Climate change
When we started our path of sustainability we wondered what “weight” environmental sustainability could have in the publishing business, a business closely related to the production and use of paper as a raw material. And yet it was clear that we could not limit ourselves to quantifying this aspect, but that we had to survey our energy consumption and try to quantify the environmental impacts that each phase of our activity produces: inside the company, upstream and downstream in the supply chain. Thanks to this survey we understood that it was not so much the “magnitude” of these impacts that was important as the possibility of reducing them.
Our Sustainability Committee, composed of the main corporate and business functions, is responsible for the Group’s environmental strategy. By identifying possible areas for improvement, it formulates strategic guidelines for the implementation of our environmental policy.
In particular, our main commitments for the future can be summarized in the following points:
- to reduce energy consumption, through, among other things, measures on energy efficiency and business travel management policies;
- promoting responsible use of natural resources by encouraging the use of eco-compatible materials through, for example, the use of certified paper for the printing of our products;
- improving the management of waste, both from our locations and from product distribution activities;
- influencing our suppliers through the use of environmental sustainability criteria within the selection and management process, in order to orient the chosen suppliers to act consistently with this environmental policy;
- raise our customers’ awareness of environmental issues, using our own products as a means of promoting sustainability;
- involve our employees through communication and dialogue to increase corporate awareness of environmental issues and promote responsible behavior.
Our joint commitment to these issues is part of a broader vision regarding the fight against climate change, which we consider a key point for our environmental strategy.
Our environmental policy is part of a broader context of management of sustainability issues, which we communicate, both internally and externally, through the drafting and annual publication of the consolidated non-financial statement, through the company’s intranet, institutional website and Group social accounts. We are committed to disseminating and communicating the environmental policy to our stakeholders, in particular to employees, customers and suppliers, and to ensuring the periodic review and updating of the Group’s policy, strategy and objectives with regard to environmental and sustainability issues.
Our environmental policy outlines the commitment to the achievement of objectives for the reduction of environmental impacts. It constitutes the reference framework for the company’s strategy and areas of intervention in the environmental field.
The process for the definition of the environmental policy is divided into the following steps:
Our objectives between projects and achievements
- Objective achieved
- Project underway
- Project pending
| Objective | Status/results | |
|---|---|---|
| Replanting of the park surrounding the headquarters | The project shared with the Municipality of Segrate and Fondazione Porcinai saw the redevelopment of the green areas surrounding the headquarters with:
Once the work was completed, the area’s tree heritage increased by over 60%, respecting the park’s design and existing species. |
|
| Decommissioning of the underground gas station tanks. | The removal of the historic fuel station in the park of Palazzo Mondadori is a work of important environmental value that neutralizes the potential polluting effects due to the wear and tear of fuel containers. The intervention consisted in the elimination of the external structure and the four underground tanks, still containing a small amount of gasoline and diesel, as required by law. Once the work to remove the fuel tanks was completed, the soil removed was subjected to laboratory analysis that confirmed the absence of pollutants. It was therefore not necessary to proceed with any cleanup work and the excavation was filled with certified soil. Some “green” hypotheses are now being examined for a valorization of the area in the sign of sustainability | |
| Project for the proper disposal of plastic at the headquarters | The first phase of monitoring of separate collection inside the offices has begun; initiatives for the disposal of plastic waste at source will follow. | |
| Replacement of office printers with more efficient models and consequent reduction in toner consumption and related waste | Among the measures adopted to reduce the environmental impact of the Group’s offices and sales outlets, in recent years efforts have been made to raise awareness of the responsible use of toner and paper for printing in the office. Thanks to the replacement in 2018 of all the printers in the offices, including directly operated stores, with new all-in-one printers – printer, scanner and photocopier – which, together with print quality and the possibility of printing on any machine in the offices, guarantee a significant reduction in energy consumption and consumables (paper and toner), in the last three years the Group has managed to reduce printing paper consumption by about 32%. Toner consumption has also decreased over the three-year period. | |
| Indirect energy GHG emissions reduction | The trend in electricity consumption in Italy has been steadily falling over the past three years: the approximately 18% reduction between 2017 and 2019 is due partly to the energy saving measures and actions implemented over the year:
Initiatives planned or in the pipeline for 2020
Estimated reduction in electricity consumption: 5%. |
|
| Calculation of emissions before and after the Group’s activities | Since 2015, an estimate of emissions related to the logistics of publications (primary transport) has been made, with the intention of expanding the scope of reporting on the supply chain with regard to the production of paper books and magazines | |
| Creation of a company policy for waste separation and greater awareness by employees, establishment of a database for the collection of information on waste, and definition of a procedure for the management of waste generated by maintenance | Monitoring of waste management is currently in effect at the Segrate location; possible solutions to expand the scope are being examined |
All our activities can be divided into two main categories of environmental aspects associated with them:
- direct: for several years we have outsourced all printing operations; for this reason, the environmental aspects directly attributable to the company are limited to energy and water consumption, consumption of materials (mainly packaging) and related environmental impacts;
- indirect: the activities that can determine a high impact on the environment, i.e. the production of paper and the printing and logistics of publishing products.