SACE unveils its new ESG Strategy at COP28

 SACE unveils its new ESG Strategy at COP28, while addressing a diverse audience of 100 industry leaders from the GCC region, a pivotal area shaping sustainable transition initiatives globally.

Driving change, accelerating the transition of its customers and becoming a “ESG Execellence Company” in its daily activities are the core principles of the new Strategy, which will entail the considerable evolution of SACE’s operating and business model with the integration of environmental, social, and governance criteria in all decision-making processes and a scientific measurement of its impact.

Dubai, 30th November 2023 – At COP28, a year after launching its “INSIEME 2025” Business Plan, SACE unveils its new ESG Strategy. This innovative approach is bound to revolutionize the Italian insurance-financial group’s business model, aligning it with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary goal of this strategy is to contribute to the community well-being and overall prosperity.

In front of an audience of 100 influential leaders from the GCC region, SACE presented its transformative strategy. This initiative will bring a substantial evolution in the company’s operational and business models. It integrates environmental, social, and governance criteria into every decision-making process and is underpinned by a scientific impact measurement system. Following the presentation, SACE also hosted a round table involving companies, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to explore solutions supporting this ESG evolution.

Accelerating companies’ transition represents the primary pillar of SACE’s Strategy, focusing on key sectors like renewable energy, circular economy, electric vehicles, and shared mobility. Particularly, it emphasizes SMEs, fostering a dedicated ecosystem for their development. The second pillar – becoming a “ESG Excellence Company” ensures the alignment of internal daily activities with ESG goals through initiatives reducing environmental impact, cultivating a sustainable supply chain, and nurturing sustainable leadership within SACE.

This strategy will be accompanied by an implementing Road Map, which will guide SACE in its evolution path by providing a clear and tangible direction to achieve ESG objectives. It will not only guide SACE during the Business Plan period (2024-2025) but also sets ambitious goals extending into 2030 and beyond.

“We are proud to unveil our ESG Strategy, a culmination of a year’s dedicated effort, especially on the grand stage of COP28 in the Gulf, a pivotal region influencing global energy balances and sustainability challenges,” stated Alessandra Ricci, CEO of SACE. “This Road Map is a collaborative endeavor involving all SACE stakeholders and our team. Together, we aim to amplify the impact of this transformative evolution.”

“This strategy embodies the dedication and passion of the SACE People seeking to embrace a new paradigm in their approach towards the world. Through our new ESG Strategy, the SACE Group embraces the challenges of sustainable development in an increasingly interconnected world, acknowledging that financial choices hold social and environmental repercussions, which, in turn, can have significant financial implications. Therefore, the decisions of a few can profoundly affect the well-being of many,” stated Michele De Capitani, Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer of SACE. “SACE’s commitment is dedicated to overseeing, monitoring, and influencing these interdependencies, not just for the benefit of shareholders but also for an expanding audience of stakeholders, encompassing the communities in which we operate.”

SACE is an Italian insurance-financial group controlled directly by the Italian Ministry of the Economy and Finance. Its mission is to support businesses and the national economy through a wide range of instruments and solutions to improve competitiveness in Italy and worldwide. For forty-five years, the SACE Group has been the partner of reference for Italian enterprises looking to export and grow on international markets. The Group also works with the banking sector, providing financial guarantees to ensure companies have access to credit. This role was recently expanded to include new instruments to support liquidity and investments in business competitiveness and sustainability, as part of Italy’s Green New Deal for the domestic market. With a portfolio of insured operations and guaranteed investments worth EUR 164 billion, SACE, together with all the Group companies – SACE FCT, which operates in factoring, SACE BT, active in the Credit, Surety Bonds and Other Asset Damage classes, and SACE SRV, specialising in credit recovery and information asset management activities – serves more than 40 thousand companies, mainly SMEs, supporting their growth in Italy and in more than 200 countries worldwide.