Lou Raiola of The Vomela Companies brings decades of experience helping organizations align profit and purpose. In this session, he focuses on how printers can move beyond reacting to client sustainability requests and instead build structured systems that drive measurable results. Lou explains that while frameworks like EcoVadis, CDP and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) can feel complex, they share a common goal: transparency, accountability and continuous improvement.
He emphasizes that sustainability reporting is not the same as financial reporting. While finance is backward-looking, sustainability data shows an organization’s direction — its strategy, performance and future commitments. Understanding that distinction allows printers to communicate more effectively with enterprise clients and regulators, while also identifying operational efficiencies hidden within their data.
Lou also reviews the global frameworks shaping the future of disclosure — from the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) to California’s SB 253 and SB 261 — and explains how printers can prepare for the ripple effects of these regulations. By recognizing which requirements are voluntary and which are mandatory, companies can prioritize smart actions that mitigate risk while strengthening business resilience.
The real opportunity, Lou says, lies in integration — embedding sustainability into operations rather than treating it as a side project. Companies that connect environmental goals to business strategy gain credibility, stronger client relationships and a clearer competitive edge, he says.
