Corporate sustainability refers to a management model that differs from the "traditional" as it is driven not only from the economic dimension but puts sustainability at the forefront. Corporate sustainability seeks to produce long-term stakeholder value by implementing a company plan that emphasizes the ethical, social, environmental, cultural, and economic aspects of conducting business.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the global economy, contributing to job creation and economic growth. SMEs account for 90% of businesses worldwide and more than 50% of global employment. In Europe, such statistics are even more impacting as SMEs represent 99.8% of private companies and more than 60% of employment.
Climate change poses significant risks to businesses around the world. Extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, can disrupt supply chains and cause widespread damage to infrastructure. Rising sea levels can threaten coastal properties and infrastructure, while increasing temperatures can impact worker health and productivity. Failure to address these risks by companies leads them to lose market share and profits, as consumers and investors demand more environmentally responsible practices.
The banking sector has a transformative role to play as a catalyst and enabler of a systemic acceleration towards a more sustainable economy, with the challenging mission of rapidly inducing change in consumer, lender and investor behaviour, and perhaps more importantly, in the broader society as a whole. The Horizon 2020 Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative (EEMI) Bauhaus model is intended to support this process and build a new methodological approach to propose a strategic harmonic roadmap to accelerate the green and social transition.