Benefit Corporations: a new way of doing business. From Shareholder to Stakeholder Economy
The environmental lectures for the 2019-2020 edition of Master PolisMaker - Politecnico di Milano have resumed. The meeting on November 15, 2019 introduced the Benefit Corporations approach, with a focus on corporate responsibility, transparency and impact in dialogue with the pillars of the circular economy.
With the start of the environmental module of Master PolisMaker (a.y. 2019-2020), the program renews its focus on economic models able to integrate value, sustainability and responsibility.
The lesson held on 15/11/2019, titled "Benefit corporation. A new approach of doing business. From Shareholder to Stakeholder economy", explored the shift from a model focused only on maximizing profit for shareholders to a paradigm that also considers the effects of business decisions on people, communities, territories and the environment.
A key point concerns the Italian legal framework: Italy was among the first countries in Europe to legally recognize Benefit Corporations (Law no. 208 of December 28, 2015), opening the way to a business model that combines economic goals with common-benefit purposes.
During the lecture, the following points were also discussed:
- directors' accountability duties toward a plurality of stakeholders
- transparency requirements and the benefit/impact report logic
- the difference between Benefit Corporation and B Corp certification (voluntary certification)
Speaker: Avv. Elisabetta Cicigoi - responsabile area Diritto.
