27 September 2021

Banca Generali with Stefano Guindani in "BG4SDGs - Time to Change"

What is the status of the UN 2030 Agenda? How much impact is the human hand having on the planet? And what concrete actions are being put in place for a truly sustainable future?

These are some of the questions which, together with Stefano Guindani, an international photographer, we will try to answer in "BG4SDGs - Time to Change", the photographic project dedicated to exploring the world of sustainability through the universal matrix of the 17 SDGs that make up the UN 2030 Agenda.

The aim of the project

Through the lens of his own lens, Guindani investigates the state of achievement of the 17 ambitious goals defined by the United Nations in the document "Transforming our world. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" signed in Paris in 2015.

For each of them, the photographer's key is twofold: on the one hand, the focus is on highlighting the negative action of mankind on the environment and the community, and on the other hand, how mankind itself has an extraordinary capacity to recover through innovative and sustainable solutions.

In his research, Guindani will go beyond the borders of Italy, searching for critical cases and situations of excellence abroad: Brazil, Norway and Australia, but also the United States and South Africa.

He will be accompanied by an exceptional companion, Alberto Salza, one of the world's most respected anthropologists, who will edit the project's texts and suggest some of the projects to be monitored.

Guindani's photographs will be published on our social channels and on those of the artist himself, with a calendar that will feature an SDG for each month, for a total duration of 17 months.

At the end of 2022, the most representative shots will be the subject of a travelling photographic exhibition and a dedicated catalogue.

The project was presented on 15 September 2021 at the BG Training & Innovation Hub during a press conference, which was also streamed live on Facebook.

The event saw the involvement of various guests in the round table dedicated to sustainability issues, including: Stefano Guindani, Michele Seghizzi (Marketing and External Relations Director of Banca Generali), Alberto Salucci (Environmental Transition Department of the Municipality of Milan) and Alberto Diaspro (Director of the Nanophysics Department of the Italian Institute of Technology).

The story of the first shots

On this occasion, the first shots concerning the first UN objective investigated, namely SDG number 12 "Responsible consumption and production", were also published.

In order to frame the problem and provide the solution, Stefano Guindani photographed the work of Ecopneus, a Milan-based company that aims to trace, collect and treat one of the greatest sources of pollution on our planet: end-of-life tyres.

After recovering them, Ecopneus gives these materials a new lease of life by reconverting them into athletics tracks, football pitches and basketball courts, which are built on the outskirts of large cities, thus also creating new associative spaces for the community.

The comments of CEO Gian Maria Mossa and the curator of the initiative Stefano Guindani

Gian Maria Mossa: "The UN 2030 Agenda is an essential compass for Banca Generali, so much so that we were among the first operators to believe in the EGS consulting model within our range of products to enable our private bankers to build portfolios based on the SDGs that are most important to clients. We hope that the path we have built together with Stefano can bring us closer to and raise awareness of the SDGs, which are outlining the guidelines on which the efforts of institutions and private individuals are focusing to guide the recovery towards a more sustainable future".

Stefano Guindani: "I am very proud to take part in this project and hope that my images will be able to draw attention to such an important issue. The aim of BG4SDGs - Time to Change is not only to put the spotlight on the well-known problems that afflict our planet, but above all to suggest possible solutions. Thanks to this project, I was able to discover and deepen my knowledge of virtuous realities that with commitment pursue common goals: to make human life more respectful of our planet and ensure our future; because the actions we take today in favour of sustainability, will ensure the perpetuation of human life and a better future for all".

Where to find photos of the project?

All the photos of the BG4SDGs project can be viewed on Banca Generali's official social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.