Sustainability in companies

The path to sustainability has been long and gradual for many companies, requiring a cultural and mentality change to adopt a more responsible and ethical approach to business activities. The initial idea was to give a portion of profits back to society through philanthropic activities, but in the 1980s the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was born, leading companies to consider the ethical consequences of their actions.

since the 1990s, some large companies have begun to incorporate sustainability into their business strategy, and a key step was the publication of the rapporto Brundtland of 1987 by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, which defined the environmental issue in terms of "sustainable development" for the first time.

In this context, the concept of sustainability has been translated into guidelines, standards and certifications, often adopted voluntarily by the companies themselves, which have begun to publish sustainability reports. These steps were stimulated by growing pressure from investors, public opinion, and consumer demand for "green" products.

The first attempt to create a shared standard was in 1992, when the British certification body BSI Group launched BS 7750 for environmental management, which gave rise to the international standard ISO 14001 four years later. In 1999, AA1000 (AccountAbility 1000), a standard for third-party verification of companies' sustainability reporting, was developed by the British ISEA.

Today, many companies see sustainability as an essential component of their business, not only as a communication strategy to improve reputational image, but also as a way to create shared value for society and the environment in which they operate.