In Italy an unprecedented commitment in business in favor of people and the planet: this is what emerges from the annual report of Nativa.
A year in which the world came to a standstill. But also a year in which the transition towards the stakeholder paradigm has undergone an unprecedented acceleration. This is what emerges in the 2020 impact report of Nativa just published, which this year has chosen to collect and narrate some of the best practices of positive impact of the ecosystem of which it is part. Its aim is to help amplify the voices of the actors who are contributing to the realization of a new way of doing business that is more responsible, sustainable and transparent. The data reveals the change underway: in 2020 the number of Società Benefit in Italy has doubled, reaching 1000. 29 Italian companies have been certified B Corp. More than 350 companies in Italy have used the SDG Action Manager, the tool for measuring the contribution of companies to the 17 Global Goals of the 2030 Agenda developed by B Lab and the United Nations Global Compact. And the communication campaign #UnlockTheChange, promoted by Nativa together with the other Italian B Corp, has reached about 60% of the Italian population.
Evidences that are also reflected in the results achieved by Nativa, which supports companies in the implementation of sustainable economic models: the number of workers has increased by 30%. Nativa in 2020 has supported almost 100 companies in their evolution paths towards sustainability; it has reached and sensitized more than 600 companies through the involvement of the supply chains of its clients; it has conducted life cycle analysis for 28 categories of products and has requalified 50000 square meters with its models of improvement of physical spaces (supporting its clients in the achievement of 15 LEED certifications).
The impact report, prepared annually by Nativa as a Società Benefit (Benefit Corporation) and renamed to focus on the value of Interdependence, also includes an assessment of the impact generated by the company, a description of the new goals the company intends to pursue in the following fiscal year, and the actions implemented in pursuit of the common benefit goals written into the Statute, namely: the happiness of all the people who work in the company, the dissemination of future-proof and regenerative economic and social models and systems (such as the B Corp model and the legal form of a Società Benefit), the design and introduction of sustainable innovation practices and models in businesses and institutions, the collaboration with other organizations to amplify positive impact and the commitment to operate in a responsible, sustainable and transparent manner.
Paolo Di Cesare, co-founder of Nativa, says: “As Victor Hugo said: there is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come. 2020 has shown that the time is now: an increasing number of companies have chosen to overcome the limits of the most widespread economic models and embrace new paths of sustainable innovation by integrating them at the root of their reason for being. This is the real turning point: the awareness that sustainability is not something else, it is the company. It’s quality, research and development, product, communication, human resources, relationships with partners and suppliers.“
“When we became the first Benefit in Europe in 2012 – says Eric Ezechieli, co-founder of Nativa – we wanted to pursue the happiness of those who work in Nativa as well as to regenerate society and the biosphere. We imagined Italy to become a laboratory of sustainable innovation for the world and we acted to contribute, together with many others, to realize this Vision. Today we can say that we are part of an ecosystem that has embraced a regenerative paradigm. We have reached a critical mass of companies and leaders who want to help accelerate this fundamental business transformation. Our commitment now is to act as a catalyst for these positive energies to be, together, ever more impactful.” The Interdependence 2020 Report is available here.