Alcantara, the Italian provider of high-tech luxury materials for vehicle interiors, continued its commitment to the environment in 2014 by organizing a ground-breaking symposium on automotive sustainability.
The International Symposium on Sustainability in the Automotive Industry held in Venice, Italy in October, focused on the importance of sustainability and how it will affect future business models for the global automotive industry.
One of the first companies in Europe to achieve certification for Carbon Neutrality, Alcantara worked closely with Venice International University and the Center for Automotive Mobility and Innovation at Ca'Foscari University to organize the symposium. Conference speakers and panelists included representatives from car makers such as Audi, PSA and General Motors and suppliers such as Recaro and BASF.
In 2009, Alcantara became the first Italian company to achieve Carbon Neutrality and today its commitment covers all aspects of sustainability – economic, social and environmental, including production processes, usage and disposal of its products, and all emissions connected with its corporate activities as well.
Significant steps taken by Alcantara to achieve Carbon Neutrality and support its commitment to sustainability have included:
Installation of a high-efficiency cogeneration station at its Nero Montoro production facilities in Umbria that makes it possible to obtain thermal energy as an electrical by-product, reducing waste and CO2 emissions. (2013)
Planned improvements to production processes to reduce energy consumption by 25 percent within the next four years. (2013)
Installation of an advanced phyto-treatment system downstream from its production plant to reduce the amount of landfill sludge from the plant. (2012)
Development of new Alcantara products that can be produced in part from recycled raw materials. (2011)
Energy procurement from a hydroelectric plant adjacent to its production facilities. (2008)
Alcantara also closely audits its supply chain, requesting that its suppliers and partners respect the universal principles of protecting human rights, working standards, the environment, the fight against corruption and all requisites laid down by the SA8000® standard.