There were over 700 participants in the Fifth Sustainable Economy Forum held on 13 April, in the setting of the Community of San Patrignano. The event, organised by Confindustria and San Patrignano and with Intesa Sanpaolo as institutional partner, this year devoted special attention to the sharing experiences and best practices on the key issues of economic, environmental and social responsibility and sustainability.

"We are living in a time of great transformations that need solid answers. But any action introduced on the issues under discussion today is fragile if not supported by an ethical, conscious approach, focused on the human factor and the impact on the environment and people. Central elements of the Sustainable Economy Forum, which Confindustria has been proudly organising for five years alongside San Patrignano" - thus Alberto Marenghi, Confindustria Vice President for Organisation, Development and Marketing - "2023 will be a transition year and we expect very modest growth. We are therefore looking at sustainability as a strategic area on which to move forward, with a broad and long-term vision. The challenge is, precisely, to preserve industrial policy and employment objectives while combining them with environmental sustainability goals. The transition must be implemented in technological neutrality, without dirigiste choices, and involving entrepreneurs. Because only industry can deploy the technological solutions to achieve the goals of sustainability and growth. In this sense goes our invitation to the government and social partners,' Marenghi added, 'to work together to achieve better forecasts for 2024. We must be able to channel resources where they are needed and where they can generate wealth without giving in to the assault on the diligence. This country can no longer afford the scattershot distribution of incentives. Moving in this direction therefore requires courage, but also balance. We have a moral obligation to try to hand over a more sustainable planet to future generations without impoverishing the social fabric'.

Francesca Mariotti, Director General of Confindustria, spoke at the round table dedicated to Finance and Business where she emphasised: 'The scenario facing businesses is critical, 2022 was a difficult year, conditioned by a heavy energy crisis, exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This has caused an inflationary surge that has reduced consumption and generated difficulties in investments. As for European policies, I cast a critical vote, the continent and our country are fragile, especially in the face of unparalleled resources made available by the US and China for the green transition. If Europe does not adopt unified solutions and leaves the choice of reaction measures to the Member States, the risk is to shatter our heritage, which is the European common market and European industry'.

In the panel dedicated to 'Sustainability, Energy, Digital and Innovation', Cristina Bombassei, President of the CSR Technical Group of Confindustria, illustrated the best practices of the Brembo Group of which he is Chief CSR Officer: "Brembo has always been a forward-looking company. This approach is fundamental for operating successfully in a highly innovative sector like automotive, particularly now that it is in full transition to electric power. We invest 6% of our turnover in research and development and 10% of our employees are dedicated to these issues. We opened the Brembo Inspiration Lab in California to explore frontier technologies, such as artificial intelligence,' he added. "We invest in sustainability and have the ambition to reach net zero in 2040."

The Sustainable Economy Forum also honoured the two winners of the Gian Marco Moratti Award, the prize established by the E4Impact Foundation in memory of the Italian entrepreneur Gian Marco Moratti. The award is a special opportunity to showcase the role of E4Impact's African entrepreneurs in generating long-term impact and enhancing sustainable development on the continent. The winners of the 2023 edition are Esther Wanjiru Kimani of Farmer Lifeline Technologies (Kenya), for the best policy or practice in favour of sustainability, and Franc Kamugyisha of Ecoplastile (Uganda) as the best eco-sustainable product or solution.

The Sustainable Economy Forum 2023 was promoted by San Patrignano and Confindustria with Intesa Sanpaolo as institutional partner. Eni, Gruppo 24 Ore and IGP Decaux were top partners of the event; partners: Asja, Celli Group, Italcer Group, Montello and Mooney.

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