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Chiesi, the international research-focused healthcare Group (Chiesi Group) announces today to be a Certified B Corporation. The announcement comes from B Lab, a non-profit body that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. B Lab assessed the social and environmental performance of all 28 Chiesi affiliates, on the basis of the B Impact Assessment (BIA), the most widely-used assessment for measuring the impact of a company on its workers, community, environment and customers: a global standard, as well as a benchmark tool with over 70,000 companies in the world.
“B Corp Certification is an official recognition of our longstanding commitment to improve the quality of human life, in a responsible manner towards society and the environment. It is not intended as a point of arrival, but as a business philosophy that will lead all our choices in the future.” Commented Ugo Di Francesco, CEO Chiesi Group. “We are aware that we are part of a fragile system and that our success is intertwined with the success of the system itself. The society, the community, the patients, our people and the whole Planet are its living parts, that we have to protect and develop”.
“We’re thrilled to have Chiesi Group join the ranks of Certified B Corporations,” says Nathan Gilbert, Executive Director of B Lab Europe, the nonprofit that certifies European B Corps. “To achieve B Corp Certification, Chiesi has demonstrated leadership and innovation. Now certified, Chiesi brings a unique opportunity to build more awareness of the B Corp movement amongst other companies in that industry and beyond. We look forward to working with Chiesi to inspire other businesses to join on this journey”.
As a result of the assessment, Chiesi Group started a global improvement plan, integrated with a Sustainability Strategic Plan, to increase the company positive impact on society and enable the natural integration of sustainability into the Group’s business model, thus becoming eligible for certification. The process started in 2018 and lasted for more than a year and a half. As part of this process, Chiesi chose to become a Benefit Corporation, a new innovative legal status under the Italian (Law no. 208/2015) and US law (Delaware). This legal form allows companies to pursue a double purpose: not only to create value for shareholders but also to explicitly pursue a general public benefit, that is a material positive impact on society and the environment, assessed against a third-party standard. The Chiesi leadership Team has worked on its sustainable innovation and B Corp path in close cooperation with the advisory team of Nativa, B Lab country partner for Italy.
“We have been impressed by Chiesi's commitment, leadership and openness to continuously challenge themselves, in order to put in practice their values and advance towards their vision. Chiesi's people demonstrate that business can really be a force for good” commented Paolo Di Cesare, Nativa co-founder.
In parallel the company internally launched the We ACT program – We Actively Care for Tomorrow - a project engaging the whole Chiesi population, enhancing awareness and curbing behaviours and processes into more sustainable ones.
“Today we celebrate this important recognition, thanks to the extraordinary commitment and passion of all Chiesi people. In the future we will look back at 2019 as a milestone in the history of Chiesi Group. We believe there is always a better way to do things and now, more than ever, the social and environmental challenges of our times require a new role and a new commitment from all companies” commented Alberto Chiesi, Chairman, Chiesi Group. “Chiesi is ready to take this role and, in continuity with our history, to renew our commitment to have a positive impact on people, on society and on the planet”.
“Indeed, Chiesi is the largest global pharmaceutical group to receive the B Corp Certification” added Maria Paola Chiesi, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Chiesi Group, “We hope that other pharmaceutical companies will soon join the B Corp movement to testify the renewed commitment of the pharma sector to ensure healthy life and promote wellbeing for all, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations. The health of our planet and its inhabitants deserves our best efforts.”
Click here to download the Chiesi Sustainability Report.
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