Stefania Supino

Eco‐labels: a sustainability performance in benchmarking?

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to map and analyse the state of the art of eco‐energy labelling and its potential as a fundamental component in the transition process towards eco‐sustainability.Design/methodology/approach – A detailed scenario of trends in eco‐energy labelling systems, both on an international and European Union scale are outlined, followed by identification and analysis of the key representative experiences. Subsequently, the main constraints that limit their full potential as a benchmark and tool of improved customer communication for environmental sustainability have been highlighted and critically analysed.Findings – The full implementation of eco‐energy labelling, as a authentic driving force in sustainability building processes, requires the elimination of the critical factors identified. Therefore, standardisation of benchmarking methodologies, based on improved customer information mechanisms regarding qualitative and quantitative indicators, need to implemented. A strong commi...

Life Cycle Assessment in the Cereal and Derived Products Sector

This chapter discusses the application of life cycle assessment methodologies to rice, wheat, corn and some of their derived products. Cereal product systems are vital for the production of commodities of worldwide importance that entail particular environmental hot spots originating from their widespread use and from their particular nature. It is thus important for tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) to be tailored to such cereal systems in order to be used as a means of identifying the negative environmental effects of cereal products and highlighting possible pathways to overall environmental improvement in such systems. Following a brief introduction to the cereal sector and supply chain, this chapter reviews some of the current cereal-based life cycle thinking literature, with a particular emphasis on LCA. Next, an analysis of the LCA methodological issues emerging from the literature review is carried out. The following section of the chapter discusses some practices and approaches that should be considered when performing cereal-based LCAs in order to achieve the best possible results. Conclusions are drawn in the final part of the chapter and some indications are given of the main hot spots in the cereal supply chain.

Cotton: a flow cycle to exploit

Abstract The relation between agricultural resources, industrial activities and the environment has complex aspects because of many dynamic interrelationships. Among the sectors that are showing a certain environmental sensibility, there is the textile one, and particularly the cotton sector. Cotton is one of the most important non-food crops in the world. Its products are destined to different industries: textiles, food, chemicals and so on. In Italy, cotton cultivation encounters economic problems that makes its development quite difficult. In this paper, the development opportunities in agricultural and manufacturing processes are analysed in view of new trends that are characterised by sustainable life-cycle assessments.

Ecomanagement quality system: Iso 14000. The state of the art in Italy

In the last two decades environmental problems have increasingly become the centre of attention, raising the level of consideration of government, productive industries, legislative organs and common people on the need to contain risks that human activities have on the ecosystems. As a result of international interest in the environmental issue, various governmental, non-governmental and industrial initiatives have been adopted in order to establish sets of principles, criteria, codes of conduct and standards as a voluntary policy tool to improve environmental performance and help achieve sustainability (Proto et al., 1996). Voluntary initiatives represent a more eVective and desirable alternative to the `command and control’ policies: they provide ̄ exibility for businesses to reach desired goals in the most eVective manner. The environmental dimension, once considered a marginal problem or a bond, has today gathered a character of coessentiality as regards the conventional factors of management, to the point that it has become one of the most important factors in reaching competitive advantages (Porter & Van Der Linde, 1996). In the light of the large consensus obtained from the adoption of voluntary schemes, such as the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and the ISO 14000 environmental standards, this paper analyses the state of the art in Italy.

The Implementation of Integrated Management System in Agri-Food SMEs

The IMS model, proposed in chapter 3, has been applied to Petti Spa, a well known company producing processed tomatoes. During the integration process two different kinds of strong points (internal/external) emerged. Those relative to internal processes include: the focus on a holistic approach and underpinning relationships; synergies in terms of capabilities linked to the early use of routine MSs; a reduction in unnecessary documents and bureaucracy; improvements in organisational efficiency and effectiveness. Those relative to external processes mainly concern the worldwide spread of multiple MSs in the agri-food sector and the enhancement of synergies; the use of best practices due to strong competition on the global market; the widespread adoption of tools for continuous improvement and benchmarking. Nevertheless, some weak points emerged, concerning the need for a change in attitude among employees and management; the difficulties in attempting to re-allocate roles, responsibilities and skills and the resources required for training, knowledge sharing and dissemination.

L’obiettivo dell’efficienza energetica nella pubblica amministrazione italiana: criticità ed opportunità

La ricerca di una crescente efficienza nell’uso delle risorse energetiche rappresenta da lungo tempo uno degli obiettivi fondamentali della politica energetica europea e, dunque, anche di quella nazionale, in considerazione del ruolo strategico che essa ricopre per avviare una reale transizione verso la tanto auspicata low carbon economy. Il risparmio energetico e il miglioramento dell’efficienza energetica costituiscono una leva straordinaria, in grado di contribuire al conseguimento sinergico di tradizionali obiettivi di politica energetica, fra i quali la sicurezza degli approvvigionamenti, la diminuzione della dipendenza dalle importazioni di idrocarburi e la riduzione delle emissioni climalteranti, generando effetti positivi sulla competitivita, sull’innovazione tecnologica nonche sulla creazione di nuova occupazione. Scopo del presente lavoro e quello di delineare in chiave critica, anche alla luce della crescente attenzione dei policy maker all’efficienza energetica, lo stato dell’arte in merito alla implementazione di misure per il suo miglioramento nella PA, nonche i principali elementi di criticita che non hanno consentito di liberare il potenziale ancora ampiamente inespresso. Cio anche in considerazione del recente recepimento, nel nostro paese, della Direttiva 27/2012/UE che assegna un ruolo chiave alla PA, nella duplice veste di gestore del patrimonio pubblico e di decisore, nel promuovere l’efficienza energetica nel territorio.

The Energy Performance in the Italian Public Administration: State of the Art and Future Prospects

The commitment to improve energy and environmental performance in public administration is essential for the success of development models geared towards lasting sustainability. The Public Administration (PA) in Italy, in particular, plays a key role to affirm models of development oriented towards energy and environmental sustainability, thanks to a wider and more innovative vision. The PA has a dual consumer/user role, public heritage and decision maker/planner, in promoting energy efficiency at local level, in the light of specific problems and peculiarities. For several decades, initiatives have been launched at various levels to improve energy and environmental performance in the public administration. The aim of this study is to outline from a critical perspective, the state of the art of policy makers in Italy concerning energy efficiency measures in public administration. There are however many cultural, value-related, financial, technological, institutional, and operational issues in the PA sector that limit investments in energy efficiency. It should be noted that if on one hand the PA shows a lack of knowledge and is unwilling to adopt practices and systemic tools for monitoring and control, on the other, in terms of bureaucracy, the system appears to be far too complicated and costly. The multiple benefits linked to improved energy performance would therefore require that the PA rethink their organizational and functional models, put in place more flexible and less bureaucratic forms of management and a more dynamic, pervasive, and proactive approach towards initiatives that promote energy efficiency. The research is a contribution towards identifying the driving forces behind potential systems and tools for energy efficiency in the PA, highlighting both critical elements and opportunities and, in particular, the limits deriving from the technological, managerial, and organizational options available for energy efficiency enhancement in the sector of the Italian PA.

The integration of Quality Management and Environmental Management Systems

Various Management Systems (MSs) (Quality, Environment, Health and Safety, etc.) are put in place by a great number of organisations, to improve their global performance and recently, the most important challenge is their integration. An Integrated Management System (IMS) is based on the combination of a number of MSs to plan, realise, control, audit and systematically improve the wide array of company performance. The adoption of an IMS is favored by the same basic principles and the similar common structure of the main standards implemented. The roadmap towards the integration of MSs, particularly in the agri-food sector, has to be seen as a complex path, involving innovative future management systems and tools and deriving from the call to satisfy emerging socio-economic requests from organisations engaged in continuous improving of their global performance in quality, environment, health and safety and social responsibility. The Integration of Management Systems is a highly relevant management approach, capable of generating significant benefits and more efficient management and use of resources.

A Model of Integrated Management System for Agri-Food Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

The characteristics of MSs related to Quality, Environment, Health and Safety provide the opportunity for synergic integration, for enhancing operations and disseminating results in order to improve efficacy and efficiency in terms of resources and experience, as suggested by the regulations themselves. The proposed model represents a path for the integration of standardised MSs and is a flexible framework that can be tailored to the specific needs of SMEs operating in the agri-food sector on the global market. Moreover, it is an essential starting point for the adoption of other environmental tools useful for companies of the agri-food sector. It could even be considered the necessary backbone for encouraging the progressive diffusion of innovative environmental tools. The IMS model fosters a holistic view of continuos improvement of Quality for the maximisation of effectiveness and efficiency of both internal and external organisational performance, facilitating the spread and potential growth of competitiveness and sustainability in the sector.