Kerakoll has achieved B Corp certification. Already a Benefit Company in the field of sustainable construction, Kerakoll is said to be one of the building industry’s top players globally.
This ESG (environmental, social and governance) milestone represents “the evolution of a long history of green building into a new corporate model in which business is seen as a positive force for the production of economic, social and environmental value,” the company says.
This step, achieved with the help of NATIVA, began when the group became a Benefit Company in September 2021. Certification has meant the inclusion, among the company’s declared objectives, of specific common social and environmental benefits, to be pursued in parallel with profit.
The process assessed the Kerakoll Group’s overall impact by evaluating its activities in all 11 countries where it operates, divided into five areas of interest: employees, governance, community, environment and customers. The B Corp assessment reportedly revealed the following aspects:
governance systems based on ethical principles and transparency, employee wellbeing (working conditions, health and safety, people engagement and satisfaction), personnel development opportunities (a culture based on merit and equal opportunity, with a turnover below 2%)
constant support for non-profit organisations in the communities where Kerakoll operates, and the screening and evaluation of suppliers and partners for positive social and environmental practices
respect for natural resources according to circular economy principles such as the use of recycled materials, the reclamation of areas of nature and the use of energy from renewable sources
the gradual elimination of chemicals and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
ecological product design and sustainable logistics based on intermodal transport systems.
B Corp certification, issued by the B Lab international body, is designed to “recognise an organisation’s commitment to respecting the strictest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and responsibility, its commitment to measurably improve its impact on employees and on the communities and environments where it operates, and its determination to continuously improve practices and processes and to spread a culture of inclusion and regeneration.”
Only 240 Italian companies are currently B Corp certified. Over 7000 have completed the process worldwide.
“We are proud to be one of the largest B Corp certified companies in Italy and one of the first in the building sector to join a global movement of market leaders moving in the same direction as us,” declared Fabio Sghedoni, vice president of Kerakoll. “This certification demonstrates our determination to promote a company culture supported by ESG, as well as our desire to serve as a catalyst for change in the building industry. We want to show that it really is possible to build a better future, in which we can develop in harmony with our surroundings and promote the wellbeing of the people and communities with whom we work.”
Eric Ezechieli, co-founder of NATIVA, the company which guided Kerakoll on its journey to sustainability, confirmed: “It’s essential to make sustainability central to your company strategy today, but it still represents a challenge. This challenge is even greater in complex sectors like the construction industry. We congratulate Kerakoll on the genuine commitment that shareholders, managers and employees all around the world have shown over the years in introducing strategic innovation and achieving tangible results in the field of sustainability. We are confident that Kerakoll will continue down this path in coming years and will inspire many other companies to move in the same direction.”
www.kerakoll.com/en/
