JUNE 15, 2022: THE MEETING BETWEEN THE MEMBER COMPANIES OF CO2ALITION

On June 15, at the beautiful terrace of Associazione Civita in Rome, CO2alition, was officially presented. An initiative that brings together more than 60 Italian companies that have decided to formalize their commitment to climate neutrality by including it within their bylaws. 

The press conference, moderated by Cristina Sivieri Tagliabue, Editor-in-Chief of La Svolta, was opened by Edo Ronchi, President of Fondazione per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile. "The decision of a group of companies to become leaders in zeroing greenhouse gas emissions," said Ronchi, "makes an important contribution to increasing the national commitment against the climate crisis. Demonstrating that a group of companies can be successful on the path to climate neutrality-without excessive costs and with good results, including economic ones-brings a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it is even more important because it generates a knock-on effect at the national and international level.

"In the absence of bold laws and regulatory plans," explained Paolo Di Cesare, NATIVA co-founder and one of CO2alition promoters, “it is essential to adopt innovative tools capable of unleashing the creative energies of individuals and give rise to collaborative processes that have never been tried before. This requires an enabling condition capable of making company action permanent and institutionalize it, as an integral part of corporate governance, so it can achieve the goal of climate neutrality alongside the profit motive. The time of generic promises has come to an end. The time of commitment elevated to the very purpose of business begins.”The speakers of the conference, belonging to some of the member companies of CO2alition, were on the same wavelength regarding the commitment to properly contribute to the care of our planet.Maria Paola Chiesi, Shared Value & Sustainability Head of the Chiesi Group, said: "We are the largest international B Corp certified  pharmaceutical group. For us, comprehensive and enduring standards and measurement frameworks are essential to encourage and track progress toward a zero-emissions society, as they enable companies to plan and implement specific actions,which helps citizens and policymakers identify mitigation measures that really make a difference. We support 'CO2alition' to stimulate a paradigm shift toward a measured and certified business model that has a positive impact on people, society, territory and planet." 

On the other hand, Salvatore Castiglione, Corporate Affairs Director of Danone Italy told: "Being part of CO2alition for us at Danone, already a Benefit Company and certified B Corp since 2020, means integrating in our corporate charter, in addition to the commitments we have already made, a commitment to climate neutrality. This is why we have internal company projects such as ZERO3, a plan that is already part of the answer to this challenge by reporting year by year on the reduction of CO2 emissions and beyond." 

From Roberta Fileni, Vice President of Fileni Group came the tale of a commitment that started from afar: "For Fileni, joining CO2alizione is a further piece of a sustainable path that began more than 20 years ago and has led us to be - today - the reference point for organic proteins in Italy. A path that takes concrete form every day with the commitments we have made in our Sustainability Manifesto, which - not by chance - is entitled "We choose to defend the future.”The General Director of Hera Luce, Alessandro Battistini, also said: "Throughout its 20-year history, the Hera Group has placed at the center of its strategy a growing commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability, which has evolved and matured over time with the introduction of a strategic approach aimed at creating shared value. Last year's inclusion of the concept of corporate purpose in Hera's Articles of Association and the recent transformation of the subsidiary Hera Luce into a Benefit Company have also confirmed the Group's commitment to this path, for the benefit of the territorial ecosystem of reference and future generations," comments Alessandro Battistini, General Manager of Hera Luce. In conclusion, Eric Ezechieli, co-founder of NATIVA, emphasized that "Innovating in order to eliminate one's contribution to the climate crisis is an imperative for any business and all human activity. These first 60 companies have chosen to renew their governance in innovative ways, and we trust that the leadership they express will initiate the spread of this practice on a national, continental, and planetary scale. 

The conclusion of the press conference was followed by a light lunch during which representatives of the member companies of CO2alition had the opportunity to meet and meet with the press to talk about their commitment to climate neutrality and how they will report, with the utmost transparency, on the actions and policies implemented for climate protection. 

The business world is being called upon to introduce new models within its governance in order to respond to the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century.

• The press conference, moderated by Cristina Sivieri Tagliabue- Editor-in-Chief of La Svolta- is opened by Edo Ronchi, President of the Foundation for Sustainable Development. "The decision of a group of companies to become leaders in zeroing greenhouse gas emissions," says Ronchi, "makes an important contribution to increasing the national commitment against the climate crisis. Demonstrating that a group of companies can be successful on the path to climate neutrality-without excessive costs and with good results, including economic ones-brings a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it is even more important because it generates a knock-on effect at the national and international level.

• The speakers of the conference, belonging to some of the member companies of CO2 Coalition Italy, were on the same wavelength regarding the commitment to properly contribute to the care of our planet.

• The conclusion of the press conference was followed by a light lunch during which representatives of the member companies of CO2alition had the opportunity to meet and meet with the press to talk about their commitment to climate neutrality and how they will report, with the utmost transparency, on the actions and policies implemented for climate protection. 

• The business world is being called upon to introduce new models within its governance in order to respond to the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century.