Relations with national, European and international institutions and advocacy actions

Within the Italian Banking Association (ABI), Intesa Sanpaolo actively participates in the Working Groups dedicated to issues such as the new strategy on sustainable finance, green taxonomy, the integration of ESG risk factors, in the management of risks related to corporate financing activities, non-financial reporting, accessibility and social sustainability.

The Bank contributed to the definition of the ABI response to the consultation on the updating of the national strategy of the circular economy announced by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and is collaborating in the preparation of the "Vademecum on the circular economy", an informative tool, jointly created by ABI and consumer associations to transfer information on the subject to the interested consumer and increase their sensitivity. Intesa Sanpaolo actively participates in the "Carta D- Women in the bank" project to enhance gender diversity as a key resource for sustainable development and growth also in the company.

In addition to the work within ABI, Intesa Sanpaolo Group has continued to develop its relationship with the leading Italian trade associations with the aim of increasing awareness about sustainability and ESG criteria among companies and networks.

Intesa Sanpaolo has long started an open and constructive dialogue with all the Consumer Associations belonging to the National Council of Consumer Consumers (recognized by the Ministry of Economic Development) and representative at national level

In this context, in 2019 it signed the Framework Agreement "Let's innovate relationships" (renewed in July 2021) which provides for the formation of 3 permanent discussion tables on the issues of greatest interest: Products and Services/Banking-insurance education/Territorial relations; Legislation/Authority-Customer Assistance/Conciliation; Educational/Sustainability/Impact.

In 2024, a new Framework Agreement "Let's innovate Relations 3.0 2024-2026" was signed with the Consumer Associations of the National Council of Consumers and Users, in continuity with the previous agreements of 2019 and 2021, confirming the mutual commitment to an open and constructive dialogue for greater consumer protection and customer satisfaction.

Intesa Sanpaolo is also a member and member of the Board of Directors of the Consumers' Forum, an independent association which includes the most important Consumer Associations, numerous Industrial and Service Companies and their Trade Associations, Institutions, which aims to maintain an open and permanent dialogue between companies and consumer organizations.

The Bank, together with the Consumer Associations, adopts joint conciliation as an out-of-court resolution tool adopted and managed together with the Consumer Associations.

The issues of access to credit (public guarantees) and grants and/or alternative tools  to support companies affected by the COVID-19 crisis to promote the competitiveness of companies, as well as through direct talks with national and local public institutions, were also given special attention. A detailed monitoring of grants offered by regions and regional financial companies has been prepared. A specific focus in this area has been reserved to those aimed at supporting innovative companies, new-established companies (start-ups) and youth entrepreneurship.

Two projects have also been launched which provide for the establishment of permanent observatories on topics falling within the scope of sustainability and inclusion.

The first Observatory aims to analyze and dialogue on demographic trends, competitiveness and sustainability of the country, through the creation of studies and the organization of awareness raising events.

The analysis of the demographic phenomenon, in fact, can be included in the context of the reflection on the socio-economic development of Italy and can play an important role for the social sustainability of the country.

With this awareness, in 2021, the study "Italy and demographic dynamics" was promoted in collaboration with Censis. Scenarios and tools for facing the future", which offers an interpretation of the dynamics of the demographic transition (the country that is "shrinking"), of the transformation of the internal composition of Italian society and a first evaluation of the impacts it may have on health protection, the labor market and more generally on the economy.

On March 18, 2024, the Report “The Society in the making: new needs, new opportunities, new paradigms” was presented at Torre Gioia in Milan, a large study carried out in collaboration with the Laboratory of statistics applied to business economic decisions (LSA) of the Catholic University, directed by Prof. Alessandro Rosina. For the Bank, the project was managed and coordinated by Institutional Special Projects and Policies, and carried out with the contribution of the Sales & Marketing Wealth Management & Protection Department and the Insurance Division, which demonstrated the urgency of the need to address with adequate policies a phenomenon that is taking on priority characteristics that can no longer be postponed. The Report, in addition to a detailed survey, offers the public debate and institutions a detailed reflection on the desired change of direction, on the assumption that the demographic aspect is transversal and therefore able to impact on most of the factors that affect the socio-economic development of the country, and at the same time advances some proposals on the assumption that it is possible to accompany Italian society towards a sustainable growth model.

In 2025, the topic of demography will be explored in depth with reference to the internal areas of the country, with a dedicated section within the Project “2030-2040. Probable Futures”, curated by Prof. Alessandro Rosina. An analysis aimed at identifying new ways of living and hypotheses for the enhancement of rural areas that will focus on the attempt to combine demographic decline and environmental and social sustainability.

The second Observatory focuses on financial inclusion, as an enabling factor for economic growth for migrants

In collaboration with the Censis Foundation and the italiadecide association, the research "The health system in Italy" was carried out in 2024, with the aim of investigating the evolutionary dynamics of the National Health System and suggesting possible policy interventions, in line with the changes that are affecting Italian society. In 2024, the partnership with the Symbola Foundation continued for the publication of the "Cohesion is Competition" Report, which highlights – with surveys of companies and consumers – the contribution that positive relations with stakeholders  make to the competitiveness of the Italian production world.

As part of the work started, there is the updating of a study on the dynamics of integration of migrants for the sustainable growth of the country carried out in 2018, the launch and consolidation of the dialogue with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation for a continuous discussion on best practices in support of the social and economic inclusion of migrants and asylum seekers, the continuation of the training project of the Foundation itself and the Catholic University in which Intesa Sanpaolo defined its intervention in the project and illustrated its best practice to the students of the Degree Course in Sustainability Management.

Dialogue has also been initiated with some national and international institutions, with international organizations, foundations and sector associations. In this context, Intesa Sanpaolo was invited to the national round table on financial inclusion promoted by the MEF and the Bank of Italy in the context of the country's participation in the G20.