The Implementation of Sustainability Reporting in SGR Group: Some Challenges of Transition from “Greenwashing” to Relational Change

The implementation of sustainability reporting entails contradictory elements that can involve greenwashing or corporate governance procedures modifications, as well as the mission and accounting system of a company. Based on the premise in this paper, the authors show the end of a first step of research process and answer the question: How does the introduction of a Sustainability Report (SR) transform mission, governance and accountability of enterprises? Attention is focused on the implications of the process of social and sustainable accountability with respect to the values order, structure and tools of governance, and those used to account for and hold the stakeholders accountable for the results, modality, and objectives which characterize the accountability of corporate activity. The deductive research approach is based on an analysis of the literature regarding sustainability development and sustainability reporting. The inductive method is based on the analysis of a research case related to an Italian multi-utility company: SGR Group. The analysis carried out focused on features of the sustainability process started by the company and interpreted it as the challenge launched by the Group to contribute to create, through its own activities, a civil economy which is typical of the corporate culture of responsibility and sustainable market economy built on the civil corporation.