The 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: a shared commitment to the well-being of all. The contribution of Open Fiber.

Social equality, the right to health and education, economic well-being, environmental protection, innovation and sustainable cities.

These are some of the main themes addressed in the 2030 Agenda, an action plan for people, planet and prosperity signed by the UN member states in September 2015.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consist of 169 targets that countries have committed to achieving by 2030.

We at Open Fiber strongly believe in the potential of fibre optics as a tool to even out inequalities, distribute opportunities more fairly and support the transformation towards sustainable development that protects the environment and people.



Our contribution to sustainable development

DownloadDownload The action of downloading or retrieving data from the network. the “Sustainability Report 2021”

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“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

(Brundtland Report, 1987)

Sustainable development implies the identification of technological, industrial and social development strategies that consider environmental conditions and compatibilities and work towards equality between peoples.

 

“Sustainability” is a word whose meaning is often wrongly confined only to the environmental sphere. The word is literally defined as something “that can be pursued on an ongoing basis”, but it translates into the ability to produce income and employment on a long-term basis (economic sustainability), protecting the environment and the renewal of natural resources (environmental sustainability) and the ability to ensure fairly distributed well-being(social sustainability).

In this sense, the unsustainability of the current socio-economic model implies the need for a paradigm shift capable of addressing the many complex environmental, institutional and social challenges of our time.

The Sustainable Development Goals are translated into a number of fundamental steps: the fight against hunger and poverty, the promotion of health, education and socio-economic well-being, the defence of peace and justice and the preservation of the natural environment.

These are “common goals”, meaning goals that concern all countries and all individuals. In this context, the word “common” takes on a dual meaning. On the one hand, it refers to the need for active, and therefore joint, participation by all countries and individuals. On the other hand, by appealing to the principle of equality, the word “common” means “no-one excluded” and underlines the importance of leaving no-one behind on the path to sustainable development.

How we at Open Fiber are doing our part

One of the issues addressed in the context of sustainable development concerns the field of technology. While it has the potential to contribute positively in terms of innovation and development, it can also have detrimental effects on the environment and people.

This is the fundamental difference between technologies that are “future-proofFuture-proof Fibre optics is referred to as ‘future-proof’ because it is the only solution that can evolve and support increasing transmission capacities, which in the future may reach up to 40 Gbps, supporting the most advanced services and the potential of new technologies that will arrive in the coming years.” and those that are not. We at Open Fiber have always been committed to implementing future-proof technological systems, investing in technologies that can improve people’s lives and the quality of the environment we live in. To do this, we are dedicated to building modern and resilient networkNetwork In computer language, the term network defines a set of hardware and software devices which, when linked together, enable the exchange and sharing of resources, data or information. In a computer network, the devices that generate, route and terminate data are called network nodes. infrastructure equipped with technology that has a low environmental impact throughout its life cycle.

The Sustainability Policy translates our mission into seven commitments that embrace our corporate values, the ethical and social principles stated in the Code of Ethics, the fundamental principles of the Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda:

  • We are committed to connecting the country to overcome the digital divideDigital Divide A term to describe the gap between those who can use new information and communication technologies and those who, for technical, economic or social reasons, are unable to use them. Read the news item “Digital divide and social inequality: the role of Open Fiber” to find out more., building a future in which new fibre optic technology can improve the lives of citizens and be a driver of change and economic, social and cultural development for the country
  • We value our human capital and support fair and inclusive working practices, striving to create a unique environment where everyone can express their skills and talents
  • We protect the environment and the areas where we operate by investing in technologies that respect them and by spreading infrastructure that by its very nature is high-performing and environmentally sustainable
  • We promote Occupational Health and Safety also through the adoption of responsible behaviours by all those who collaborate in the pursuit of corporate objectives, in any capacity
  • We provide a secure and reliable infrastructure, respecting free competition by offering access to all those interested at fair and non-discriminatory conditions
  • We believe in the values of ethics and integrity as fundamental elements of our daily work
  • We promote and respect universally recognised human rights and condemn any form of their violation

Stakeholder engagement and creation of a corporate sustainability culture are central elements of our approach, which aims to create lasting shared value with all those with whom we interact daily. We constantly work to reconcile the objectives of our business plan with our environmental and social commitments, guaranteeing access to a network entirely based on fibre optics, actively contributing to the growth of the social and economic fabric of Italian cities and supporting citizens, businesses and public administrations in the indispensable process of technological growth.

The tools supporting our commitment

Our commitment to sustainable business is ongoing and open to discussion: continuous and participatory dialogue with our stakeholders is a fundamental asset of our strategy as well as the key to gathering feedback on the initiatives undertaken, and above all, their compliance with environmental, social and economic expectations.

We have voluntarily implemented a management system for quality, occupational health and safety and the environment certified in accordance with the international standards ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001, which enables us to address these key business issues in a comprehensive and structured manner and implement a process of continuous improvement in our performance. We have adopted a Code of Ethics which brings together our values and the essential principles for operating in the markets in an ethical and transparent manner, and which standardises behaviour vis-a-vis all our stakeholders. Finally, we have adopted a 231 Organisational Model: a structured and organic internal regulatory system aimed at preventing the commission of crimes and the occurrence of any kind of offence pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 231/2001.

Optical fiber is an eco-sustainable technological solution before, during and after its installation. This characteristic strongly differentiates it from copper cabling, which instead has a significant environmental impact.

Less invasive interventions throughout the country, reduced maintenance requirements, high and constant performance over the long term: these are just some of the aspects that make the use of FTTHFTTH “Fiber to the Home” is the technology that connects POPs, located in exchanges, to end users’ property units with fibre optics. technology more advantageous for the development of Ultra BroadbandBroadband The term broadband, in telecommunications, generally refers to the transmission and reception of information data at a connection speed of over 144 kb/s. Broadband organises different channels, conveying different content in the form of data, such as Internet radio, animation, audio files and high-definition video. connection networks.

Other advantages of using fibre optics include the optimisation of digital services: better connection performance encourages the use of technology in everyday life (e.g., for banking transactions, buying digital tickets, consulting documents, etc.). Greater use of digital means less environmental impact.

Open Fiber’s commitment to supporting sustainable development leaves nothing to chance. In order to make an even stronger contribution to environmental protection and the fight against climate change, a significant part of our network has been built by upgrading existing infrastructure or by using environmentally-friendly excavation techniques, such as mini-trenching and “no-dig” excavation.

Open Fiber’s involvement in the pursuit of sustainable development is not only about environmental impact. Another issue we hold dear is the protection of the landscape and archaeological and monumental heritage. The richness of Italy’s land and biodiversity make implementing interconnection policies that respect the beauty of our country’s places essential. This is one of the aspects that led us to actively collaborate with Legambiente in a series of initiatives to promote a sustainable development culture.