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SUSTAINABILITY
COMPETITIVENESS
• Open-es Navigatore ESG is a tool useful for companies, procurement
functions, banks, and institutions to orient themselves through the
different pathways to improve Sustainability and Competitiveness
performances, and to focus their efforts effectively.
• Through an anonymous and aggregated analysis of ESG data from
companies within the Open-es community, the tool identifies the key
ESG dimensions better addressed and prioritizes the actions necessary
to support the development of the business ecosystem.
• The main goal and perspective of this analysis is to assess companies'
ability to leverage the competitiveness potential linked to Sustainability
performances.
• This objective considers the need to integrate competitiveness and ESG
into companies' strategies to make the pursuit of sustainability goals
continuous and structurally embedded over time.
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TO FULLY EXPLOIT
COMPETITIVENESS and SUSTAINABILITY POTENTIAL
1. CURRENT POSITION
2. NEEDS
3. ACTION PLAN
Open-es Navigatore ESG addresses three key questions...
TO FULLY LEVERAGE THE COMPETITIVENESS – SUSTAINABILITY
POTENTIAL...
• …What is the current maturity level of the Italian business ecosystem?
• …What are the needs of companies to improve performances across
different ESG dimensions?
• …What concrete actions and commitments should the Open-es
alliance and companies focus their efforts on?
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+5.200 80% SMEs Sample coherent
with EU Supply
Chains
Companies 16 Industries
Analysis of 3 Development Steps
ORGANIZE MEASURE IMPROVE
Objectives, Procedures, Methods, Monitoring Development plans and
Roles and Processes and Reporting real actions implemented
• The data analysis focused on a sample of 5,284 companies, examining
over 100 ESG Data Points for each company based on the sustainability
profiles created on the Open-es platform.
• This sample was selected from the more than 26,000 companies in the
Open-es community, ensuring consistency with the sectoral distribution
of European industrial supply chains.
• Three dimensions of analysis were considered, corresponding to the
three stages of a company’s ESG development as outlined in the Open-
es model:
1. Organizational capability on specific ESG topics
2. Ability to measure and report related KPIs
3. Capacity to define and pursue a concrete improvement plan
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TO FULLY EXPLOIT
COMPETITIVENESS and SUSTAINABILITY POTENTIAL
1. CURRENT POSITION
2. NEEDS
3. ACTION PLAN
• The first chapter of 'Open-es Navigatore ESG' pertains to the analysis of
companies' maturity across different ESG dimensions and related
subtopics.
• The data reflects information collected in March 2024 and pertains to
the latest available fiscal reporting year: 2023. Additionally, comparisons
were made with data from 2022 and 2021.
• Over these three years, the ESG data model has remained consistent
and aligned with the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics defined by the
WEF in collaboration with the Big Four. Starting in March 2024, the
Open-es data model is based on the new ESRS – IFRS reporting
standards, which will serve as the reference framework used from next
year onward.
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% Companies that cover the Development Steps
65%
45% 46%
31% 31%
18% <15% <15% <15%
Environment Social Governance
• The analysis of the percentage of companies with good coverage across
the different development phases (Organization, Measurement,
Improvement) reveals a heterogeneous situation across the ESG
components.
• The environmental component shows the greatest coverage challenges,
especially in the 'Measurement' phase, likely due to the greater
complexity of the relevant standard KPIs.
• The social component appears to be the most covered, while the
governance component ranks in the middle.
• Overall, there is a gap of 15 to 20 percentage points between the
'Organization' and 'Measurement' phases, confirming the sequential
nature of the three development phases.
• The 'Improvement' phase still shows a generalized lack of maturity,
already noted in previous analyses, which led to the launch in 2024 of a
new feature on the Open-es Platform dedicated specifically to defining
and monitoring transition plans.
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Trend 2023 vs 2021
+ 15 pp + 15 pp + 16 pp
+ 11 pp
+ 4 pp
+ 2 pp
Environment Social Governance
• Focusing on companies that have been part of the Open-es Community
since 2021, a significant improvement trend is evident.
• The capability to measure both social and governance components has
shown strong growth.
• Conversely, only slight improvement is seen in the Measurement
capability of the environmental component, a point highlighted in
previous analyses, which led to the recent release of a dedicated tool on
the Open-es Platform.
• The improvements observed among companies that have been part of
the Open-es Community for a longer period are roughly double the
average improvement across the entire sample, demonstrating the
effectiveness and importance of participating in alliance initiatives.
• Another interesting phenomenon that emerges is that when a company
improves in one of the three ESG dimensions, it tends to make progress
in the other two as well. This highlights an integrated approach to ESG,
where companies address sustainability comprehensively rather than
focusing on a single dimension.
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Differences between Big Companies and SMEs
AVERAGE
DELTA
+13pp +11pp +12 pp
65%
45% 46%
31% 31%
18% <15% <15% <15%
Environment Social Governance
• Comparing the coverage level of Large Enterprises and SMEs reveals a
difference of about 12 percentage points in favor of large enterprises
across all three development phases: Organization, Measurement, and
Improvement.
• Although this difference is predictable, it is noteworthy that the
percentage gap is not particularly significant. For instance, focusing on
the environmental component, around half of Large Enterprises still lack
a solid organizational structure on this issue, and only about a third are
capable of accurately measuring the KPIs, despite approaching
regulatory obligations for this type of company.
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Coverage of the different ESG sub-dimensions
S G E
Employment
Health and Safety
+
Climate Change
Ethics and Integrity
Inclusion
Creating value for the Energy Efficiency
community
Skills for future
Quality of governing body Circular Economy
Welfare
Impacts, Risks and
Human Rights opportunity
Water
Innovation
Biodiversity
Value chain
• In-depth analysis of the coverage of the different E, S, and G sub-
dimensions reveals interesting insights into the current maturity of the
business ecosystem.
• For the social dimension, aspects related to Safety and Personnel are
well covered, also considering the significant regulatory framework
associated with these topics. The issue of Human Rights, particularly in
the Organization phase, still shows significant room for improvement. It
is assumed that this is not so much a matter of substance, given the
existing regulations, but more about the need to define approaches and
processes that structurally ensure the management of such an
important issue.
• Regarding the environmental dimension, although coverage is lower as
previously noted, there is greater attention to Climate Change and
Energy Efficiency, while issues related to water resources and
biodiversity are managed by very few companies.
• In the governance area, the two most significant gaps emerge in the
ability to assess impacts, risks, and opportunities (materiality analysis)
and in managing the value chain on these topics.
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SUSTAINABILITY
E S G
Efficiency Turnover
COSTS and risk and Control
COMPETITIVENESS
mitigation safety
Market
REVENUES Client Quality Position
RESOURCES Attractiveness Attractiveness Efficacy
(human e financial)
• The reason why managing ESG aspects increasingly means managing
risks and opportunities related to a company’s competitiveness can be
easily illustrated by evaluating the positive and negative impacts of
these aspects on "costs," "revenues," and access to "resources for
growth" (both human and financial).
• To assess how much of this competitiveness potential (understood as
the degree of influence on costs, revenues, and access to growth
resources) linked to ESG aspects is currently leveraged by companies, a
conceptual model was used to analyze the magnitude of this
phenomenon and identify improvement priorities.
• This model, simplified in the matrix representation in the image above,
allows to consider the risks and opportunities and their intensity of
impact on the company at each intersection of these two dimensions
(competitiveness and sustainability).
• While recognizing that a company’s competitiveness can be defined by
a broader set of factors, the choice to simplify the analysis by focusing
on "Costs," "Revenues," and "Resources" was driven by the need to
concentrate on tangible concepts that can be readily applied to
companies of any size and sector.
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Competitivity Sustainability Potential to be exploited
OVERALL 60%
COSTS 68%
REVENUES 59%
RESOURCES
(human and financial) 53%
• Applying this model to companies' ESG maturity results across different
sub-dimensions revealed that, to date, Italian businesses are utilizing
less than half of the competitiveness potential linked to sustainability
aspects.
• In particular, the least leveraged competitiveness factor is cost
management, in terms of efficiency opportunities and risks of
unexpected increases. This phenomenon is understandable when
considering the significant room for improvement highlighted in the
analysis of the environmental component, the area most exposed in
terms of cost efficiency (e.g., energy, waste management) or risk
management (e.g., physical risk, insurance).
• The strong focus on the social component results in above-average
performance in the "Access to Resources for Growth" competitiveness
factor. However, this is tempered by less readiness to capitalize on
opportunities related to financial resources, which are increasingly tied
to regulations requiring banks to evaluate specific KPIs concerning the
environmental component – a requirement that is often unmet,
especially among SMEs.
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TO FULLY EXPLOIT
COMPETITIVENESS and SUSTAINABILITY POTENTIAL
1. CURRENT POSITION
2. NEEDS
3. ACTION PLAN
• The second chapter of Open-es Navigatore ESG focuses on analyzing the
needs for improving companies' performance across various ESG
dimensions.
• In this chapter, attention is given only to the first two of the three
sustainable development steps underlying the overall analysis
(Organization, Measurement, and Improvement), since the third step
(the ability to define and pursue a concrete improvement plan) emerged
as an area requiring cross-cutting work across all ESG dimensions.
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ESG NEEDS MATRIX
MEASURE
+
ENHANCE SET TARGETS AND
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
AND CONTROL PLAN
OVERSIGHT
TRAINING AND
TOOLS
IMPACTS
TO MEASURE
IDENTIFICATION
+ ORGANIZE
• To identify companies' priority improvement needs, a matrix was used
where the horizontal axis represents maturity in the "Organization" step
(Objectives, procedures, roles, and processes) and the vertical axis
represents maturity in the "Measurement" step (Method, Monitoring,
and Reporting).
• By placing each individual ESG sub-dimension within this matrix, it is
possible to determine to which of the four quadrants it belongs, and
thus to infer which improvement needs are most prevalent in the
market for that ESG sub-dimension.
• For example, for ESG dimensions that fall into the bottom-left quadrant -
where companies' average maturity is low in both the Organization and
Measurement steps - there is a need to start from the basics. This
involves focusing on company training and raising awareness of the
importance of ESG issues in business activities.
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• In the environmental dimension, all areas fall within the lower
quadrants.
• There is a cross-cutting need for training and for acquiring the skills
required to assess the impact of these issues on one’s own company
across all areas.
• For the areas of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change – where
companies have already made some organizational progress in
managing these issues – there is a strong need to focus on making
simple measurement tools available, accessible to companies of all
sizes and relevant industrial sectors.
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• Regarding the social dimension, the most widespread need across all
areas is the definition of concrete objectives and action plans.
• Indeed, the first two development steps (Organization and
Measurement) are well addressed, also due to the cultural and historical
attention given to this area within the national system. Therefore, it is
essential not to be satisfied with mere "compliance coverage" but to
identify the targets and actions necessary to fully leverage the
competitiveness potential connected to it and aim for an overall position
of excellence.
• The area of "Human Rights" requests further attention, as there is also a
need to define processes and practical methods to structurally ensure
oversight of such a broad and important issue, rather than treating it as
a mere legal requirement.
• This awareness, along with growing market attention, has recently led to
the introduction of a dedicated space within the Open-es platform
specifically for these objectives.
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• Regarding the governance dimension, a rather heterogeneous and
varied situation emerges.
• In two key areas - risk, impact, and opportunity assessment (materiality
analysis) and supply chain management - the most widespread need is
training and strengthening skills to identify the connection with
business processes.
• As for the "Ethics and Integrity" area, there is good coverage both in
terms of Organization and Measurement, also due to the strong
regulatory framework supporting it.
• Regarding corporate governance bodies, especially in medium and
small enterprises, there is a need to adopt a more effective
organizational structure and align with market best practices,
particularly in companies with family-based ownership.
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ESG NEEDS: Distribution of Competitive-Sustainability Potential
ORGANIZATION TOOLS SET TARGETS AND PLAN
23% 26%
33% 18%
TRAINING AND IMPACT TOOLS TO MEASURE
• The size of the circles in the previous graphs represents the
competitiveness potential linked to specific ESG sub-dimensions.
• In this matrix, the total sum of these competitiveness potentials is
shown according to the model described earlier, in order to identify
which development actions are most effective for achieving this goal.
• This representation confirms the strategic importance of training, skills
enhancement, and the awareness that companies must develop
regarding the impacts and connections between ESG issues and their
business objectives.
• Given the current market snapshot, it becomes clear that by focusing
on training and skills, it is possible to influence a third of the total
competitiveness potential linked to ESG aspects.
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TO FULLY EXPLOIT
COMPETITIVENESS and SUSTAINABILITY POTENTIAL
1. CURRENT POSITION
2. NEEDS
3. ACTION PLAN
• The third chapter of Open-es Navigatore ESG focuses on identifying the
priority actions and commitments on which the Open-es alliance and
companies should concentrate in order to improve their ability to fully
leverage the competitiveness potential linked to ESG aspects and thus
pursue sustainability goals in a pragmatic and structured way.
• This evaluation is based on the results of the analysis summarized in
the previous chapters and on the assumption that companies,
especially smaller ones - which represent the largest percentage - can
focus their efforts on a limited number of actions each year. Therefore,
it is essential to identify priorities and achievable targets, taking into
account the linked competitive advantage in order to generate a
strong and widespread response.
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ESG PRIORITIES FOR ACTION PLAN
E S G
REGULATORY
COMPETITIVENESS
FRAMEWORK
AND MARKET IMPACT
PRESSURE
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
• In order to identify the priorities on which to focus efforts, the various
ESG sub-topics were classified based on two key characteristics
1. How much the ESG issue is given attention in the regulatory
framework. To assess this, the number of regulations requiring a
position on the specific topic was considered, along with the type
of "obligation" associated with it (requirement, information
request, etc.).
2. How much the ESG issue impacts the company’s competitiveness
positioning. For this characteristic, the model of risks and
opportunities linked to costs, revenues, and access to resources
was considered, along with the importance assigned by industry
leaders and financial players in their evaluations of
suppliers/customers.
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Priorities – Actions Map
• By crossing the priorities defined for each ESG sub-dimension with the
necessary actions identified in the second chapter of the Navigatore ESG,
this summary representation can be obtained.
• In particular, 8 key ESG priorities emerge, which, due to their regulatory
attention and linked competitiveness potential, should be included in
the action plan:
o 5 priorities in the environmental and governance areas, where
actions are needed to strengthen skills and measurement
capabilities.
o 3 priorities in the social area, where actions are needed to enhance
the adoption of targets and corresponding development plans.
• The other ESG sub-dimensions that are classified as having medium and
low priority should not be underestimated. They should be explored
further in relation to the company’s specific business area, also based on
the results of the impact, risk, and opportunity analysis (Governance –
materiality analysis), which is among the identified cross-cutting
priorities.
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ALLIANCE & PLATFORM
Climate Circular Energy
Strengthen Training and spread Change Economy Efficiency
1 simple measurement tools
Impacts, risks and Value Chain
opportunity
Provide guidelines and best-practices to define
2 processes and targets
Human
Rights
Health &
Safety
Inclusion
Push Companies to connect ESG-
3 Competitiveness with a real «action plan»
C E S G
• Considering the 8 identified ESG priorities and the corresponding
improvement actions most needed, an action plan has been defined for
Open-es, with commitments on solutions and activities that the alliance
will make available to the community’s companies to support them in
achieving the goal.
• As a first commitment, the numerous training and best-practice
exchange activities organized monthly within the Open-es community
will be strengthened, with particular focus on the ESG sub-dimensions
that have shown the greatest needs in this regard. Additionally,
measurement tools that are easy to use and suitable even for smaller
companies will be further enhanced in areas such as emissions, energy
efficiency, and circularity, in line with regulatory parameters.
• As a second commitment, guidelines and examples will be made
available to companies to help define plans, processes, and objectives,
especially in the social ESG areas.
• Finally, the third commitment relates to the evolution of the platform's
features and the initiatives organized within the community, guiding
companies in defining a concrete action plan that centers on integrating
competitiveness indicators with ESG dimensions. This evolution aims to
enable companies to assess their positioning, with associated strengths
and areas for improvement, according to the C-ESG (Competitive ESG)
model.
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COMPANIES
Always participate in the OPEN-ES ESG SKILLS
1 community's training initiatives OPEN-ES CAMP
ESG MANAGER ID CARD
2 Adopt the measurement tools provided EMISSION TOOL
HUMAN RIGHTS CARD
Define or strengthen processes, organization,
3 and targets across the 8 ESG priorities
COMING SOON…
Identify the ESG risks and opportunities
4 related to your business
COMING SOON…
Define a two-year action plan TRANSITION PLAN AREA
5 for the 8 ESG priorities
DEVELOPMENT HUB
• Furthermore, by considering the 8 identified ESG priorities, 5 key
commitments have been defined for companies, accessible to all types
of organizations, which will enable them to achieve the goal of
maximizing the value of the competitiveness potential linked to ESG
aspects and thereby structurally pursue the sustainable development
path.
• For each identified action, the tools currently available to companies on
the Open-es platform are highlighted, while others will be developed
and made available in 2025 to specifically support all organizations in
focusing their actions on these priorities.
• Actions 4 and 5 play a central role in making this journey structural and
effective, and together with the final commitment for the Open-es
alliance (Pushing companies to integrate ESG competitiveness into a
concrete "action plan"), they represent the fundamental pact for all
organizations in the community, which will be the focus of the Open-es
2025 plan.
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Limitations of Liability and Terms of Use for the Navigatore ESG
Information
The results presented are based on an analysis of aggregated and anonymous
information regarding companies’ ESG positioning, derived from the Open-es
platform questionnaire, according to the methodology described in this report.
These results should be considered solely as an overview of the ESG level within
the Italian market and must be contextualized for the specific business reality.
The results are not to be interpreted as advice or as elements on which to base
decisions; therefore, the owner of the Open-es platform assumes no
responsibility for any actions or omissions by third parties based on the analysis
results, nor does it provide any guarantee regarding the validity or reliability of
these results.
The information from this report may not be used in other publications without
citing the source and without prior authorization from Open-es representatives.
For further details on the underlying evaluation models and to deepen
understanding of the methodological aspects, please contact the Open-es
team (info@openes.io), responsible for drafting the document and developing
the study model.
Open-es is a systemic alliance that brings together the industrial, financial,
institutional, and associative sectors to support all companies, through a free
digital platform, in their journey of measuring and improving sustainability
performances. This initiative represents a significant step in the creation of a
strong synergy within the business ecosystem, providing an opportunity to see
all major Italian industrial and financial enterprises, and beyond, collaborate to
engage and support their suppliers, clients, and stakeholders in a shared path of
enhancement and promotion of sustainability in our production network.
Open-es in number
+ 26.000 + 100 + 60
Companies Country Industries
www.openes.io
