This Thursday, at the Press Room of the Chamber of Deputies and at the initiative of theHon. Enzo Amich, the Foundation for Digital Sustainability presented the most recent of its works: the Manifesto for the Digital Sustainability of Communication, drawn up by the Working Group ‘Sustainability in Communication and Digital Advertising’.
The Manifesto, which integrates the values already expressed in the Digital Sustainability Manifesto, is proposed as a working and inspirational tool, oriented towards the co-creation of innovative solutions that focus on people, the quality of the communication relationship and the impact on the context. Through a systemic and participatory approach, the document – consisting of eleven points – promotes a digital communication model that actively contributes to the achievement of the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals, in a dynamic balance between innovation, inclusion and responsibility. “In a historical moment in which digital transformation is increasingly pervasive, there is an urgent need for clear and shared references to guide communication professionals towards responsible choices,” explained Stefano Epifani, President of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability.
“The Manifesto was created to offer concrete ideas for integrating sustainability principles into communication strategies, with a view that embraces technological, ethical, social and environmental dimensions.
The conference, which saw the participation of the main players from the public, private and institutional worlds who contributed to the Manifesto, was opened by the words of theHon. Enzo Amich, who highlighted the importance of such an initiative: ‘As a member of Commission IX (Transport, Post and Telecommunications), I see digital technology not only as an engine for innovation, but as a lever for building a more inclusive and inclusive tomorrow. This Manifesto challenges us to rethink communication as an act of responsibility: an architecture of words and technologies that breaks down barriers, protects the planet and amplifies the voices of all. A new ‘humanism’ that fully develops all the opportunities that the digital dimension offers us. In an interconnected world, digital sustainability is not an option, but a necessity to ensure equity and respect for resources‘.
The Manifesto as the start of a journey
In a context where the digital transformation has reshaped the languages, means and relations of communication, questioning its impact is not an option, but a real necessity. “The working group was born ahead of its time. I believe that today the sustainability of digital communication is not a priority on communicators’ agendas,’ explained Roberto Ferrari, Promoter of the Working Group.“However, as is the Foundation’s style, we have tried not to look only at the urgency of the moment, but at the future. And while these are issues that are still somewhat in the background, they will become increasingly central. What we have envisaged is a very concrete path: the Manifesto we are presenting today is only the first output, which will be followed by the development of a dedicated Reference Practice and the organisation of the first national event, the ‘Stati Generali della Sostenibilità Digitale della Comunicazione‘ (General States of the Digital Sustainability of Communication), in which we will discuss further concrete projects with the network.
The Manifesto for the Digital Sustainability of Communication proposes a concrete and responsible vision of the evolution of communication, based on the integration of online and offline channels in a systemic and sustainable perspective. Sustainability, in this context, is both a method and a goal, as communication must respect the environment, but can also become a vehicle for cultural models and behaviours that are more attentive to collective well-being. “We are immersed in a digital ecosystem, which is the place where all opinions are now formed, decisions are made and in some way define the context in which we live, and this is a huge responsibility,” stressed Daniela Leotta, Chief Strategy, Sustainability & Communication Officer of E.ON Italia. “We can no longer afford to look at communication activities ex-post: we have to measure their effectiveness not only in terms of clicks or impressions, but also on environmental impact. And, of course, social impacts cannot be neglected: communication must be aware, create bridges, and this is not by chance one of the main points underlined by the Manifesto‘.
And in the path to achieving these goals, the role of the universities will also be fundamental: their contribution, in the Working Group, was expressed by Alberto Marinelli, Director of the Department of Communication and Social Research (CoRiS) of Sapienza University of Rome, who explained that ‘the university’s Third Mission is to work with the context: to foster dialogue, stable and continuous networks over time with those who work in the territory. The certainty that we have gained in these years of working together is that the Foundation is one of the most appropriate places to pursue this mission. As mentioned earlier, this is an issue that has not yet penetrated the corporate culture. The purpose of the Foundation is exactly this: to place itself in these spaces, a few years in advance, and to leverage it to reason together in a future perspective‘.
Different realities, a common goal
Fundamental objectives, these, which not by chance are shared by important realities of our territory. The media panorama, for example, with the presence of RAI, represented by Roberto Natale, a member of the company’s Board of Directors: ‘the new service contract signed by RAI with the State, in force since last year, assigns us, among our main tasks, that of accompanying the country in the digital transition and towards a culture of sustainability,’ he said during the conference. ‘Our presence in the Foundation only amplifies this commitment of ours‘.
But not only. Even a player such as Acquedotto Pugliese, belonging to an apparently distant world such as the water industry, has chosen to commit to this initiative: on the other hand, the presence is not accidental, because as pointed out by Vito Palumbo, Head of Communication and External Relations at Acquedotto Pugliese, “the affinities between water and digital technology are many. In fact, digital technology, like water, is an asset, something that has great value and is instrumental in living as well as possible. Few still realise the value of a non-infinite good like water, just as few understand the importance of digital. And this is precisely the aim of the Foundation community: to confront us with this reality and understand it“.
The importance of the public sector
However, collective action is needed to realise the goals set out in the Manifesto. Companies, industry players, digital platforms but also institutions must work together to develop fairer, more inclusive and sustainable communication models. A commitment to education and training is also needed, because digital sustainability is not a goal, but a constantly evolving process that requires awareness.
Together with the business sector, the role of the public sector is of fundamental importance from the Foundation’s point of view. These include the Club of Venice, the group that brings together those responsible for institutional communication from the EU states (members and candidates) and the European institutions. “It is always an opportunity to compare various experiences, and this one in particular is very important, taking into account the complexity of the digital and communication framework in which we are all operating,” commented Vincenzo Le Voci, Secretary General of the Club of Venice. “The Club was founded with the intention of intensifying the exchange of information and best practices by those responsible for public communication. Within the framework of our activities, conferences and seminars, we recognise themes identical to those reproduced in the Manifesto: times have changed and there are now new demands, which is why we need to adapt the skills of communicators to a system that has changed profoundly‘.
Everything therefore revolves around awareness, skills, and a culture in the broadest sense that must be developed and disseminated today, including in the public sphere. And this can also be achieved thanks to the contribution of important entities strongly committed in this field. “What I observe when reading the Manifesto is that these eleven points, for the most part, overlap with the competences of public administrations, which, however, are too often interpreted as fulfilment rather than communication proactivity,’ explained Leda Guidi, President of the Italian Association of Public and Institutional Communication. ‘These points are not easy to translate into concrete activities in PA, and that is why we make ourselves available to work together‘.
“Among the points mentioned in the Manifesto, I would like to highlight the one related to digital education and awareness,” concluded Francesco Di Costanzo, President of PA Social.“What has been talked about today, and what we also do in our daily lives, is precisely culture: a fundamental basis without which it becomes difficult to put the various activities into practice.”
The themes of the Manifesto
Specifically, at the heart of the Manifesto are concepts such as transparency and accountability, environmental sustainability and the reduction of the impact of infrastructure and processes, the centrality of the individual and respect for crucial rights such as inclusion and accessibility. Up to the aforementioned collaboration between actors – companies, institutions, platforms – and the importance of training both operators and end users.
Digital communication can and must be a tool for sustainability, not just a channel for dissemination. And technologies play an important role in promoting more sustainable modes of communication.
The Manifesto represents, in this direction, only a first step: the first step of a concrete path that can lead us towards a more sustainable future, also in the field of communication.