Forbes Italia has published the sixth edition of the Sustainability Award, the national programme that recognises Italian companies with the strongest environmental, social, and governance performance. Released on 16 June 2026, the feature opens a new cycle for one of Italy’s most established sustainability recognitions and confirms the growing role of measurable ESG data in how companies are evaluated.
Generation Impact Global is the Technology partner behind the programme. The assessment that supports the award runs on our platform, giving every participating company a structured, comparable, and auditable view of its ESG position. This article sets out what the award represents, how our partnership with KON works, and why reliable sustainability data now sits at the centre of corporate and investment strategy.
The sixth edition was announced by Forbes Italia on 16 June 2026. Read the feature on Forbes Italia for the full announcement.
A national benchmark for sustainable excellence
The Sustainability Award is promoted by KON S.p.A., an Italian advisory firm active in finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate strategy. It recognises companies that have made sustainable development a core part of how they operate, rather than treating it as a reporting exercise. Each participant is evaluated through an ESG score built on objective, measurable, and comparable parameters, and the programme is aligned with the goals of the United Nations 2030 agenda.
The award has grown into a recognised national benchmark. Forbes Italia acts as media partner and publishes the ranking of the leading sustainable companies, giving visibility to organisations that demonstrate credible environmental, social, and governance practices. The sixth edition continues this approach, combining an independent assessment with a public platform that rewards genuine progress.
Over successive editions, the programme has widened the range of companies it assesses and refined the way performance is measured. Recognition now functions as a signal to several audiences at once. For customers, it indicates a credible commitment to responsible business. For investors and lenders, it points to lower exposure to environmental and governance risk. For employees and partners, it reflects a culture that treats sustainability as a strategic priority rather than a compliance task.
The programme is delivered by a network of partners, each contributing a distinct capability. The roles below show how the promotion, the science, the rating, and the technology fit together.
This multi-partner model is what gives the award its credibility. The methodology is overseen by academic and rating specialists, the data sits on independent technology, and the results are published by a recognised media brand. No single organisation marks its own work, which mirrors the principle of independent verification that underpins trusted sustainability reporting.
PROMOSSO DA
STRATEGIC PARTNER
MAIN PARTNER
PARTNER SCIENTIFICO ISTITUZIONALE
RATING PARTNER
TECH PARTNER
ESG PARTNER
MEDIA PARTNER
Our role as the technology partner
Generation Impact Global is an ESGtech company specialising in the management of ESG and non-financial data. As technology partner, we provide the platform that runs the award’s assessment, the layer that turns a set of questions into structured, comparable data. This builds on the strategic alliance we formed with KON in September 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sustainability Award?
The Sustainability Award is an Italian recognition promoted by KON that highlights companies with the strongest environmental, social, and governance performance. Each participant receives an ESG score based on objective and comparable parameters, and the leading companies are published by Forbes Italia.
What is Generation Impact Global’s role in the award?
Generation Impact Global is the technology partner for the award. The ESG assessment that participants complete runs on our platform, which structures their data and produces a comparable score. We provide this through a strategic alliance with KON, announced in September 2025.
How is the ESG assessment scored?
The assessment evaluates companies across environmental, social, and governance dimensions using measurable indicators. It considers a company’s strategy and policies, its management practices, and its evidenced performance, and combines these into a single ESG score that can be compared across organisations.
How can a company take part in the sixth edition?
Italian companies can apply through the official Sustainability Award website, where the assessment is hosted on the Generation Impact Global platform. Taking part provides an independent ESG score, a structured view of sustainability data, and visibility through the Forbes Italia ranking.
