Industrie Chimiche Forestali S p A : Sustainability Report 2022 ( 1,07 MB )

2022 Sustainability Report

We are invisible. But we are everywhere!

Table of contents

Letter to Stakeholders	3
The process of preparing the Sustainability Report	5
1. A history spanning over 100 years	6
1.1	Made in Italy since 1918	6
1.2	Our organisation	7
1.2.1	Governance and sustainability	8
1.2.2	Economic performance	10
1.2.3	Associations	11
2. Our invisible strength	13
2.1	A high-quality production process	13
2.2	Careful selection of materials	17
2.3	Our team	20
3. Attention to the environment and safety	26
3.1.	Environmental protection	26
3.1.1	Water withdrawal and discharge	27
3.1.2	Waste	28
3.1.3	Emissions of pollutants	30
3.1.4	Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions	31
3.2. The health and safety of workers and customers	33
Methodological note	37
GRI Content Index	39

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Letter to Stakeholders

Dear readers,

I am proud to present to you again this year our Sustainability Report, which, in line with previous years, is not intended to respond to a legal obligation, but rather to tell you about us and to share with you our activities during the year and our future commitments.

Demonstrating far-sightedness and a strong focus on emerging social and environmental topics, in 1998 we decided to join the "Responsible Care" Programme, which promotes the Sustainable Development of the chemical industry internationally, according to values and behaviour geared towards health, safety and the environment. This voluntary programme, launched globally in the eighties, represents excellence on the industrial scene: a unique, ethical and sustainable way of working while, at the same time, creating a corporate culture, improving company performance in terms of occupational health and safety and environmental protection. Sustainable development, health, safety and the environment are indeed aspects shared by all the people working at Industrie Chimiche Forestali.

Our focus on these issues has led us to offer our customers products with an increasingly reduced environmental impact, without compromising functionality and performance. In this direction, we have indeed been working for years on the replacement of hazardous substances present in the formulation of our products and on the development of eco-friendly and low VOC adhesives, challenging working methods and technologies consolidated over time. Our commitment is reflected in the continuous expansion of our range of products certified according to the GRS (Global Recycle Standard), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), OK biobased and EU Ecolabel standards.

In addition to product sustainability, we focus on the energy efficiency of our production processes, which has become a key pillar of our sustainability strategy in recent years. To this end, in 2022 we installed a new ventilation and cooling system in the company premises and an innovative refrigeration system for the adhesive production machinery. Finally, in early 2023, a photovoltaic system went into operation, which will enable us to meet about 30% of our energy needs and avoid the emission of more than 160 metric tonnes of CO2 per year.

Social sustainability is also reflected within Industrie Chimiche Forestali, where we strongly believe in the value of our people. We give them the opportunity to learn a skilled job and invest in them to develop their talents.

In this vein, we guarantee compliance with measures to ensure the safety not only of our employees but also of our customers and the surrounding communities. We have always thought that properly qualified personnel and the development of processes and plants with high standards of quality and safety are the prerequisites that we put before any other technical-economic consideration.

Last but not least, conscious not only of the value we generate but also of the value we distribute to our stakeholders on a daily basis, we are constantly striving for economic sustainability, which has led us to invest in innovative products, plant design and employee training and safety. For instance, our commitment takes the form of Industry 4.0 investments, aimed at innovating and digitising our production processes. In particular, an automatic palletising system was installed in 2022 to improve production efficiency, reduce maintenance activities and optimise ergonomics for employees.

For all these reasons, at Industrie Chimiche Forestali, we believe we are in the right direction to continue the process of integration of economic, environmental and social sustainability, demonstrating a greater ability

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to be competitive, as well as dynamic and flexible on the market, and a constant "business rationale" aimed at creating value..

The Chairman

Guido Cami

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The process of preparing the Sustainability Report

Again this year, Industrie Chimiche Forestali S.p.A. (hereinafter referred to as ICF or Industrie Chimiche Forestali) decided to draft a Sustainability Report (hereinafter also referred to as "Report"), thus continuing with its aim of strengthening and making its communication increasingly transparent towards its stakeholders and sharing the key information and initiatives relating to environmental, social and economic aspects that have been a art of ICF for over 100 years.

The process undertaken by Industrie Chimiche Forestali to update the Report involved senior management and the various corporate functions in preparing the document and collecting data and information useful for drafting the Report.

ICF's Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Standards ("GRI Standards"), whose principles and benchmark indicators are the most widely used and applied around the world.

Our stakeholders

For the first year of drafting the Sustainability Report, the various stakeholders of ICF were mapped on the basis of an analysis of the company structure, business activities, value chain and network of existing relationships involving Industrie Chimiche Forestali.

For the 2022 Sustainability Report, the previously identified stakeholder categories are confirmed.

The company's communication with its stakeholders, aimed at transparency and willingness to collaborate, is maintained via numerous press releases and ongoing updates on the website, as well as at the usual meetings relating to the performance of business activities. These activities make it possible to establish a bilateral dialogue and consolidate a relationship of trust and continuous exchange, which are necessary to identify Industrie Chimiche Forestali's strengths and possible points of improvement and are essential for safeguarding stakeholders' interests.

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