Environmental sustainability: an increasingly integrated issue in the industrial sector
The environmental sustainability is a theme present today in every room, including the industry.
The new challenges in the industrial sector concern the integration ofsustainability within companies: it is essential to implement strategies to convert a simple business into a green company and in the last year more and more companies have invested in green technologies and eco products.
According to statistics made internationally, including the recentNielsen report, an eco-sustainable product is more sold than a standard product. This is one of the main causes that push companies to start sustainability processes within their environments, significantly favoring both the return of image and the economic one.
How to create a green company?
In the case of companies that sell products, planning a green company in the production field is very simple. It is necessary:
- Focus on organic raw materials ;
- Making natural products ;
- Start a fair trade .
When a company sells services it can in any case be converted into a sustainable company, through the application of choices that respect the canons of social and environmental responsibility, such as:
- Ethical behavior to be shared with customers and suppliers;
- Training courses on CSR and environment issues ;
- Business climate monitoring ;
- Launching of policies for sustainability and social responsibility ;
- Activation of organizational models for the management and control of environmental sustainability in the company;
- Integration of environmental, quality, safety and health management systems .
New professional figures in eco-sustainable companies
The ever more careful and conscious attention of consumers towards the social and environmental responsibility of companies has led to the birth of new professional figures such as that of the CSR Manager (Corporate Social Responsibility).
The CSR Manager is a professional figure who helps companies to identify ethical and sustainable production processes that allow them to attract new customers and investors.
The sustainability manager is increasingly present and accredited in various areas of the company: 30% have a direct relationship with the CEOs of the companies and 40% have a close relationship with intermediaries.
In Italy the figure of the CSR Manager is growing a lot, both in terms of skills and in the number of people hired in the company and the growth is directly proportional to the conversion of eco-sustainable companies.
The social commitment of companies in Italy, according to the data of the VII Report, recorded more than 1 billion euros invested in the Italian territory in 2017 alone, on a selection of 400 companies with more than 80 employees. From 2017 to date it is estimated an investment increase of about 20% and an increase in employment of the CSR Manager in the company that will exceed 40%.
The success and the great response of CSR, in Italy, is also due to the interest of public opinion increasingly focused on environmental and sustainable issues in companies.
The advantages of the CSR Manager in Italy
Through the integration of this new professional figure, Italian companies have obtained various advantages, in particular:
- 50% of Italian companies believe that, thanks to investments in CSR , they have achieved excellent results in managing relations with the local area, banks and stakeholders;
- 51% of Italian entrepreneurs believe that the push of environmental sustainability moves companies towards investments in CSR.
- 46% of entrepreneurs strongly believe in the increase and fcustomer idelization towards green companies;
- 35% of Italian companies believe that being eco-sustainable helps to increase brand awareness, brand reputation, positioning and even notoriety both online and offline.
Only 17% of Italian companies really believe that investments in CRS and environmental sustainability can bring real benefits to the climate, without thinking exclusively of the economic return.
