A loan worth three million euros was recently granted by Banco BPM to support the new investment plan for the green transition of Comerio Ercole. The loan, which falls into the category of Sustainable Linked Loans, is aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals defined in the company's strategic plan and includes the sharing of the improvement objectives of the company according to ESG Key Performance Indicators that are certified annually. In this specific case, the company’s ESG Key Performance Indicators are centred on the reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions and on the investments in occupational health and safety.

Based in Busto Arsizio (Varese), Comerio Ercole devotes strategic attention to local social, environmental and ecological issues, confirming the company's commitment to pursuing a business model consistent with the ESG principles. This commitment is documented in the Sustainability Report drawn up by Comerio Ercole according to the Global Reporting Initiative standards which, in October 2021, earned the company a place in the Forbes list of the top 100 Italian companies for sustainability as well as the Top Social ESG position in the medium-sized business segment (up to 250 million euros turnover).

"Quality and technology have always been a target of Comerio Ercole since its inception in 1885, and a constantly innovative attitude has become the usual way we adopt to satisfy customers as a supplier not only of machines but more properly of cutting-edge industrial solutions, also in terms of ESG sustainability. In line with our sustainability policy that correlates theory with practice, we have recently committed ourselves to Industry 4.0 targets, obtaining prestigious international appreciation for the attention we pay not only to the automation and digitalisation of our machinery but also, for example, to the reduction of power consumption, to production efficiency - with particular attention to the reduction of waste - as well as to safety. We have developed a number of initiatives that are aimed at our collaborators according to the WHP Lombardia network programme “Luoghi di lavoro che promuovono salute” (i.e. workplaces that promote health). Comerio Ercole has supported this initiative for some years, also implementing some innovative projects aimed to enhance the working environment - thanks to which we recently obtained the ISO 45001 certificate for safety - as well as the local territory and social communities. In this perspective, we also considered the opportunity of an ESG investment based on a new type of funding. The purpose of this operation is to consolidate the investment plan defined in our Sustainability Report, starting from a new photovoltaic system that generates over 200 kW," commented Riccardo Comerio, president of Comerio Ercole.

"We are delighted to support Comerio Ercole, an internationally recognised group that has been able to grow and expand its market horizons thanks to a dynamic management looking at innovation, the environment and sustainability. A company that, even in these difficult times, has taken up one of the main challenges of the future: sustainable growth. Supporting Comerio Ercole through a financing model that enhances the achievement of green KPIs confirms our commitment towards companies that make investments with particular attention to environmental issues and, in general, ESG sustainability", added Gianluca Colombo, head of the Italy’s North-West corporate market of Banco BPM.