POLIMI GSoM: a concrete commitment to a low-emissions future

For POLIMI Graduate School of Management, sustainability is not just a strategic objective, but a clear direction that guides the evolution of our operating model towards a zero-emissions economy. This commitment is already enshrined in the Statute, which recognises the transition to a zero-emissions economy as one of the School’s common-benefit goals. 

While social issues are now more central to stakeholders, 2024 marked significant progress: from setting structured environmental objectives to fully measuring our carbon footprint, which has been expanded to include new types of emissions.

A key role is played by the ESG Policy, which guides our decisions regarding energy and water savings, consumption monitoring and responsible waste management. The characteristics of the two campuses – Navigli and Bovisa – have led to different but complementary initiatives being adopted. At the Navigli Campus, smart lighting systems, daily air-quality monitoring and high-efficiency installations reduce consumption, while at the Bovisa Campus, 2024 saw the lighting system become more efficient and the start of façade renovations.

Digital infrastructure has also contributed to reducing environmental impact: the decommissioning of physical servers and the complete transition to the cloud have eliminated significant consumption, along with the replacement of technological equipment with more efficient solutions.

In addition to the technical interventions, the School has invested in raising awareness in its community: climate-change workshops, volunteering with Legambiente, and internal campaigns have promoted good daily practices, while initiatives such as the staff Sharing Hub and the decision to introduce vegetarian catering for all campus events have shaped more informed and circular behaviour. The progressive reduction of paper, the expansion of digital signatures and the introduction of organic waste collection complete a process which involves the whole community.

In 2024, through its collaboration with the Green Future Project, the School calculated its direct and indirect emissions, Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the GHG protocol, and launched a pilot project, Conscious Training, to measure and further reduce emissions from corporate training programmes. In addition, in line with the PIE Plan, it offset 100% of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by supporting wind power and environmental regeneration projects in India, Madagascar, Ecuador and Brazil.

"For us, sustainability is not a destination but a direction: from the way we manage spaces to the digital innovation of our services, every choice helps shape informed and responsible leaders for the future.”

• Enrico Bellazzecca, Associate Dean for Sustainability & Impact at POLIMI GSoM

Looking forward to 2025, in line with the environmental common-benefit purpose of its Articles of Association as a Benefit Corporation, POLIMI GSoM will continue to strengthen its environmental strategy, increasingly integrating the environmental dimension into its educational services and value proposition.

The journey is complex, but the direction is clear: to become a school capable not only of training conscious leaders, but also of contributing concretely to the transition to a low-emission future.

For more details, read the 2024 Impact Report here.