Assicurazioni Generali : Generali supports the launching event of the Sustainable and Responsible Investment Week

Generali Group supported, alongside Natixis Global, the research project conducted by the Forum for Sustainable Finance (FFS) and Doxa, aimed at analysing the aptitudes of Italian savers and retail investors, their propensity to invest in SRI's products and the importance conferred to social, environmental and governance themes.

The results of the study were presented on the 8 of November 2017 during the opening event of the Sustainable and Responsible Investment Week, at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome. Promoted by FFS, supported by prominent financial actors and sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment, the Sustainable and Responsible Investment Week represents the most important Italian event on sustainable and responsible investments (SRI). It offers ten conferences, featuring national and international high profile keynote speakers.

Updating a research project published in 2013, the study 'The responsible saver' covers a sample of 1000 Italian individuals and aims at analysing the evolution of the investment criteria and the propensity to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in choosing financial assets. It further investigates SRI's communication and preferential information channels, with particular reference to the role of banks, insurances and financial advisors. The study highlights a considerable increase in the interest on the theme of sustainability among Italian savers; the research outcomes show that the development of SRI investments in Italy in slow but steady.

Lucia Silva, Generali Group Head of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, attended the event and engaged in the debate at the end of the presentation of the study. She commented: 'Having signed the Global Compact and the United Nations' Principles for Responsible Investments (PRI), Generali has long since been developing its investments strategies vis-à-vis environmental, social and corporate governance criteria. However, it does so without undermining its profitability and, coherently, the principles safeguarding its reputation'.

Generali's commitment has been formalised through the publication of the Responsible Investment Guidelines, coordinating the monitoring and evaluation activities of the investments exposed to ESG's risks, through the formation of appositely designed funds for sustainable investments and with the institution of the right to vote within the invested companies.

To read the study 'The responsible saver' visit the website of the Forum for Sustainable Finance.

For further information visit the section about Generali Group responsible investments.