If digitisation is the tool that can enable a sustainable transition, it is knowledge, open and shared, that can really steer it towards sustainability. And this knowledge must be built together, because digital sustainability is a challenge that no one can face alone. This is the vision that unites the Enel Foundation, a company committed to creating and sharing knowledge to help solve major challenges in the energy sector, and the Foundation for Digital Sustainability. And it is what drove these two entities to walk together along the road towards the development of this fundamental issue.
We talked about this in this interview with Giulia Genuardi, Managing Director of the Enel Foundation and member of the Steering Committee of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability: with a degree in Economics, she began her career at the Enel Group in 2003, covering a wide range of roles over the years, until she led the Group’s Sustainability activities from 2013 to 2024, with responsibility for integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into the company’s management.
For a ‘post-technological’ digital sustainability
“In a global context that increasingly asks us to rethink development models, digital sustainability represents one of the challenges and, at the same time, one of the most strategic opportunities,” explained Giulia Genuardi. Highlighting how putting this concept into practice must be the result of a deeper understanding, which sees digital as a true enabler of a new paradigm. “Digital sustainability does not just mean talking about greener data centres or more efficient codes, but a change of perspective, a new vision where digital is not an end, but a tool for creating value, taking into account environmental, social and economic impacts.
True digital sustainability, however, is post-technological. It is when technology becomes invisible not because it disappears, but because it becomes deeply integrated with everyday actions, the environment and collective progress. This is our challenge and also our responsibility‘.
Shared knowledge is needed
It is through this perspective, supported by the creation and dissemination of appropriate knowledge, that technologies can move from being mere tools to essential allies in addressing the greatest challenges we face. “Digital technologies play a central role in the energy transition. They are not just tools that improve operational efficiency, they enable a structural change in the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed,’ Genuardi pointed out. “Through the use of data,artificial intelligence and predictive systems, it is now possible to manage increasingly complex networks, integrate renewable energies intelligently, reduce emissions and optimise consumption in real time. Digital enables faster, more accurate and above all more sustainable decisions.
The Enel Foundation works to ensure the availability of skills, research and analytical tools that transform technological innovation into applied knowledge, also to support public policy and decision-making processes. Knowledge that must be shared to address complex challenges such as climate change, energy access and energy security. Digitalisation is an enabler of the transition. But it is knowledge, open and shared, that enables it to be driven in a concrete and responsible way. And true innovation will be that which combines performance, transparency, environmental impact and value sharing‘.
The crucial role of research and training
It is therefore a solid and shared culture that can make the difference in the development of digital sustainability. And to create this culture, according to Giulia Genuardi, two elements are particularly essential: research and training. “Without a solid scientific basis and appropriate skills, digital sustainability risks remaining an abstract concept, disconnected from industrial and operational reality.
Research makes it possible to understand the challenges, anticipate technological transformations and develop concrete solutions.
In an industry like the energy sector, where innovation runs fast, it is essential to have a continuous presence of analysis, study and experimentation. This applies both to digital technologies and to their environmental, economic and social impacts.
At the same time, training is what makes this scalable and accessible. Training new skills means creating the conditions for widespread and lasting change. It is not enough to develop innovative solutions: we must also be able to transfer them, share them and apply them on a large scale, both within companies and in territories. In this sense, the Enel Foundation promotes initiatives that connect academia, business and institutions, creating an ecosystem of knowledge that strengthens the energy and digital transition in a sustainable and inclusive way‘.
Combine Intentions, Accelerate Results
Collaboration between different realities, from different worlds, can therefore represent a real accelerator for sustainability. For the Enel Foundation, as for the Foundation for Digital Sustainability, it is in fact the union of intentions towards common goals that is the key to achieving a more sustainable future. “Networking is essential. No organisation, no matter how advanced or structured, can tackle the complex challenges we face alone, especially when we are talking about digital sustainability, which by its very nature is transversal, systemic and constantly evolving. The real potential of networking lies in the ability to pool complementary skills, resources and visions. Joining intentions means speeding up results, reducing risks, and above all avoiding duplication of effort. In practice, it means being more effective, faster and more robust in building concrete solutions.
Foundations such as the Enel Foundation and the Foundation for Digital Sustainability represent strategic platforms for building these bridges between research, business, institutions and civil society,’ Genuardi further emphasised. “Only through open and structured collaboration can we transform digital innovation into a true driver of sustainable development. And this does not only apply to technology, but also to culture: digital sustainability is first and foremost a matter of shared vision. Networking means building common awareness, creating common languages and steering change in the same direction. Networking is not an option, it is a necessary condition to make the digital transition truly sustainable, fair and accessible to all‘.