In a recent assessment of sustainability practices among businesses, it is estimated that 69% of manufacturing companies in Italy took sustainability actions in June 2023. Among these, 56.2% are engaged in environmental protection practices, 60.9% in social sustainability initiatives, and 39% have undertaken economic sustainability actions.
Key Findings:
- Size Matters:
- Larger enterprises lead in sustainability actions, with 90.9% of large businesses adopting such practices. In contrast, this figure drops to 46.7% for smaller enterprises.
- Geographical Variances:
- Geographically, manufacturing companies in the Northwest and Northeast are more active in sustainability initiatives, constituting 71% and 70.4% of total manufacturing companies, respectively. In the Central region, the percentage is 65.1%, while in the South, it stands at 60.2%.
- Sectoral Insights:
- The highest percentage of businesses adopting sustainability actions is observed in the Manufacture of coke and petroleum products (90.5% of companies), followed by Pharmaceuticals (88.2%) and Manufacture of transport equipment (85.7%). The Metallurgy sector shows the lowest commitment with 57% of companies, followed by Other industries (62.6%).
- Sustainability Components by Sector:
- In the Manufacture of coke and petroleum products, companies are most active in environmental protection (89%), social sustainability (88.2%), and economic sustainability (74.5%).
- In Pharmaceuticals, the social component is predominant (83.6%), followed by environmental (80.6%) and economic sustainability (52.7%).
These findings provide a comprehensive view of the state of sustainability practices among Italian businesses, reflecting a commitment to environmental, social, and economic responsibility.