
MONDADORI:
Evolving its sustainability approach through a structured dialogue process.
#sustainability
#external engagement
#internal engagement
#reporting
Brief
After a decade of sustainability reporting, Mondadori wanted to break out of a disclosure-driven approach and better understand what sustainability really means for business as Italy’s biggest publisher and its stakeholders. The board of directors, meanwhile, demanded a transparent, structured process.
Our work
Our collaboration with Mondadori has lasted over two years, during which we have used a variety of instruments (materiality analysis, stakeholder prioritization, surveys, etc.) to help the company’s management better understand and evaluate its impact on society. Working directly with the company’s sustainability committee, our activities have included:
– Interviews with a panel of external experts, who provided new perspectives on the role and responsibility of the publishing sectorA new map of Mondadori’s stakeholders, assessed by all the company’s functions in terms of their relevance and influence
- – Successive rounds of internal interviews with the company’s top management
- – Qualitative interviews with selected external stakeholders (e.g. suppliers, franchisees…)
- – An employee survey, which gathered responses from about half the company’s workforce
- – Materiality analysis for the company’s non-financial statements (sustainability report), including a strategic and progressive revision of topics and issues
- – Support in preparing the company’s environmental data and disclosures

Result
Thanks to our support, sustainability has acquired new relevance for Mondadori’s board, management and sustainability committee.
Not only have specific topics received attention – for example, education and people management – but the company has re-assessed its ESG risks and drawn up plans to engage its customers, from magazine readers to teachers.