Why our integrated report is a fundamental tool to interact with the market

The Group’s first Integrated Report represents a new phase for us in our commitment to transparently and comprehensively telling our story, identifying and making explicit the elements that characterise our company, modifying language and content in the relationship between the company and the market.

We have adopted a transversal approach capable of connecting objectives, activities and capital while understanding the entire spectrum of the external and internal impacts of our decision-making processes, in accordance to a new financial culture oriented towards supporting medium/long-term approaches.

We are increasing our focus on the non-financial impacts of the business, not only due to the growing commitment of institutions within regulatory processes – from the Non-Financial Reporting Directive, to the commitments undertaken by the 175 signatory countries of the COP21 to fight climate change, to the objectives promoted by the Agenda 2030 to generate sustainable development on our planet – but also due to the widespread awareness that companies should be evaluated not only based on the economic value that they generate directly, but also for the numerous externalities they produce and the contribution they make to managing emerging issues. This is why the 2016-18 Plan already includes sustainability actions and sets quantitative targets for expected outcomes.

Thus represented, the creation of value implies not only the commitment to protect the company’s assets and profitability, but also to protect the safety of people and their belongings, in addition to the dedication to protecting savings and promoting sustainable and balanced development in the communities in which Unipol operates. In 2016, in line with its history, the Group consolidated its capacity to interact and dialogue with stakeholders to respond to essential, concrete needs, as well as its capacity to integrate product and service distribution models.

Drafting of our first Integrated Report was particularly demanding: we have gathered information related to the business model, the process of value creation, new trends and emerging risks. Moreover, in accordance with the conciseness and connectivity requested by the <IR> Framework, we included specific infographics to facilitate reading and understanding of non-financial facts in combination with the classic financial elements.

Nevertheless, the Integrated Report is important for promoting awareness on how we create value, within the Group and the stakeholders, and so facilitate the application of the models of “integrated thinking” which help us to maximise our capacity to create shared value, responding in an innovative, effective and efficient manner to the needs arising from new trends.

Our Report also contribute to a better reputation of Unipol Group: a strategic asset capable of orienting business and activating internal and external cultural change able to contribute to value creation.