For Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, sustainability is not a fixed destination but an evolving process that informs every strategic and operational choice.
Our aim is to generate a positive impact on communities and society at large, turning the principles of environmental stewardship, social equity and innovation into tangible, measurable outcomes.
Consistency as a method
The Foundation’s commitment goes beyond isolated local initiatives. It is rooted in a structural approach that ensures full alignment between our philanthropic values and our administrative practices.
This approach is underpinned by an Integrated Management System, certified to the ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) international standards. By integrating these frameworks, the Foundation is able to pursue continuous improvement, steadily and measurably reducing the direct and indirect impacts of its activities, while fostering a culture of shared responsibility across every level of the organisation.
Climate management and decarbonisation
Addressing climate change is not only a moral imperative, but a practical challenge the Foundation tackles with rigorous, science-based tools.
To pinpoint the most effective areas for action, the Foundation has embarked on a decarbonisation journey, calculating its Carbon Footprint: an inventory that measures the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by its activities, in line with the international GHG Protocol standard.
Analysis of 2024 data shows an “emissions baseline” of 738.47 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
The distribution of these emissions reflects a typical service-based organisation:
just 0.5% is direct, a negligible share linked solely to fuel use, while the overwhelming majority (84%) is indirect. In other words, the Foundation’s greatest impact does not stem from its own energy consumption, but from its value chain, particularly emissions associated with the procurement of goods and services and with business travel.
The Foundation’s commitment is already delivering tangible results. By choosing to source electricity exclusively from renewable sources, the organisation avoids the emission of more than 236 tonnes of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere each year compared to a standard national energy mix.
Environmental guidelines and office best practices
At the Foundation, sustainability is embedded in everyday culture, with staff encouraged to follow dedicated Environmental Guidelines and adopt best practices in the workplace. This practical framework supports informed decision-making and integrates circular economy principles into daily operations.
The commitment is structured across several areas of action.
Efficient resource management
The Foundation promotes the responsible use of energy and water, encouraging employees to switch off equipment at the end of the day and optimise the use of climate control systems.
Responsible mobility
The Foundation actively encourages staff to favour public transport, cycling, orcarpooling (through initiatives such as JoJob) for commuting and business travel, with the aim of reducing indirect mobility-related emissions.
Procurement and waste management
The Foundation prioritises sourcing from local or environmentally certified suppliers, while also implementing strict procedures for waste separation and reducing packaging.
Digital responsibility: environment, equity and inclusion
The digitalisation of work processes is an important step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, no activity is entirely without impact: digital tools also generate CO2 equivalent emissions as they rely on electricity to function. This is why it is important to measure and reduce the energy needs of the digital tools used by the Foundation.
The project started with the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo website. The first stage involved taking measurements: the weight of the data flow transferred in a year from the server to the devices of users browsing the site was calculated. This also made it possible to calculate how much electricity was used and therefore how much CO2 equivalent was emitted to generate the electricity.
The website therefore underwent a profound overhaul in terms of technology and content. The aim was to reduce the number of pages and their weight, working on browsing paths and multimedia files. The result was a tool that was lighter on the environment and the people browsing the website.
Before the improvements were made, the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo website generated annual CO2 equivalent emissions equal to those of a petrol car travelling seven times the distance from Turin to the North Pole.
As a result of the improvement work, the website has reduced its environmental impact by 30%. Ongoing work is taking place to cut greenhouse gas emissions further.
Recognising that sustainability is a continuous journey rather than a final destination, the Foundation is committed to recalculating its carbon footprint annually, improving data collection and implementing increasingly effective carbon management measures.
Every choice, tool and everyday behaviour thus becomes a tangible expression of its values, creating real impact for people and the local area.
