Relations with national, European and international institutions and advocacy actions

Within its relationship with the Italian Banking Association (ABI), Intesa Sanpaolo actively participates in the working groups promoted by the Association, focusing on the new sustainable finance strategy, the EU Green Taxonomy, the integration of ESG risk factors into corporate lending activities, non-financial reporting, and issues related to accessibility and social sustainability. 

In line with its commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, in 2023 Intesa Sanpaolo joined the Memorandum of Understanding between the ABI and the Department for Equal Opportunities aimed at preventing and combating gender-based violence through training and awareness initiatives on the tools available to support women’s rights.

The Bank also supports the annual ABI event “D&I in Finance,” recognizing diversity and inclusion as a strategic value for the development and innovation of banks and businesses.

In 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo joined the ABI–Federcasse Protocol “Banks for Women’s Financial and Economic Autonomy,” supporting the Corriere della Sera project “One Woman, One Job, One Account.” The initiative aims to strengthen citizens’ financial and economic skills by promoting greater awareness of financial services and the personal bank account as a tool for equal opportunities.

As part of its commitment to D&I and accessibility for people with functional limitations, in 2025 the Bank also joined the Memorandum of Understanding signed by ABI, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and ACRI, aimed at promoting and enhancing the European Disability Card.

In addition to its extensive work within ABI, the Group has continued to develop relationships with the main trade associations by defining various initiatives aimed at strengthening the awareness of these associations and their member companies regarding the importance of sustainability and the impact of ESG factors.

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 analysis. 

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, 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.

The second Observatory was established in 2021 and focuses on financial inclusion as a driver of economic growth for migrants. It aims to continuously monitor the phenomenon of financial exclusion, measure the effectiveness of the measures and strategies adopted, facilitate networking connections, and promote concrete proposals for institutional stakeholders, representatives of associations, and the business community, while preserving the wealth of people, proposals, and knowledge developed during the first phase of the study project on the financial inclusion of migrants (2018–2020). In 2023, a second phase of the project was launched, including a new edition of the 2018 study, updating the work with the latest available data. 

The Group also participates in two observatories promoted by the Astrid Foundation on the topics of artificial intelligence and the circular economy. The Observatory on Artificial Intelligence dynamics aims to study the issues related to artificial intelligence from technological, legal, and market structure perspectives. The Observatory on circular economy dynamics and the waste cycle focuses on research and the development of public policy proposals regarding the circular economy and waste cycle dynamics.

In collaboration with the association italiadecide, the study “Italy and Its Reputation: Cities” was carried out in 2025 with the aim of examining the attractiveness of Italian cities, formulating policy strategies to strengthen their reputation, and providing a critical analysis of the main international rankings.

The partnership with the Symbola Foundation continued for the publication of the 2025 edition of the report “Cohesion is Competition,” which highlights how companies that develop positive relationships with stakeholders achieve higher levels of competitiveness and resilience.

In line with the Group’s commitment to supporting technological and sustainable transition, the Bank once again partnered with DigithON, the digital marathon that offers one hundred startups the opportunity to present their projects to an audience of investors, managers, venture capitalists, and SMEs. During the event, the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center also awards the Sustainability and Circular Economy Prize to a startup deemed particularly deserving.

Dialogue continues with several national and international institutions, as well as with international organisations, foundations, and industry associations. In this context, Intesa Sanpaolo has been invited to participate in the national working group on financial inclusion promoted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Bank of Italy, within the framework of the country’s participation in the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.

As part of Intesa Sanpaolo’s membership in Cotec, the Bank took part in the 18th Cotec Europe Summit held in Coimbra, focused on the theme “A Call to Action” for greater European autonomy and integration. The initiative aimed to define concrete actions to strengthen Europe’s sustainable growth and to promote industrial partnerships among Portugal, Spain, and Italy in the sectors of aerospace and defense, life sciences and healthcare, microelectronics, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence.