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The future of Chambers of Commerce is closely linked to the future of the businesses and communities they serve. At a time when environmental, energy, digital and social change is profoundly reshaping the way businesses operate, one of the key challenges will be to support this transformation without losing sight of the realities of our productive systems.
Sustainability is one of the defining challenges within this broader transformation. And if we truly want to address it, we must start with those who keep the real economy moving every day: small and medium-sized enterprises.
SMEs account for more than 90% of businesses in Italy and across Europe. They produce, innovate and create jobs, and, above all, they maintain close ties with the communities and local economies in which they operate. It is from this local dimension that we should begin when considering the role Chambers of Commerce can play in the years ahead.
The sustainability transition cannot be driven by major strategies, international targets and European regulation alone. It must become tangible in the everyday life of businesses and communities. It must translate into practical choices, behaviours, investments and responsibilities.
Sustainability may be a global objective, but it begins with responsibility towards the places where we live and work.
This is where Chambers of Commerce can make a decisive contribution. They have a distinctive strength that is becoming increasingly valuable: they are deeply embedded in the local economies and communities they serve. They understand the local business landscape, are attuned to emerging needs and engage every day with businesses, trade associations, public institutions, universities and other organisations involved in local development.
Their role, therefore, cannot be limited to helping businesses meet regulatory requirements. It must also be about helping them understand change, navigate the transition and build for the future.
From this perspective, sustainability cannot remain an abstract concept or become simply another bureaucratic exercise. It must become part of business culture.
For a small company, this means understanding the needs of its community, using resources more efficiently, reducing waste and investing in energy efficiency, training and skills. It also means supporting and strengthening local supply chains, working with local suppliers where possible, and building stronger relationships with the community of which the business is part.
These may seem like simple actions, but real transformation can emerge from the accumulation of everyday choices.
In this context, tools such as sustainability reports can serve a purpose that goes well beyond reporting itself. First and foremost, they are tools for awareness and for developing a more structured approach: they enable businesses to measure their impact, understand where they can improve and align their decisions more closely with the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Not every business, however, can face this transition with the same resources, expertise or tools. This is where one of the most important responsibilities of institutions emerges: ensuring that sustainability does not become yet another factor widening the gap between large and small businesses.
Europe must have the courage to develop policies that are simple, clear and accessible. It must invest in training and skills development and create the conditions businesses need to turn the goals of the transition into concrete opportunities.
Because a transition that fails to reach small businesses risks remaining little more than an ambition on paper.
This is precisely why I believe intermediary organisations will have an increasingly important role to play in the future of the European economy.
Chambers of Commerce and trade associations can become part of the essential support infrastructure for this transition: trusted points of reference where businesses can find information, expertise and practical tools and, above all, trusted partners who can help them navigate change.
This role reflects, in some respects, a vision of business deeply connected to the community and the places in which it operates - a vision strongly associated with Adriano Olivetti.
A company is not simply an economic entity. It is part of a broader social ecosystem.
It creates value for its shareholders, but also for its employees and their families, and for the wider local economy and community of which it is part.
That vision is even more relevant today, as businesses are being asked to address the digital transition, the energy transition, demographic change, new skills requirements and profound shifts in production models - all at the same time.
The question, therefore, is not simply what the future of Chambers of Commerce will look like, but what contribution they can make to shaping the future of our local economies and communities.
I believe the answer lies in their ability to become increasingly important hubs of connection: between businesses and institutions, innovation and tradition, the local and European dimensions, and the needs of the present and our responsibility towards future generations.
The Chambers of Commerce of the future will need to remain close to businesses while adopting an increasingly long-term perspective. They will need to recognise change before it becomes an emergency and translate major global challenges into practical action at local level.
Ultimately, this is what the transition is about: bringing business, communities and the future together.
Because lasting change begins locally. And because a truly sustainable economy is not simply one that consumes fewer resources, but one that continues to create value without losing its connection to the people, communities and places that make that value possible.
Klaus Algieri
President of the Cosenza Chamber of Commerce and Vice-President of Unioncamere