The main purpose of the SME EnterPRIZE Award is to draw attention to small and medium-sized companies with the best sustainable development practices in Portugal. Like Pedro Carvalho, CEO of Tranquilidade | Generali, new consumers are already choosing brands based on the environmental and social criteria of the companies that sell them. Serenity | Generali is currently launching the 2nd edition of SME EnterPRIZE in Portugal.
How do you rate the 1st edition?
The balance we are making from the 1st edition of the SME EnterPRIZE is extremely positive. We received almost 500 applications from small and medium-sized companies in a period that can be considered quite short. We are talking about a month and a half, during which companies first contacted our initiative, identified themselves with it, invested time and resources in preparing the application and shared their projects. For a first edition of an award that is still known on the market, in our opinion, it was wonderful.
In this 2nd edition, the scope has been expanded to include social sustainability projects. How important is this measurement?
The social component is inextricably linked to the global goal of sustainable development, and in this sense it has a high mobilizing capacity and a multiplier effect in terms of impact. And we absolutely must talk about the economic impact, because only with wealth creation can we provide the necessary financial resources for companies to continue to operate competitively in the market, creating jobs, paying employees fairly, producing products that meet people’s expectations. On the other hand, companies can positively impact the communities in which they operate through social projects that support the most vulnerable and give them the tools to break the cycle of poverty, family breakdown and ill health.
Can you give examples of social sustainability projects Tranquilidade | Generals?
A good example of one of our initiatives is the Human Safety Net project, Tranquilidade I Generali’s flagship social responsibility program, which is a network of people committed to helping others with the aim of strengthening families with children under six. as well as the integration of refugees, who often manage to create their own jobs by becoming successful entrepreneurs.
In this context, through raising literacy and adopting responsible behavior for resource conservation, for the circular economy, for accident and health prevention methods, among others, we are also creating a behavioral change effect. This will contribute to a more balanced use of resources within the limits that the planet can support. We help current generations leave a legacy that improves the lives of future generations, not threatens their future.
Like Serenity | Does Generali see the role of small and medium-sized businesses in the national economy?
There is a very simple answer to this question, and the numbers speak for themselves. SMEs make up over 99% of enterprises in the European Union and employ about two thirds of private sector workers. In Portugal, they represent 98% of companies. As such, they have a major impact on the economy and the future of the communities in which they operate. Promoting sustainable practices in SMEs encourages sustainable practices in society as a whole. We believe that in this way we can contribute to the growth of the national economy.
In general, SMEs do not have the resources of large companies that they could use to ensure the sustainability of their business. What problems do they face?
SMEs will need to embrace the demands of sustainability as business transformation accelerators to be more innovative, adopt manufacturing processes that involve fewer resources, and thus respond more effectively to customer needs. Another challenge is to understand that sustainability is something truly holistic, which also includes business ethics, respect for human rights, and the promotion of diversity and gender equality.
There are also many situations in which transformation will require financial resources to be able to respond to the imperatives of supply chains and the law itself, and this is perhaps the biggest challenge for companies that may be less financially sound and have less access to capital. which is especially true in times of financial crisis. However, in Portugal, the economic outlook is, despite everything, positive, which opens up opportunities for companies.
However, the market also “requires” companies to be more resilient…
Yes. A new type of shopper is emerging: the responsible consumer, who makes his choices based on sustainable brand practices and wants to consume, clearly choosing those that have such positioning. Research shows that sustainable brands, on average, are viewed seven times more than other brands. So the question is not whether companies should implement sustainable practices, but when.
Like Serenity | Does Generali encourage the sustainability of your business?
Serenity | Generali has been in the midst of an extensive sustainability-focused transformation for many years, which includes the digitization of processes, the reduction of paper, fuel and electricity consumption. We have a human resources policy that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and the physical and mental well-being of employees.