16 March 2022 15:37

2021 Sustainability Report

The Board of Directors approved the Corporate Sustainability Report 2021 which was subject to Limited Assurance by PricewaterhouseCoopers which certified compliance with the most important international standards (the GRI Standards).

During the year the company worked to achieve the targets set in the 2019-2021 plan, as well as on defining the content of the new sustainability plan included, as has been the case since 2014, in the Business Plan.  The extent to which the targets of the three-year plan, which was impacted by the healthcare situation that made certain investments obligatory while also reducing the aggregational capacity of the shopping centers, is reported on in the CSR.

The main results in 2021 can be summarized as follows:

  • Green: invested €1.2 million in improving the energy efficiency of the buildings in Italy and €620,000 in Romania; for the first year completed Scope 3 reporting which relates to the company’s indirect environmental impact, in order to proceed with the definition of the science based targets in 2022; renewed the Breeam In Use certifications of 2 assets for which the valuations improved; maintained energy consumption significantly lower than in 2019, including during the months not subject to restrictions on hours of operation; completed the roll out for the installation of 22 kw charging stations. 20 shopping centers now have this type of charging station and a total of 35 charging stations have been installed; worked on mobility related initiatives: the bike path to reach the Clodì Retail Park was completed and bus stops were placed near the Katanè Shopping Center.
  • Responsible: number of employees stable; investment in training increased (focus on soft and digital skills); agreement signed for smart working and, to accelerate vaccinations, provided employees with the opportunity to get vaccinations at a hub affiliated with the national healthcare system; 100% of the employees took advantage of the corporate wellness program; obtained Bio Safety Certification for 7 shopping centers, as well as for the headquarters, in order to prevent and minimize the spread of infections in people caused by biological agents, particularly those related to Covid-19.
  • Ethical: introduced an ESG target for company managers; carried out an audit of and modified the procedures for ISO37001 certification; received recognition from ISS Governance Qualityscore (highest score possible) and Integrated Governance Index.
  • Attractive: two vaccine hubs set up in two shopping centers where more than 400,000 people have been vaccinated since the opening; continued to scout for new brands, with the introduction of 34 new tenants in the Italian shopping malls. Also introduced the first medical center in an IGD shopping center; while reduced, marketing resumed with a focus on experience, omnichannelism and loyalty. There was in increase in the social-environmental and local initiatives; the Digital Plan was developed, which integrated existing digital tools with the new ones created during the year in order to provide the shopper with the ability to be in touch with the shopping center both digitally and in person throughout the customer journey.
  • Together: structured involvement of all the stakeholders in order to understand their expectations; carried out activities involving around 17,000 visitors both in and not in the shopping malls, as well as 5,000 students between the age of 12 and 19 in partnership with Nomisma; maintained some form of partnership with 201 local associations and non-profit organizations; the more than 16,600 jobs offered, the partnerships with 820 local providers and the fact that 40% of the brands present in the malls are local, confirmed IGD’s social role within the community.