Giorgia Maiani: Internal Education, Reporting, and Supply Chain Collaboration
Giorgia Maiani, the Sustainability Manager at Gruppo Asa, has successfully navigated the complex and evolving field of sustainability management. Her experience leading a manufacturing company through the process of embracing sustainability highlights the importance of practical strategies, clear communication, and long-term commitment. In this article, we explore how Giorgia has implemented these principles at Gruppo Asa, using a hands-on approach to sustainability that goes beyond mere compliance. The insights she provides offer valuable lessons for sustainability managers and professionals in all industries who are tasked with balancing the technical, strategic, and human aspects of corporate sustainability efforts.
Prioritizing Internal Education for Sustainability Success
For Giorgia Maiani, one of the most significant challenges early in her career at Gruppo Asa was a lack of understanding around sustainability concepts within the company. Gruppo Asa, like many other companies, wasn’t prepared for the rapid rise in demand for sustainability from clients and regulatory bodies. Giorgia's first step was to initiate an internal education program, knowing that building a foundation of knowledge was crucial. “From the beginning, I understood something very clearly: sustainability was new, and my company wasn't prepared to fully embrace it all at once. So, I had to take a practical approach, focusing internally first before looking outward.”
Giorgia’s strategy was to simplify complex concepts like CO2 calculations and emissions tracking, making them accessible to all employees, from office staff to production line workers. “I started by explaining to my colleagues what CO2 calculations are, why we need them, and how scope 1, 2, and 3 work,” she explains. She understood that for sustainability initiatives to be effective, they needed to be embraced by everyone in the organization, not just the top management. This required breaking down technical terms into digestible information and connecting them to the daily work of her colleagues. By doing so, she empowered her team, transforming them into active participants in the company’s sustainability journey.
Her method of focusing on internal education first reflects an important principle in sustainability management: knowledge is the foundation of action. Without a solid understanding of what sustainability means for the business and how each department contributes to the overall environmental impact, companies struggle to implement meaningful changes. Giorgia’s approach demonstrates that the success of sustainability initiatives depends not just on policies or technology but on the ability of employees to understand and engage with those initiatives. Her focus on internal capacity building helped Gruppo Asa integrate sustainability into its daily operations, making it a core part of the company’s culture.
The Challenges and Triumphs of Sustainability Reporting
Giorgia’s role as a sustainability leader also required her to establish robust sustainability reporting practices. Accurate and transparent reporting is crucial, not only for meeting regulatory requirements but for demonstrating progress to stakeholders. One of Giorgia’s key challenges was ensuring that this reporting process remained both thorough and understandable for everyone involved. She understood the importance of creating a system that could reliably track and report on sustainability metrics while keeping the team motivated and informed about the significance of these efforts.
“What helps me in my job is that sustainability tends to show results on its own. When we calculate CO2 emissions each year and compile a sustainability report, that in itself is evidence of success because it shows that data has been gathered, analyzed, and used effectively,” she explains. However, she is quick to point out that the real challenge lies in tracking the company’s performance against its sustainability goals over time. “The real challenge comes when you have to track the progress against the goals laid out in the report throughout the year. Some years may be more difficult than others, but even when it's challenging, every step forward matters.”
The process of compiling sustainability reports requires not just data collection but a commitment to continuous improvement. For Giorgia, sustainability reporting is more than a box-ticking exercise; it’s an opportunity to reflect on the company's progress and adjust strategies to meet long-term goals. Her approach shows that reporting is a tool for learning and accountability. Each report provides an opportunity to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, fostering a mindset of constant improvement.
In addition to using reporting as a way to track progress, Giorgia also used it as a means of communication within the company. By presenting the results of the sustainability reports to her colleagues, she kept the entire team involved in the journey. Her ability to translate the technical aspects of reporting into practical insights for her colleagues underscores the importance of clear, effective communication in sustainability management. This transparency allowed the team to see the tangible results of their efforts, reinforcing the importance of their contributions to the company’s overall sustainability goals.
Navigating the Complexities of Supply Chain Collaboration
Giorgia’s ability to lead sustainability initiatives at Gruppo Asa extends beyond internal operations to the company’s broader supply chain. Managing the sustainability of a supply chain is one of the most complex and critical aspects of corporate sustainability. It requires coordinating with multiple suppliers, often in different countries, each with its own set of regulations, standards, and priorities. This challenge is one that Giorgia has tackled head-on, applying the same collaborative and educational approach she used internally.
“Collaborating with the supply chain is one of the toughest aspects of sustainability because you're dealing with different companies, each with its own goals, located in different countries, with different regulations and challenges,” she notes. Rather than approaching suppliers with demands, Giorgia sees collaboration as key to success. “It’s not about saying ‘I’m the client, you need to do this,’ but rather ‘Let’s figure out how we can achieve this together,’” she explains. Her approach is based on understanding the unique challenges faced by each supplier and working together to find solutions that benefit both parties.
This collaborative mindset is particularly important when dealing with scope 3 emissions, which represent the indirect emissions that occur throughout a company’s supply chain. For many companies, these emissions account for the largest portion of their overall carbon footprint. Giorgia’s work with suppliers shows how important it is to view the supply chain as an extension of the company’s sustainability efforts. Rather than seeing suppliers as separate entities, she fosters relationships built on mutual goals and shared responsibility.
Her approach reflects the growing recognition that supply chain sustainability is a collective effort. By building partnerships with suppliers, Giorgia has been able to extend Gruppo Asa’s sustainability practices beyond its immediate operations, driving meaningful change across the entire value chain. This method of collaboration, grounded in transparency and shared objectives, is a model for sustainability managers looking to engage with their own supply chains more effectively.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any company.
