Sustainability is nowadays recognized by companies as a strategic lever for competitiveness, according to the principle that by being responsible and generating value for all stakeholders companies enhance their economic performances.
According to a recent KPMG research, 67% of the largest companies worldwide periodically identifies and communicates their sustainability goals, and it is very difficult to find a top company CEO who has not publicly expressed him/herself in favour of a social and environmental commitment as part of the company strategy.
The growing strategic relevance of sustainability has led to the establishment of company organisational units dedicated to sustainability, to the appointment of CSR managers, as well as the birth and diffusion of new and hybrid forms of organisations, such as Benefit Corporations.
Looking at the international political context, with the approval by the European Parliament of the directive 2014/95/UE on disclosure of non-financial and diversity information (adopted in Italy with the bill 240/2016) the European Union has recently confirmed that the themes linked to sustainability are central to the competitive strategy of the European area. The Directive compels large public-interest companies to include in their annual reports, in addition to the financial report, a non financial declaration about social and human rights, environment, fight against corruption and diversity policies in relation to the composition of their management and control bodies.
Despite the process of integration of sustainability in companies’ strategy has started more than 20 years ago, managers still face constant challenges and have to deal with continuously evolving issues.
ALTIS' members are pioneers of CSR in Italy and we have always been committed to contribute, through our research, to the advancement of knowledge on themes such as governance and sustainability, stakeholder management, sustainable supply chain, company welfare, social entrepreneurship, new business models, non financial reporting, performance measurement, social impact measurement.
Through our training programmes and consulting services we provide concrete support to companies and managers that want to grasp the opportunities offered by sustainability turning it into a strategic asset.
For example, with the course Professione CSR, for more than ten years we have been training managers and professionals who are responsible for the management of sustainability policies and practices, to help them develop the specific competencies needed to integrate CSR in the company’s strategy and use it to foster the company’s growth.
We have been leaders in the dissemination of CSR in Italy since its early stages, through research and forefront training programmes. We have contributed to define the role of the CSR manager, conducting the first international research on the new profession, back in 2005.
In 2006 we created the CSR Manager Network, the national association that brings together professionals dedicated to the management of socio-environmental and sustainability issues linked to company activities.
