Sustainability in Troubled Times

SUSTAINABILITY:
VALUE BEYOND COSTS
The registered trademark Alcantara® is the result of the unique and proprietary technology of
Alcantara S.p.A., founded in 1972. Alcantara is a highly innovative material applied in various
fields: fashion and accessories, automotive, interior design and home décor, as well as consumer
electronics. Since the very beginning, the approach of Alcantara to sustainability has been
“value beyond costs.”
By Alcantara S.p.A.
Alcantara started its strong commitment
to sustainability in 2009, following the
Lehman shock. At that time, the company
clearly understood that the world was
facing an important economic challenge.
Alcantara thought it was necessary to
introduce a structural change to its offerings,
and assumed that the demand
for sustainable products, services, and
behavior would grow all over the world.
Thanks to the strategy of offering exclusive
and highly customized solutions in
INVESTMENTS
a responsible and sustainable way, the
company’s turnover grew from €64.3
million in 2009 to €187.2 million in
2016 without any setbacks, Alcantara
has exported the values of “Made in Italy”
through its extraordinary ability to
combine technology and craftsmanship,
relying on continuous research and innovation.
This process is amplified through
extremely constructive relationships with
leaders in international design thanks
to partnerships with well-established
In 2016 Alcantara made investments for a total amount of €22 mil.
of which more than €7 mil. was devoted to sustainability-related
activities. In detail, 34% to health and safety and 66% to environment.
TOTAL INVESTMENTS
22 M €
7 M €
SUSTAINABILITY
34%
HEALTH & SAFETY
66%
ENVIRONMENT
designers, creative avant-gardes, and the
most prestigious museum institutions.
Being sustainable
Sustainability is a value that Alcantara
has been translating into concrete actions
for more than eight years. Starting
in 2009, the company began publishing
its annual Sustainability Report in
accordance with the Global Reporting
Initiative standards. It was one of the
first European companies to be certified
as “carbon neutral” by TÜV SÜD, having
measured and reduced the CO 2 emissions
resulting from its operations, and thus
compensating for those that cannot be
eliminated.
The carbon neutrality goal, which required
enormous efforts throughout
the company, was reached thanks to
the coordinated implementation of a
series of targeted actions: scrupulous
measurement of overall CO 2 contributions;
drastic reduction in CO 2 emissions
(through plant modernization, process
rationalization, technical equipment
upgrading, energy sourcing, and waste
water treatment); and offsetting residual
emissions by joining the UN-coordinated
international compensation program. All
of these activities are certified by TÜV
72
Global Compact International Yearbook 2017