The “Sustainability is quality” report promoted by Ipsos and the Symbola Foundation in collaboration with the Brescia Chamber of Commerce.
In recent years there has been a constant growth in the importance that citizens attribute to the topic of sustainability, which has now entered people's daily lives.
Many citizens are increasingly informed, more aware and active, and therefore more willing to question consolidated habits, lifestyles and consumption patterns anchored to the past.
What drives greater attention and interest in sustainability? How can we explain this profound change in attitude and perspective that is also affecting our country, allowing us to overcome resistance to change?
Surprising results emerged from the research carried out by Ipsos and Symbola in March 2024 .
The three drivers that push for greater attention to sustainability are, in increasing order of importance :
ethics (gives a contribution of 7.7%),
fear , in particular for climate change and for the future of the planet, (contributes 22%)
quality (with a contribution of 70.3% ).
This greater emphasis placed by individuals on the concept of quality represents a real cultural turning point and brings with it many implications of great interest. First of all, until a few years ago what was associated with sustainability represented a less "effective", less satisfying product, chosen more for a question of values to the detriment of full satisfaction.
This year the report, in addition to general themes, aimed to delve into sectors of particular interest for the national economy, in particular the metallurgy-steel sector and the travel and tourism sector.
However, before delving into the evidence of the specific sectors under analysis, it is useful to underline how the research has also highlighted some aspects that seem contradictory.
The difficulty in understanding whether a company is actually sustainable is growing again (from 60% in 2022 to 67% in 2024) but the share of companies that are considered to operate responsibly is increasing, even if slightly (from 34% in 2022 to 37% in 2024).
In the more general area of quality, it is more strongly accompanied by that of reputation which, in case of uncertainty, plays a role of reassurance and certification of the correct behavior of the company and allows us to reduce the share of those who are skeptical about the actual commitment of companies.
Even the terms greenwashing and socialwashing, although remaining little known, are more present in citizens' minds. However, people believe that there is a greater proportion of companies that actually behave responsibly than those that boast of an unreal commitment. Furthermore, for a company that acts sustainably, communication about its work brings more benefits than risks.
For citizens, the tourism-travel sector is made up of a variety of entities that include accommodation facilities, means of transport and cruise ships, tour operators and travel agencies, and more.
Over 60% of Italians consider themselves to be ethical and responsible consumers in relation to travel and think that sustainability is synonymous with quality when operators in the sector are attentive to local communities (36%), workers (32%) and environment (32%). A traveler convinced of the quality and sustainability of a tourist service is willing to give it a premium price. The areas that require the most attention to ensure the sustainability of the sector are transport and catering.
Ermete Realacci, president of the Symbola Foundation: “Sustainability is not only necessary but represents a great opportunity to make our economy and our society more human-scale and therefore more capable of the future.
In Italy in particular, sustainability is closely connected with cohesion, beauty and innovation.
Betting on an Italy that is Italy is the key to strengthening our economy."
Nando Pagnoncelli, president of IPSOS : “ Attention to sustainability has been put to the test by difficult years, linked to geo-political concerns and the sharp increase in prices.
These general elements must also be accompanied by more specific elements: a commitment not considered adequate by governments and companies, the feeling of stasis if not retreat, the absence of a vision in which to recognize oneself.
However, many elements lead us to consider this phase a "growth crisis": in fact in 2024 indifference and skepticism will also reduce, demonstrating that people today would be more ready to engage in a shared project, if known and understood.
Companies today have a more decisive role : consumers' sustainable choices are increasingly driven less by fear and more by the search for quality. Sustainable products are considered 'good' - to use Petrini's ancient motto - and increasingly generate a climate of trust towards the companies that offer them. In fact, the number of companies that are considered attentive to sustainability is growing. The wisest and most sustainable companies will be able to seize this opening!”