The Sella group and sustainability
The understanding that financial results cannot be considered apart from the positive impact on the environment and the community guides the Sella group. For this reason, Sella has always paid significant attention to sustainability. The Group is committed to constantly improving its propitious weight on all its stakeholders. Since 2004, to share its commitment to ESG with all stakeholders, the Group draws up the Report on Social Responsibility and, since 2017, according to Legislative decree 254/16, also its Non-financial Statement.
The Sella group has defined its strategy and positioning on ESG issues with a long-term vision. Based on these elements, which are an integral part of its strategic plan, it has built a program allowing to translate ambitions into behaviours, products and services further to integrate ESG assessments in business choices. The Sustainability Plan is associated with specific targets that are also mirrored in the remuneration policies.
The Plan has a twofold goal:
- constantly improving its social and environmental performance to regenerate the community and increasingly having a valuable and positive impact on all stakeholders;
- being the promoter of a sustainable economy through its financial intermediation activity, supporting its customers in the transition process to an effective ESG-impact economy.
The Group constantly measures the impact of its environmental, social and governance performance through the B Impact Assessment (BIA) methodology, which analyses five areas: environment, employees, customers, community and governance, assigning a final score between 0 and 200. When this score is above 80, the organisation is known as "regenerative", that is, one that contributes positively towards the Planet.
The result of this self-assessment, which the Group underwent with the support of Nativa, B Lab's Country Partner, also thanks to a series of activities envisaged in a specific multi-year action plan, has grown over time and today the Group is firmly positioned above the threshold of 80 therefore well within the range of "regenerative" organisations.
The Group's strengths that emerged from the assessment relate to governance, people development, product offerings to customers, and support for the real economy.
2022 saw the continuation of activities that further strengthened the Group's score, key activities being the new supplementary contract for employees which, among the measures in their favour, with respect to the provisions of the regulations, provides for an increase in paid parental leave for the secondary figure and the introduction of paid leave for voluntary activities; other activities concerned the formalisation of the sustainability policy and guidelines in the social and environmental field, the start of activities to assess the ESG profile of suppliers as well as the increasing integration of ESG factors in financing and pricing policies.
The Group aims to continue implementing the envisaged business plan that will allow the further improvement of its impact and constant amelioration of the BIA results.
The Sella group is aware of its economic and social role in contributing to a more sustainable world, which translates into a daily commitment to constantly improving its impact on its stakeholders. The will to work to meet people's aspirations, build the sustainable financial ecosystem of the future and leads the activities and choices of the Group.
The Group, therefore, aims at becoming a point of reference on the subject of sustainability, addressing to those willing to have a positive impact on the environment and to communities standing out for their commercial offer, the quality of relationships and advice to individuals.
The areas of intervention including both the commitments made in the B Impact Assessment and the activities resulting from the application of the Group's ambitions on ESG issues may be ascribed to the following main areas of work:
Carbon footprint
Refining and expanding the calculation of CO2 emissions, defining strategies for further mitigation of environmental impact and for offsetting residual emissions to zero the impact of their carbon dioxide emissions.
An important goal achieved in 2021 by the Group was to zero the impact of its C02 emissions - Learn more here
Governance
Formalizing the Group's commitments and strategies by evolving and integrating, where necessary, internal rules that govern the most relevant areas such as, but not limited to: the code of ethics, sustainability policies, credit policies, investment policies on own account and on behalf of third parties, risk management, management and selection of human resources, selection of suppliers, incentive and remuneration system. Defining the strategy of the individual Group Companies on ESG issues in compliance with the strategic guidelines of the Parent Company. Training company representatives, shareholders and the entire Sella team on sustainability issues.
Metrics and KPI
Defining targets at the Group and individual company level for the main areas of sustainability, delineating the different performance evaluation systems. Establishing continuous monitoring of the primary non-financial indicators by integrating them into company reporting.
Workers
Protecting and enhancing people's individual and professional well-being, specifically by promoting education, diversity and inclusion. Promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through specific initiatives and awareness campaigns, disseminating culture on sustainability issues also by sharing selected content through internal communication channels.
Community
Contributing to the economic and social development of the communities in which Sella operates, backing up and supporting stakeholders with initiatives in the territory. Sharing the strategy, positioning and activities implemented by the Group on communication channels, including the expansion and enrichment of the institutional site. Acting on the supplier selection process by bringing also ESG elements into the supply chain.
Customers
Supporting customers in the transition process towards the development of environmentally and socially sustainable economies with consulting activities alongside a wide range of products and services. The Group has set itself the goal of sharing its experience and knowledge, acquired by acting on itself, with its customers and creating partnerships with other companies and start-ups that are leaders in their respective fields. To this extent, the identification of activities related to each business line and the corporate functions to oversee risks and compliance took place.