THE ILLVA SARONNO HOLDING SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD: REPORT ON 4TH QUARTER 2022 ACTIVITIES

THE ILLVA SARONNO HOLDING SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD: REPORT ON 4TH QUARTER 2022 ACTIVITIES

Three months of pinpoint work and some significant new steps forward on the ILLVA Group’s corporate Sustainability path: from October through December Illva Saronno Holding completed new actions and directed talents and resources to the fulfillment of objectives pre-set for 2022.

We had the chance to discuss the Illva Sustainability Path project with Stefano Battioni, ILLVA Group Director of Corporate Affairs, asking questions about what areas of intervention and what types of action the company is currently pursuing.

1. How’s the evaluation process going of the strategic energy saving actions taken at Illva Saronno Holding’s various production sites?

The most intense and concrete operational stage of the ISP plan has now gotten underway. At this time the analysis of the corporate Carbon Footprint, which will be the basis for Disaronno and Tia Maria Life Cycle Assessment studies, is in the midst of execution. Also, in november the energy diagnosis that will take place at all the holding’s production sites got going. Designed to compare 2022 with previous years to see the effect of the many initiatives that have already been completed (such as the photovoltaic systems installed in Saronno and Aspra), these studies will be the key elements in the environmental part of the Sustainability Report to come out – we expect – in mid 2023.

2. “Sustainability” also means constant monitoring of worker wellness: what’s your way of assessing this particular factor?

In January everyone who works at ILLVA Group will receive a corporate work climate assessment questionnaire for the purpose of analyzing the level of organizational wellness on the job. The study will address all employees of Illva Saronno Holding (Illva Saronno, Illva Saronno Flavour Division, Disaronno Ingredients, Duca di Salaparuta and branch companies) and the results will be processed by late March 2023. This info is fundamental for us, to improve also this aspect of our corporate reality and to meet the workers’ needs.

3. What about stakeholders and your principal suppliers? What should the company evaluate?

In November we set in motion the definition stage re categories of Illva Saronno and Duca di Salaparuta stakeholders. Later they too will receive a questionnaire, to begin the materiality assessment, i.e. the analysis of the relevance of sustainability topics. This is a tool essential for defining the Illva Group’s future Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, keeping in mind the viewpoints of all stakeholders.

Similarly, we also prepared a questionnaire to send to strategic suppliers in order to assess Quality, Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility in a sole document valid for both Divisions (Spirits and Flavours). On the basis of the information to emerge from the questionnaires, we will identify the priority suppliers for carrying out the audits.

4. That’s quite a topical subject: the raw materials which at this time are often difficult to find. What does it mean to be sustainable in this respect?

We’re moving with precision, trying to identify corporate needs. In November preparation of the new technical data sheets for principal raw materials and for packaging got underway. These include specific elements on topics of sustainability, starting with the most relevant items in terms of purchasing volume for ILLVA Spirits. The goal is to attain full coverage of the purchase value by the end of 2023.

5. Where will the data resulting from these spot-on assessments be published?
In December we plan to publish the new edition of the ISP Booklet, complete with all the updates on the last six months of results. The new version of the booklet will be available on all ILLVA websites (www.illva.com, www.illvacareers.com/illva-holding, www.illvaholding.com) in the sustainability section. Nevertheless, the real highlight moment will be the publication of our first Sustainability Report, where all the initiatives undertaken during the course of the previous 18 months will come together to form an organic overview that will prove useful in developing our future ESG strategies in the best and most effective way possible.

Thanks to Stefano Battioni for the interview.