Descrizione 1
Alessandro Nisi, Francesca Nizzero
The indicator refers to company sites with an environmental management system compliant with the UNI-EN-ISO 14001 standard, certified by an ACCREDIA-accredited body that verifies its competence and independence according to the relevant international standards. By the end of 2023, there are 31,687 certified Italian company sites, marking a significant increase compared to 2022 (27,103). 48% of certified companies are concentrated in the northern regions, with Lombardy holding the highest number of certifications, featuring 5,939 company sites with a management system compliant with UNI-EN-ISO 14001. In addition to Italian company sites, a significant portion of foreign companies, representing 16% of the total, have also certified their environmental management systems. The sectors with the highest adoption of certification are "Construction," "Transport, Logistics, and Communications," and "Other Social Services," with 4,624, 3,637, and 2,977 certified company sites, respectively.
The number of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certificates can be considered an indicator of the sensitivity of businesses and organizations to environmental issues, as they seek to manage and reduce the pressures resulting from their activities through a certified environmental management system. The widespread adoption of environmental management systems signals a certain receptivity to sustainable development, ultimately benefiting environmental quality. The number of certificates indicates how many organizations have achieved these objectives and, therefore, meet the requirements of the respective reference standard (UNI-EN-ISO 14001). The certification process involves third-party and independent control by an accredited certification body, whose competence, independence, and impartiality have been verified by ACCREDIA, ensuring the objectivity of the assessments and the reliability of the certifications issued to businesses and organizations. Therefore, the information provided by this indicator should be interpreted in the context of addressing the pressure and impact issues caused by pollution linked to productive activities. The environmental benefits derived from adopting a UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certification mainly include: prevention or reduction of environmental impacts; reduction of raw material and energy consumption in business processes; reduction of emissions or waste; improvement of environmental performance through management and/or technological and plant objectives.
To provide a summary of the level of attention paid by organizations and businesses, both in the public and private sectors, to environmental issues.
- Technical Standard UNI-EN-ISO 14001:2015
- Legislative Decree No. 36 of March 31, 2023 (Public Procurement Code), Article 57 The Public Procurement Code has established that Green Public Procurement (GPP) is mandatory at all administrative levels, including the inclusion of Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) in tenders, which are sector-specific criteria adopted through various decrees from the Ministry for the Environment (now MASE).
There is no predefined goal, as this is a voluntary adherence tool.
Descrizione 2
- Accredia - Prometeia (2020). Accreditamento e certificazioni. Valore economico e benefici sociali
- Accredia - Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (2018). L’Economia Circolare nelle politiche pubbliche. Il ruolo della certificazione
- CESQA, Accredia (2018). Benefici, costi e prospettive del sistema di gestione ambientale: Indagine presso le organizzazioni italiane certificate ISO 14001. Edizione 2018
- Norma tecnica UNI-EN-ISO 14001: 2015
Symbola - Accredia – Cloros (2016). Certificare per competere. Dalle certificazioni ambientali nuova forza al Made in Italy - Testa, F., Rizzi, F., Daddi, T., Gusmerotti, N. M., Frey, M. and Iraldo, F. (2014). EMAS and ISO 14001: the differences in effectively improving environmental performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 68, 165-173
The data on the number of organizations with a UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certified environmental management system are collected and updated by ACCREDIA and refer exclusively to certifications issued by ACCREDIA-accredited certification bodies within the EMS - Environmental Management Systems framework.
The data regarding the number of organizations with an environmental management system certified according to the UNI-EN-ISO 14001 standard are collected and updated by ACCREDIA and refer only to certifications issued by certification bodies accredited by ACCREDIA within the EMS - Environmental Management System scheme.
Development of the indicator for the analysis of certification flows, in terms of the ratio between new organizations certified according to the UNI-EN-ISO 14001 standard and organizations that are no longer certified.
Qualificazione dati
The data of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certificates are provided in real-time to ACCREDIA (the Italian Accreditation Body) by all accredited Certification Bodies for the issuance of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications and are accessible through the dedicated platform (https://www.accredia.it/banche-dati/).
National, regional
2004-2023 (31 December)
Qualificazione indicatore
The number of business sites certified under UNI-EN-ISO 14001 by an ACCREDIA-accredited certification body is considered.
In 2023, the indicator shows a 17% increase compared to the previous year, bringing the number of Italian production sites with an environmental management system certified under UNI-EN-ISO 14001 from 27,103 to 31,687 (Table 1 and Figure 1). In particular, the sectors “Other Services,” “Construction,” and “Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles, and Personal and Household Goods” recorded the greatest growth, at 37%, 27%, and 25%, respectively. The construction sector, already the leading economic sector in terms of the number of certificates, increased the number of certified sites by around 1,000 units in just 12 months (Figure 4). Certified environmental management systems provide a competitive lever for businesses, both through improved organizational efficiency and enhanced corporate image. It is no coincidence that the area with the highest number of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certified production sites is the North, with 48% of the total, followed by the Central regions (18%), the South and Islands (18%), and Foreign countries (16%) (Figure 2).
The number of organizations with an accredited environmental management system certified under UNI-EN-ISO 14001 has consistently increased over the past 9 years (Figure 1).
Dati
Table 1: Evolution of the number of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications by region
ACCREDIA
The certification data refers to business/production sites with a UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certified management system. A site may correspond to an office, a production unit, or a department of the certified company. Multiple certified sites may correspond to a single certified company. The data is updated as of 31 December each year.
Figure 1: Evolution of the number of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications
ACCREDIA
The certification data refers to business/production sites with a UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certified management system. A site may correspond to an office, a production unit, or a department of the certified company. Multiple certified sites may correspond to a single certified company. The data is updated as of 31 December each year.
Figure 2: Percentage distribution of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications by geographical area (31 December 2023)
ACCREDIA
Figure 3: Regional distribution of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications (31 December 2023)
ACCREDIA
Figure 4: The top ten economic sectors by the number of UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications, and the percentage variation between 2022 and 2023
ACCREDIA
The certification data refers to business/production sites with a UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certified management system. A site may correspond to an office, a production unit, or a department of the certified company. Multiple certified sites may correspond to a single certified company.
The European Green Deal outlines the path for sustainable growth, which businesses and policymakers must follow to meet the established goals. In this context, public policies find Green Public Procurement (GPP) as an important tool for supporting the transition to a new sustainable economic model. Through the demand for sustainable products and services, the public administration can influence the market. Specifically, the Public Procurement Code (Legislative Decree No. 36 of March 31, 2023) confirms the obligation to apply the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) in all public procurement procedures concerning services/products/works for which related decrees have been issued. Accredited conformity assessments, including certifications under UNI-EN-ISO 14001, are frequently referenced within these CAMs and serve as useful policy tools to make public action efficient and responsive to the set objectives. The growing awareness of environmental issues among businesses has led to greater adoption of certifications and marks that demonstrate the sustainability of their activities. Established and market-recognized tools such as UNI-EN-ISO 14001 certifications, issued by an accredited certification body, are a key differentiating factor for adopters. The growing trend in the number of certified business sites aligns with this framework, although there is still significant room for improvement in the spread of UNI-EN-ISO 14001. By 31 December 2023, there were 31,687 certified business sites in Italy (Table 1 and Figure 1). The highest concentration of certified businesses is in the North (Figure 2), particularly in Lombardy (5,939 certified business sites), Veneto (3,458), and Emilia-Romagna (3,205) (Figure 3). A considerable portion (16%) of foreign businesses are also certified by ACCREDIA-accredited certification bodies (Figure 2). Among the 10 sectors with the highest concentration of certified environmental management systems, “Construction” remains in first place with 4,624 certified sites, followed by “Transportation, Logistics, and Communications” with 3,637 certified sites, and “Other Social Services” with 2,977 (Figure 4).