Rome, 27 March 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Social Impact Agenda per l'Italia (SIA) have launched the Italian translation of the SDG Impact Standards for Enterprises and SDG Impact Standards for Bond Issuers, expanding access to impact-driven finance tools for Italian businesses and investors.
Developed by UNDP, the SDG Impact Standards provide a voluntary framework to help organizations integrate sustainability considerations into their governance, strategy, and decision-making processes. By making these tools available in Italian, UNDP and SIA, the latter being the Italian network for impact investing, are ensuring that more businesses and financial institutions can apply impact management principles to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We are pleased to see the translation of the SDG Impact Standards into Italian—an essential step in advancing strategic approaches to social impact,” said Dr. Şebnem Şener, Head of Private Finance for SDGs at UNDP. “Making these available in the local language not only facilitates understanding and adoption by Italian businesses and financial operators but also enables them to integrate social impact more effectively and sustainably into their strategies.”
She added that equipping the economic and financial ecosystem with tools that go beyond reporting is essential to shifting business practices towards sustainable development and impact. “I believe that making the Standards available in Italian represents an opportunity for the entire national ecosystem to move in this direction,” she said. “For this, I would like to thank Social Impact Agenda per l'Italia for coordinating this initiative.”
A practical framework for businesses and investors
The SDG Impact Standards for Enterprises and SDG Impact Standards for Bond Issuers provide businesses and financial institutions with structured guidance on embedding sustainability and impact integrity into their strategies and operations.
For enterprises, the standards offer a framework for integrating sustainability into corporate strategy, governance, and operations, helping businesses shift from intention to action. For bond issuers, they provide guidance on structuring SDG-aligned bonds with credibility and transparency, ensuring financial products contribute to sustainable development goals.
“The launch of the SDG Impact Standards in Italian is a critical step towards embedding impact measurement and management into investment and business decision-making,” said Anna Voltolini, Secretary General of Social Impact Agenda for Italy,” said Anna Voltolini, Secretary General of Social Impact Agenda per l'Italia. “These standards will help financial operators and enterprises move beyond reporting and actively integrate sustainability into their strategic choices, and as Social Impact Agenda per l'Italia, we will be supporting the ecosystem in that direction.”
Setting the scene for impact
The Standards were officially launched during the webinar “Agenda 2030: Mind the Investment Gap – SDG Impact Standards as a Tool for the Italian Ecosystem”, hosted by Social Impact Agenda per l’Italia. UNDP was represented by Sara Lisa Ørstavik, Private Finance and Impact Advisor, who delivered the keynote presentation. Ms. Ørstavik introduced the SDG Impact Standards by underscoring the importance of managing for impact and the private sector’s critical role in achieving sustainable development.
“We are at a turning point,” said Ms. Ørstavik. “Financial returns cannot come at the cost of social and environmental value. Sustainability is no longer just the right thing to do—it is smart business. By adopting the SDG Impact Standards, companies and investors can demonstrate leadership, drive innovation, and show that managing for impact creates long-term value for people, planet and profit.”
Supporting adoption in Italy
To encourage the adoption of these standards, SIA is leading an initiative to engage financial operators and businesses interested in integrating impact management principles into their operations. Selected organizations will participate in workshops, in collaboration with Human Foundation, to gain hands-on experience applying the SDG Impact Standards.
Advancing sustainable finance in Italy
This initiative aligns with UNDP’s broader efforts to mobilize private finance for the SDGs, ensuring that capital flows drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The Italian translation of the SDG Impact Standards is part of UNDP’s commitment to localizing global frameworks, making them more accessible and actionable for businesses and investors worldwide.
The project is supported by Banca d’Italia as part of "AGENDA 2030. Mind the Investment GAP," an initiative focused on financial education, impact standards adoption, and SDG-aligned investment growth.
Access the SDG Impact Standards in Italian
By expanding access to impact management tools, UNDP and its partners are helping businesses and financial institutions integrate sustainability into their core business models—closing the SDG financing gap and accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
