The latest edition of the ESG Corporate Programme organised by CDP and Bologna Business School has concluded

Summary

The 2024-2025 session comes to an end after 11 days of itinerant training organised with the aim of developing the skills of industry professionals and helping companies tackle the challenges of sustainability

Develop cross-cutting skills and create a common language on sustainability to help Italian companies deal with the challenges of the ecological transition.

These were the objectives of Sustainability Transition Management and ESG Analysis, the training programme launched on 18 November by the CDP Group in cooperation with Bologna Business School (BBS).

Expanded this year to include the investee companies of the CDP Group, the ESG Corporate Programme took place over the course of 11 days comprised of four modules with presentations by internationally renowned professionals and academics, in-person lectures, group work, hands-on workshops, case studies and remote learning sessions. To celebrate the conclusion of the second edition, an event was held at the Rome headquarters of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti on 2 April.

Nearly 80% of the participants are sustainability experts from large companies in which CDP has a stake, which are also present in the CDP Group's ESG Community, from Simest to CDP Equity, from CDP Real Asset to Fintecna, not to mention CDP Venture Capital, Ansaldo Energia, Autostrade per l'Italia, Euronext, Fincantieri, Fondo Italiano di Investimento, Italgas, Open Fiber, Poste Italiane, Polo Strategico Nazionale, Renovit, Snam, Terna and Valvitalia.

In a changing labour market, the importance of investing in ESG training is becoming increasingly evident around the world. According to a Report of the World Economic Forum, energy transition, digitisation and artificial intelligence are redefining the skills required by companies. By 2030, 78 million new jobs are expected to be created in the ESG field, while between 2021 and 2024 demand for green talent increased by 5.9% year-on-year, creating a significant gap between an ever-growing need and a supply that’s struggling to meet market demand. In Italy, only one worker in eight has skills related to the green transition despite the steady increase in green jobs, which, according to a recent GreenItaly report, accounted for 34.8% of new contracts in 2023, highlighting the need to invest in training to fill the skills gap.

During the final event the participants presented six projects for innovative solutions related to Environment, Social and Governance topics.

The initiative's partner is the International Business School of the University of Bologna (BBS), which has distinguished itself in training and research on sustainability, also thanks to collaboration with international lecturers from other institutions such as Harvard Business School and Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Fabio Massoli, CDP's Director of Administration, Finance, Control and Sustainability, remarked that "Companies growing in new markets increasingly need to invest effectively in innovation and sustainability. There is therefore an increasing demand for professionals who can assist them in this effort. In an ever-changing environment, ESG skills are increasingly in demand and it is becoming even more important to continue to invest in training, engage stakeholders and listen to their needs. Sustainable finance can play a key role in accelerating the ecological transition while also promoting the values of sustainability”.

Lorenzo Massa, Visiting Professor, Bologna Business School, added that "Innovation is a strategic lever for combining sustainability and competitiveness. The green transition isn’t just a response to regulatory pressure, it’s an opportunity to rethink business models in an evolutionary and generative way. To do this reporting isn’t enough. There’s a need for the discipline of innovation and the integration of business models for sustainability. This is the only way to seize market opportunities and meet the demands of customers who are increasingly shifting their purchases to companies that also create value from an environmental and social perspective”.

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