STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs
Is Corporate Sustainability a Mirage? Marcello Zinno UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
W
info@ucif.net
hen we talk or read about
(global) markets. Precisely in order to better
different opportunities, such as, for example,
sustainability, we often come across
understand how to orient in the (green) jungle
the industrial symbiosis approach (waste from
slogans, marketing strategies
of environmental issues, UCIF started with the
one company could be turned into resources
with little substance, or even questionable
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
for another). In addition, there are measures
media phenomena and personalities. Hardly
and its seventeen macro goals, which, together
to promote the right to reuse and repair and
any thought is given to how companies
with the Paris Agreement on climate change,
there will be an increasing move towards
should and could concretely become more
constitutes the roadmap for a better world
disassemblable products to allow for the
sustainable – which would also give them a
and a global framework for international
proper disposal of each individual component
competitive advantage, as the two factors
cooperation on sustainable development
(eco-design). As if that were not enough,
are not exclusive, but complementary. In fact,
and its economic, social, environmental, and
sustainability will also become a part of each
transitioning to technologies with a reduced
governance aspects. In order to achieve
organisation’s “corporate culture”, aimed at
environmental impact does not just involve
the Agenda’s objectives, the European
creating engagement on different levels: with
the ability to tap into dedicated economic
Union has promoted a series of policies and
shareholders, because in future no one will
resources (often public), but it is also about
binding targets, such as the 55% reduction in
want to invest in a polluting company; with
changing one’s own production approach
greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and the
employees, because the younger generations
and adopting a new business philosophy that
even more ambitious goal of the EU’s climate
are attentive to these issues and will not want
brings various benefits.
neutrality by 2050, which necessarily involves
to bring their skills to a non-green company;
It was with this in mind that, in the framework
a process of decarbonisation of each member
and in terms of corporate strategy, because no
of its We Talk format, UCIF organised a
state (based on their NECPs, national energy
corporate mission will be conceivable without
digital meeting that saw the participation of
and climate plans).
including respect for or protection of the
two experts who addressed this issue with
Nevertheless, why should companies go in this
environment that surrounds us.
a focus on companies and the business
direction not only due to social responsibility,
This and much more was discussed during
benefits of embracing sustainable choices.
but also on economic grounds? First of all,
the digital meeting, one of the many events
In fact, while it is true that citizens are often
because the national recovery and resilience
that our Association is organising to support
sensitive to these topics, it is also true that
plans (NRRPs) stipulate that 37% of the funds
companies – because, in order to be actually
many industrial sectors do not yet know how
should be allocated to green transition, which
sustainable, it is necessary to act together.
to harmonise attention to the environment
is one of the plans’ six missions. Secondly,
While useful, individual contribution remains
with the economic constraints imposed by
because circular business models can create
marginal.
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N. 72 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 - international PAINT&COATING magazine
