on the website, and is open until 9 October. If 2016 saw Costa Crociere take the prize, the 2017 award (with LifeGate as partner) will be divided into two categories (large companies and SMEs), and 4 special mentions will also be awarded (Identity and vision, Social commitment, Stakeholders and Environment). Among those speaking at the awards ceremony will be Enea Roveda, Chief Executive Officer of LifeGate, don Walter Magnoni, head of Social Pastoral and Labour for the Diocese of Milan, Francesca Fiore, head of the Corporate Controls and Protection of Shareholders' Rights Office at Consob, and Ermete Realacci, president of the Environment and Territory Committee at the Chamber of Deputies.
Mirta Barbeschi, founder of BBS, will of course be there too — we spoke with her about the importance of corporate sustainability, increasingly a synonym for competitiveness: "A responsible company has a real advantage, and not only a reputational one, in its market," explains Barbeschi. "Operating within ethical and respectful boundaries also means being able to count on solid profitability, and above all profitability projected over the long term — which becomes increasingly unlikely, by contrast, if one thinks in terms of maximum returns by exhausting the planet or exploiting social contexts."
What enables a company to fulfil its social mission?
Simply a full awareness of the role it plays. A role that cannot be confined within factory walls, but must travel alongside the products or services it brings to market. And the fearless pursuit of transparency, which is the foundation of an economy built on credibility.
What are the difficulties in choosing this kind of approach?
It is far easier to identify where sustainability is absent. There is no company that has acted irresponsibly without knowing it. Converting one's production accordingly is therefore quite straightforward. On the other hand, many companies, though doing the right thing, have not yet developed the awareness mentioned above and are unable to line up all the facts that would qualify them as sustainable. If only you knew how many times I have spoken with entrepreneurs who were already operating at a level of excellence without ever having highlighted that aspect.
What are the advantages for the company?
Sustainability must offer tangible benefits, and it is possible to make this factor profitable. The market is ready to reward virtuous companies — and I am not talking only about consumers, but also about investors and financiers who are beginning to direct themselves towards a more human-scale economy. And for that reason, a stronger, more stable, more competitive one.
What are the most virtuous models to draw inspiration from?
Sustainability — or rather, ethics applied according to one's own management framework — is intangible; it cannot be studied, it has no model or codes; it is a way of interpreting business in harmony with circumstances and areas of activity. I could point to less virtuous models instead, such as those who, for example, sidestep sustainability by abusing the concept of philanthropy (which is entirely legitimate and praiseworthy) without reviewing their own supply chain or engaging with the substance of their operations.
Through what actions is sustainability applied?
One above all: look inside your own company and throw open the doors to an aware vision, capable of radically changing contexts and creating new scenarios. Today, generating profit within the bounds permitted by ethics is a competitive advantage and a business asset in a market that is openly ready to reward those who produce and operate on these premises. Translating this responsible "gaze" into concrete actions then follows as an easily managed consequence: it is a matter of revisiting certain macro areas of company life, redesigning the current state of affairs and the objectives.
Can all types of company aim for sustainability?
Yes, every company must aim to acquire what we might call a competitive asset connected to behavioural models. But sustainability must be implemented in contexts that are pertinent, relevant and closely linked to one's own business. Let me give a concrete example: a bank highlighting good water consumption management at its offices and branches is not a relevant aspect. On the contrary, it must account for the social and environmental impacts of the projects it finances and its role in supporting the real economy of a city, a region or a country. The same logic, but inverted, applies to a beer producer.
How did the partnership with LifeGate come about, and what is the added value of this collaboration?
I do not believe there is a more qualified or larger community in Italy than the one represented by LifeGate. We said that consumers are ready to reward responsible companies — LifeGate is their most attentive spokesperson. Without wishing to detract from the relevant associations, this network represents the most innovative and reliable element for promoting informed opinion on the matter. The Observatory on Sustainable Lifestyles is an instrument of great importance for monitoring trends and scenarios of the ongoing change, and one that every company should be reading.