CIMA Research Foundation has recently become member of the SDG Academy Community of Practice, a network for exchange and training on sustainable development. The admission is for the Foundation the most recent step on the path aimed at sustainability
In October, CIMA Research Foundation became member of the SDG Academy Community of Practice, a vast international network that brings together sustainability experts in various cross-cutting fields. Being part of this network offers an important opportunity to acquire knowledge and to share the expertise and experience that CIMA has gained in the field of disaster risk reduction, a topic closely related to sustainable development.
The admission to the SDG Academy Community of Practice is only the most recent step of a path that CIMA Research Foundation and ACROTEC Foundation have undertaken, almost ten years ago, towards social and environmental sustainability. This path has been carried out from the inside to the outside, starting from the Foundations themselves. Starting from a series of internal surveys, the motivations and working conditions perceived by employees and collaborators were evaluated, while a process of governance improvement led to a redefinition of the areas (research and support) that allowed for a better work management. In the same period, investments were made in corporate welfare, establishing agreements that would allow employees to use the pool, gym and to beniefit from health insurance packages. Also in 2011, CIMA Research Foundation joined UN Global Compact, the United Nations initiative to promote sustainability in companies by adhering to the Ten Principles, aimed at ensuring the protection of workers and the environment and to promote corporate transparency.
The second important date of the Foundations’ path to promote sustainability was 2016. This year marked the beginning of social responsibility at a wider level, with the choice of local and certified suppliers: from fair trade coffee, to the choice of FSC paper. In addition, the Foundations have begun to work to make themselves plastic free. Educational activities with community schools on topics related to CIMA’s research and the 2030 Agenda have also started in this period, representing a fundamental step for the awareness of young people and the dissemination of knowledge and good practices.
Over the years, the Foundations have grown nationally and internationally. Between 2016 and 2017 the Foundations started to manage the Forest Nursery of Pian dei Corsi of the Liguria Region (activity ended this year), an opportunity that has allowed both research in the field of biodiversity conservation and forest fire prevention, and to carry out further educational activities for schools. In this period a deeper collaboration with the Savona Campus of the University of Genoa was established, to promote local and regional initiatives aimed at sustainability, such as the Festival of Sustainable Development, promoted by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (network of which CIMA Research Foundation is a partner). Also, in this period, at national level, CIMA Research Foundation joined the
UN Global Compact Network Italia, aligning its activities to the Sustainable Development Objectives of Agenda 2030, with the publication of the first social report.
The growth at international level, driven by various research projects, coincided with the CIMA Foundation’s membership of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the United Nations network bringing together universities, organizations and research institutions to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, seeking new scientific and technological solutions to current challenges. Moreover, between 2018 and 2020, the Foundation became a member (and no longer just a partner) of UN Global Compact. Until the last step, the entrance as a member to the SDG Academy Community of Practice. Being part of this network means, for the Foundations, the possibility to confront, learn and share ideas and knowledge with a large group of experts on sustainability. In particular, CIMA Research Foundation will have the opportunity to bring its operational and research experience on risk reduction as a tool to promote sustainable development through the reduction of vulnerability of people and the environment.
“The sustainability path of the Foundations is characterized by its gradualness. In fact, we have always wanted this path to be consistent, starting from the inside, from our human resources, to reach the outside world, the world of our community, suppliers, partners and lately networks and events”, says Isabel Gomes, head of the Communication and Sustainability Department. “We believe that this coherence will make the difference, both in terms of impact and institutional image. There is still a long way to go, because there is no limit to growth and improvement, but we are convinced that sustainability is the only way forward”.