(Finance) – UniCredit supports the sustainable development plans of NIAS, an Apulian company specializing in the manufacture of armchairs and sofas.
The bank has indeed finalized a 1.5 million euro operation, backed by an 80% guarantee from the Fund of Guarantee for SMEsmanaged by Mediocredito Centrale on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Development, as part of the “Certified Sustainable Future Financing” plan, launched in July 2021 by UniCredit to support companies that want to improve the sustainability of their business.
More specifically, the loan is aimed at supporting the company’s investments aimed at improving the environmental impact of the production cycle and is subject to the achievement or maintenance of pre-established sustainability and energy efficiency objectives: in this specific case, the Apulian company has undertaken to achieve an ESG-Sustainability Rating through the ESG certification company EcoVadis based in Paris, and to improve it in the years to come. UniCredit, upon reaching the improvement objective, will award the company a rate bonus with respect to the conditions normally envisaged for these
operations; the final assessment of the improvement will be certified by an independent third party, in this case always represented by the same rating agency.
Thanks to this operation, the Altamura (BA) company continues its investment plan in sustainability which has led it to undertake a path to mitigate the environmental impact, energy consumption and safety at work, achieving over the years “green” certifications, including ISO 9001 and the FSC®-Forest Stewardship Council certification which identifies products containing wood from certified forests and traced along all stages of processing, from the forest to the final consumer.
“Sustainability is increasingly a competitive factor for companiescapable of guiding the choices of consumers and investors – he explains Annalisa Areni, UniCredit Southern Regional Manager -. The financing operation in favor of Nias goes in the direction of favoring the transition towards sustainable production models of local companies. How UniCredit intends to support the plans of these companies with innovative subsidized credit solutions and the transaction concluded with NIAS is a tangible example “.
“I thank UniCredit for sharing our project – he adds Nicola Sardone, Founder and CEO of Nias – aimed at amplifying e accelerate a process aimed at environmental requalification and ecological sustainability of society. Our future in the “green economy” will bring the whole company to full eco-sustainability, creating strong advantages for the group itself, for all the professionals and above all for the environment “.