Sustainability has become a core component of corporate and financial strategies, an element that can no longer be ignored by enterprises, banks and institutions when it comes to investment and financing decisions.
This was the main message to emerge during the first day of Euronext Sustainability Week, an event being held in Milan from 4 to 8 September 2023 at the headquarters of Borsa Italiana.
Under the title Achieving net zero: the perspective for corporates and investors on the path to a carbon-neutral world, the event, now in its seventh year, brought together executives from leading companies and banks, Italian and international investors and sustainability experts to discuss sustainability strategies adopted by issuers and investors on their path to a carbon-neutral world.
In a constantly changing economic environment, the focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria and sustainability is now essential for companies and financial institutions. This was highlighted by Giovanni Gorno Tempini, Chairman of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, speaking on the first day of Euronext Sustainability Week in a panel entitled “ESG and Board Discussions”. During the session he emphasised the importance of sustainability factors in investment decisions: "Sustainability is at the heart of our investment decisions. We can no longer base our choices solely on the assessment of risks and returns – we must also integrate sustainability factors."
Chairman Gorno Tempini emphasised the significant development in this regard that has taken place in recent years: "Suffice to say that in 2021 sustainability issues were on the agenda in 40% of our Boards, while in 2023 this percentage rose to 100%", he said.
"Climate change and the protection of the ecosystem, inclusive and sustainable growth, rethinking supply chains and digitalisation and innovation are the four challenges that need to be addressed to support the Italian economy and its transition towards a sustainable economy. It is crucial that we strike a balance between financial and sustainability goals”, he concluded.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti plays a key role in this transition, with targets it has set out to reduce CO2 emissions, promote sustainable projects and assess the impact of its sustainability activities. But that’s not all. CDP also measures the ex-post impact of its transactions, taking into account their added value in terms of reducing CO2 emissions.
Learn more about the centrality of sustainability to CDP's strategy. Click here.