Sustainability, economic growth and corporate competitiveness. These are essential topics and they must find the right balance between them. This is the topic addressed in the Assonime report on "Innovating for sustainable growth: business strategies and public policy", prepared by a working group of the Council coordinated by Cesare Avenia.
Il Working group of the Assonime council has two objectives: to bring out the concrete contribution that technology can provide environmental challenges taking into account the diversity of sectors and to identify the guidelines for public policy, at national and European level, to accompany companies towards innovation. All this always with an orientation towards sustainable development.
In first part of the report it is shown, through the experience of some of the main companies operating on the national territory in various sectors (energy, transport, industry, manufacturing and services), such as the sustainability is not disconnected from competitive dynamics. Through both technological and organizational innovation, it is possible to pursue sustainable objectives and, at the same time, reduce operating costs, increase productivity and supply security, seize the potential deriving from the growing demand for sustainable products as well as obtain the better conditions of access to financial resources.
In second part of the report are indicated six guidelines for public policy in order to support and integrate the market into sustainable growth. Various interventions aimed at removing administrative and regulatory obstacles to innovation and investment are identified, initiatives to support green demand are discussed, to ensure transparency and clarity regarding the sustainable characteristics of products and, finally, the importance of the contracting authorities, with particular attention to environmental competences.
The Report also focuses on the antitrust assessment of horizontal cooperation agreements in the environmental field and on how regulation aimed at pursuing the objectives of the Green Deal must be based on the principles of better regulation for better results (Better regulation for better results). In addition, a chapter is dedicated to European data policy in support of business initiatives.
Finally, the Report underlines the importance of revision of the European rules on state aid launched by the European Commission to update the regulatory framework to the challenges of the ecological and digital transition process, it being understood that the initiatives of the National Recovery Plan will have to comply with European law.
