Roger Abravanel and Luca D’Agnese present at GO Le grandi ipocrisie sul clima (Solferino), an illuminating and provocative essay that sheds light on both the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian economy in addressing the climate emergency. While the potential for innovation is considerable, the country’s ability to fully capitalize on it remains too weak.

Joining the authors on stage will be Andrea Marchetti, Headmaster of the Istituto agrario Le cascine; Alessandro Artini, President of ANP Toscana; Giampaolo Marchini, President of the Order of Journalists of Tuscany; Ferruccio de Bortoli, President of the publishing house Longanesi and of the association Vidas; and journalist Raffaele Capparelli.

The event will be moderated by Marcello Mancini, former director of La Nazione and President of the Scientific Committee of the Foundation of the Order of Journalists.

The Book

The planet is at risk. As the climate emergency manifests itself in all its severity, corporate commitment to sustainability has surged. Recently, however, growing skepticism has emerged toward the bureaucracy created in the name of environmental and social responsibility, known in companies by the acronym ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance).

The clash between enthusiasts and skeptics is dangerous because it generates a new form of climate denialism—one that acknowledges the problem but seeks to postpone solutions until they cost less, or believes that only the State should take responsibility.

The opposing mistakes of enthusiasts and skeptics are fueled by several dangerous hypocrisies. The hypocrisy of the neo-denialists, who claim to be concerned but ultimately propose only superficial initiatives. And the hypocrisy of the new sustainability “gurus,” who theorize a new “good” capitalism that in reality blends some sound principles long followed by responsible entrepreneurs with the claim that profit objectives should be relegated to the background.

What is needed instead is a new approach, as proposed in these pages: a “sustainability triangle” that has already achieved previously unthinkable progress on climate issues. This model calls for a new corporate mindset to seize the innovation opportunities offered by the planet, a qualitative leap in states’ economic policies, and a more pragmatic attitude from activists, who are too often driven by ideological extremism. At its core is a return to the original idea of sustainability—distinguishing true crises, which will inevitably explode if left unaddressed, from the countless other social and environmental problems in the world that businesses cannot be expected to solve.

The Authors

ROGER ABRAVANEL is Director Emeritus of McKinsey, an entrepreneur and investor in technology startups, and a board member of international companies, where he leads sustainability committees.
He is also a columnist for Corriere della Sera and an essayist. Among his books: Meritocrazia (2008), Aristocrazia 2.0(2021), and, with Luca D’Agnese, Regole (2010), Italia, cresci o esci! (2012), and La ricreazione è finita (2015).

LUCA D’AGNESE is Director of CDP Infrastructures, Public Administration and Territory at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. He also works in infrastructure advisory. Previously, he held positions at Hewlett-Packard and McKinsey. He served as CEO of the National Transmission Grid Operator and, in 2007, became CEO of ErgyCapital.
With Roger Abravanel he co-authored Regole (2010), Italia, cresci o esci! (2012), and La ricreazione è finita (2015).