The meeting “Industria e finanza in dialogo per uno sviluppo sostenibile” organized by Fondazione Pesenti Ets and Fondazione Corriere della Sera in collaboration with Vontobel and under the patronage of Bergamo Chamber of Commerce and Confindustria Bergamo, was held in Bergamo.
The meeting brought together representatives from industry, finance and academia from Italy and Switzerland on the topic of sustainable development and was held at gres art 671, an art and culture center that is itself a symbol of commitment to people and territory.
Inaugurated in November 2023, gres art 671 was created at the initiative of Italmobiliare and Fondazione Pesenti Ets with the intention of reactivating and returning to citizenship a former industrial area, long unused, in order to preserve and transmit the memory of the production history of the place and contribute to the artistic, cultural and social development of the area, in collaboration with the citizens who live there.
Carlo Pesenti, Chairman of the Fondazione Pesenti Ets, and Christel Rendu de Lint, Co-CEO Vontobel, opened the meeting, emphasizing how in the current global scenario , characterized by increasingly complex challenges, such as climate change, social inequality and resource scarcity, the transition to a sustainable future is becoming more and more of a pressing necessity.
Carlo Pesenti
“The achievement of the ambitious and unmissable goals of the 2030 agenda cannot be left to the initiatives of governments or the goodwill of individuals alone,” stressed Carlo Pesenti, president of the Fondazione Pesenti Ets. “Industry and finance can provide great impetus to the path of sustainable transition, and it is essential that they commit to doing so, in full awareness of their responsibilities and the fundamental role they play.”
Christel Rendu de Lint
“The transformation to a sustainable future and a low-carbon economy requires a resilient consensus among policy, business, nonprofit organizations and society at large,” said Christel Rendu de Lint, Co-CEO Vontobel. “This is a challenging and exciting task that involves all of us, who are called upon to play a key role”.
Enrico Giovannini
The meeting was opened by a lectio magistralis by Enrico Giovannini, Co-founder and Scientific Director of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS): “It is a matter of justice, and this is the key point: justice between generations. We can define sustainable development as that which allows one generation to meet its needs without preventing future generations from doing the same. So while it is certainly an environmental issue, it is also an economic, social and institutional issue.”
Ferruccio de Bortoli
Hints, these, that were grasped and discussed by the speakers at the Round Table, which was coordinated by Ferruccio de Bortoli, President of the Fondazione Corriere della Sera, and featured Francesco Billari, Rector of Bocconi University, Nicola Monti, CEO of Edison, Bernardo Sestini, Vice President of Confindustria Bergamo and Vice President of Federchimica, Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE (Euronext Group).
Francesco Billari
Francesco Billari, Chancellor of Bocconi University, tried to look at possible future scenarios through the demographic lens, an approach that allows us to understand how today’s decisions-in politics, economics and society-could influence the future of Italy and Europe: “Demography is not destiny, but a science that allows us to read the great changes in the world around us, and above all to act to govern them.“
Nicola Monti
“Today, in a context of growing environmental and social challenges, the enabling role of the energy system for human progress takes on unprecedented significance,” commented Nicola Monti, Edison CEO. “Indeed, the need to pursue sustainability and inclusiveness goals makes energy a key factor in achieving an equitable and environmentally friendly future.“
Bernardo Sestini
Bernardo Sestini, Vice President of Confindustria Bergamo and Vice President of Federchimica: “Sustainability cannot be procrastinated. Industry is aware of this and is ready to do its part by trying to make available the technologies needed to achieve the goals of the Green Deal, but this requires substantial investment and many years of research.”
Marta Testi
Marta Testi, Managing Director ELITE (Euronext Group), added, “The role of small and medium-sized enterprises is crucial to achieving the sustainability goals we, as a community, have set for ourselves. Adopting sustainable practices increases their resilience, competitiveness and positive impact on local economies, enhancing balanced and inclusive economic development.“
Zacharias Sautner
The conference closed with a talk by Zacharias Sautner, Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Zurich and Senior Chair of the Swiss Finance Institute. “Sustainability and finance are closely intertwined. A large body of research shows that sustainability risks have begun to be priced into financial markets. Banks and investors must actively address these risks in their lending and investment processes, and companies must identify and mitigate the underlying sources of risk.“
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