Program for the Evaluation of the Enviromental Footprint

The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security launched in 2010 an intense Program aimed at promoting “voluntary commitments” for the evaluation of environmental performances and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Companies thus commit to identifying better carbon management criteria and contribute to the implementation of low-emission technologies and good practices in production and consumption processes throughout the life cycle of products/services.

The Program is addressed to the “Made in Italy” leader companies at world level, to small and medium-sized enterprises belonging to various economic sectors and to public bodies, including municipalities. The Program releases both a “product certification” (goods and services) and an “organization certification”. In its experimental phase, among the various environmental indicators, the Program has preferred the analysis of the carbon footprint thanks to its dual character of environmental driver, closely linked to climate change, and added value to the competitiveness of Italian companies on international markets.The Program proved to be very far-sighted if one considers that in 2021 the European Commission launched a similar initiative called Green Consumption Pledge.

The initiative represents:

• a competitiveness driver for the system of Italian companies that takes into account the importance of the "ecological" requirements of products in the domestic and international market;
• a stimulus for the revision of the management systems of the production and distribution cycles;
• an opportunity to create a new awareness in the consumer towards more responsible choices and virtuous behaviour.

Over the years, the Program has involved about 200 organizations, including companies, municipalities and universities. The companies that adhere to the Program, after subscribing a Voluntary Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, complete the process with obtaining a certification by a third party in order to be able to communicate the final results in compliance with the "Guidelines for Communication under the Environmental Footprint Assessment Program" and to ensure maximum transparency of the entire process. In 2011 and 2013, to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the Program, some public selection procedures were opened (Calls 2011-2013). The Program is now a complementary tool to the national scheme “Made Green in Italy” and will remain operational until the scheme is fully implemented for all production sectors.