INWIT for sustainability
On 24 February 2022, the board of INWIT approved the updating of the Sustainability Plan to 2024.
“Our goal is clear. Our mission is possible. And the finishing line is right in front of us. When we remain united there are no limits to what we can achieve”. With these words, on 25 September 2015, the then UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon invited all nations to adhere to the 2030 Agenda, that is, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030, with the intention of guaranteeing a better present and future for our planet and for the people inhabiting it.
Ban Ki-moon’s call to unity was not directed only at governments: to achieve these goals, all entities that have a role in society must play their part, especially companies. According to the Responsible business trends 2021 report drawn up by Reuters Events, 69 percent of private companies, a global level, have integrated the SDGs into their business strategy. This is good news, because it marks a big increase of 23 percent against 2016. Only a small minority of these enterprises, specifically, 22 percent, however, have set out clear targets in black and white.
We at INWIT have done so: on 24 February 2022, the board approved the updating of the Sustainability Plan to 2024, making it an integral part of our business strategy. The Plan was developed starting from the 2030 Agenda and is intended to make a tangible contribution to the achievement of a number of the SDGs, structured in relation to the UN targets. The Plan is focused on five ESG commitment areas: Governance, People, Environment, Innovation and Community. For each of them, we have established one or more medium-long-term objectives, with lines of action and activities, the progress of which will be measured from year to year.
Governance
INWIT undertakes to align its own Governance system to best national and international practices. There are three SDGs orienting this area, that is, Goal 8, dedicated to “Decent work and economic growth”; Goal 12 “Responsible consumption and production”, in which INWIT focuses on transparency and dialogue with stakeholders starting from its supply chain; finally, Goal 16, “Peace, justice and strong institutions”, which involves the setting up of efficient, responsible and inclusive bodies at all levels and integrating sustainability principles into the supply chain.
Among the main targets of this area, we aim to obtain the certification of an anti-corruption management system according to the ISO 37001 standard.
People
People play a central role in INWIT. For this reason, the medium-long-term objectives of the plan include that of promoting the involvement, well-being and growth of workers and guaranteeing high standards of security along the value chain. Besides Goal 8 relating to “Decent work””, INWIT takes on board SDGs 3 “Health and well-being” and 5 “Gender equality”, promoting greater awareness on the themes of diversity and inclusion.
For the People area, we undertake to increase the female presence in the company to 40% and to reduce the overall gender pay gap to 12% over the period of the plan.
Environment
One of INWIT’s biggest challenges is the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2024. This target responds directly to goal number 13, “Combatting climate change”, for the achievement of which we undertake to implement energy efficiency initiatives and to install photovoltaic systems for an overall power of 1.2 MW, besides using 100% electrical energy deriving from renewable sources. In this commitment area, INWIT also includes SDGs 12 “Responsible consumption and production” and 15 “Life on Land”, aiming at the reduction of the environmental footprint with a circular economy approach, maximising the recycling of materials used and seeking to intervene right from the design phase of our infrastructures through the development of a Life Cycle analysis.
Innovation
One of INWIT’s bywords is definitely “innovation”. Our company, in fact, supports the digitalisation of the country, developing and consolidating its digital structures. There are three SDGs in this area integrated into our business: Goal 9, relating to “Industry, innovation and infrastructure” which refers to resilience and fair, responsible and sustainable industrialisation; Goal 11 on “Sustainable cities and communities” to make cities safer and more welcoming for everyone, in view of the future challenges that we will have to face; finally, Goal 17, “Partnerships for the goals”, because it is only through partnership between companies, universities and start-ups for the development of technological innovation that a sustainable society can be made possible.
Starting from our role as neutral host, in this area we undertake to develop tower upgrade projects which are able to cater for smart cities, the Internet of Things and drones, according to the logic of towers as a service.
Community
The last area of intervention in our Sustainability Plan is the Community. To support the digitalisation of the country and contribute to a reduction of the digital divide, INWIT takes on board SDGs 9 “Industry, innovation, infrastructure” and 11 “Sustainable cities and communities”. These are core goals for its business, promoting and developing partnership projects for the coverage of areas on the wrong side of the digital divide and areas of high social and cultural value, such as, for example, Universities, Hospitals and Museums, with the aim of promoting a more sustainable society which favours innovation, inclusion and the reduction of inequalities.
In partnership with LifeGate.