1. stakeholders

Stakeholders

Our stakeholders

People:

everyone who works in Indesit Company and has a relationship of collaboration; this category also includes agents;

Retailers:

from big distribution chains to small retailers;

Consumers:

the end purchasers of Indesit Company products;

Suppliers:

providers of the raw materials, components, machinery, equipment, goods and services;

Shareholders:

holders of Indesit Company shares, including institutional investors in Italy and abroad;

Banks:

banks and other finance houses that provide the Group with financial backing;

Public administration:

national government, government agencies, institutions and local government;

Community:

non-profit organizations, associations, the academic community, end users of domestic appliances and all members of the general public with whom the Group has actual or potential relations;

Media:

journalists and mass media with whom the Group has relations;

Environment:

both the territories in which the Group has its manufacturing capacity and the wider ecological dimension potentially affected by Indesit Company products.

Interview

• How does Fondazione Sodalitas judge Indesit Company’s sustainability policies and projects? In what ways do you think the company’s social responsibility record is particularly virtuous?
  Indesit Company has shown a constant focus on sustainable development issues for years, both on aspects directly linked to its business, such as product innovation and energy efficiency, and on the management and development of its human capital and on its impact on the community and territory.
  In particular, the Group has been outstanding in the field of environmental innovation, thanks to ongoing investments in R&D in the area of energy efficiency and the reduction of environmental impact in all phase of a home appliance’s life cycle, from production to use and disposal. This is also a source of competitive advantage for Indesit Company, given that consumers are now increasingly interested in products that deliver energy savings and in the new frontier of “intelligent products” that allow for centralized monitoring and control of energy consumption to avoid overloading the grid.
  In its human resources management, the Group has always adopted a policy based on fully developing the potential of the places where it operates. For years now, this has meant that working conditions applying in Italy have gradually been extended to countries where legislation and standards are less stringent, as in the case of its production personnel in Russia and Turkey.
  As to its investments in the community, over and above its constant commitment to its own roots, the Group has put great effort into supporting the Jonathan Project, which for over a decade now has been helping young people with criminal records to regain a place in society and the workplace. The Group has also made commendable efforts to extend the project to other countries where it operates.
• How would you suggest Indesit Company should continue to improve in these areas?
  More communication about its commitments and the projects it’s completed. This first suggestion applies above all to environmental and community issues. Environmental sensibility is not only a fundamental moral value: it’s also a strategic competitive factor and should therefore be communicated transparently and effectively, highlighting its performance and constant drive to find advanced technological solutions making products more and more eco-compatible.
  Regarding its own employees, I would suggest continuing to focus on equal opportunities, a theme of great relevance today.
• The Group decided this year to publish its Sustainability Report exclusively online. What do you think about that choice?
  All means of communication have their advantages and limitations. Online communication has the advantage of being more interactive and flexible but stakeholders need to be informed of the change and be put in a position to get all the information they need without difficulty.
• What are the key aspects you expect to find in this Report?
  A good sustainability report must document results, not just good intentions. It should therefore report on commitments undertaken and on results achieved, as well as defining clear and measurable objectives enabling stakeholders to understand and judge the company’s economic, social and environmental performance over time.
Ugo Castellano
Managing Director