Gruppo Desa accelerates its sustainability journey and publishes its second ESG Report

Gruppo Desa, one of Italy’s leading companies in the laundry, household cleaning and personal hygiene sector, has presented its Sustainability Report 2025.

Voluntary assurance

The new Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the standard developed by the European Commission for the voluntary reporting of non-financial performance (Voluntary European Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed Smal and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Vsme) and was subject to assurance by EY.

The company decided to embark on this voluntary journey to strengthen the value of the information shared and ensure greater transparency, authority and credibility of the Report’s content for all stakeholders.

Energy and emissions

One of the main projects developed as part of the sustainability journey was the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire organisation, with the aim of obtaining a complete picture of the Group’s emissions impact and identifying the areas on which to focus future efforts to reduce it. Emissions reporting was carried out according to the GHG Protocol, and involved all company departments, collecting data and information on the entire organisational structure for the years 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, the Group’s overall energy consumption stood at 48.787 MWh, in line with the growth in production volumes. Among the main results achieved, there was an increase of 103% in the electricity self-generated from renewable sources compared with 2024, reaching 480 MWh, together with the use of 2.404 MWh of electricity purchased with Guarantees of Origin, supporting the progressive increase in the use of renewable energy sources. In terms of process efficiency, there was also a reduction of 18% in steam consumption compared with the previous year.

At the same time, indirect emissions associated with purchased energy (Scope 2 Market-based) were reduced by 15% compared with 2024, thanks to energy-efficiency measures and the increased use of energy from renewable sources.

The Group also recorded a reduction of 5,8% in emissions intensity, confirming an improvement in environmental efficiency in relation to business growth.

Commitment to people, communities and the environment

In 2025, Gruppo Desa continued its commitment to the communities and areas in which it operates, supporting environmental, social and educational initiatives.

From regenerating the area through the Agroforestry project in Caravaggio, to supporting the fight against cancer, through training programmes in Burkina Faso and raising awareness of biodiversity in schools through 3Bee, the Group has promoted concrete actions aimed at creating shared value, strengthening its ties with people, communities and the environment.

This journey also includes the “The Biodiversity Oasis” project, carried out by Apropos in collaboration with 3Bee, which continued to combine environmental regeneration, technological monitoring and awareness-raising among younger generations. Through the adoption of 600 nectar-producing plants distributed in biodiversity oases in Sardinia, Sicily, Lombardy, Basilicata, Apulia and Emilia-Romagna, the initiative contributed to the creation of a private ecological corridor for pollinators and the estimated sequestration of approximately 1.669 kg of CO2 e in the first seven years.

At the same time, the educational programme “3Bee: Learning about biodiversity at school” brought digital tools, STEM activities and workshops dedicated to learning about ecosystems and the role of pollinating insects into primary schools. Apropos supported three Italian schools, involving students, teachers and families in an active learning programme aimed at promoting sustainable behaviour and preparing younger generations to play a leading role in protecting the environment.

A shared journey

In recent months, Gruppo Desa has launched a training programme on sustainability for all employees. The training programme, delivered through in-person sessions, aims to provide the entire workforce with basic knowledge of ESG topics and foster a shared culture of sustainability.

The choice of classroom-based training underlines the importance attributed to direct exchange and people’s involvement: a fundamental element in transforming sustainability from a strategic principle into an everyday practice.

The comment

“For us, sustainability first and foremost means measuring ourselves against concrete data and reporting transparently on the journey undertaken. The decision to voluntarily submit the Report for assurance stems from our desire to give greater solidity to the information we communicate and build a relationship of trust with our stakeholders. Our outlook is always oriented towards the future: for this very reason, we felt it was important to begin a journey involving all company areas and enabling us to obtain an accurate representation of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Stefano Silva, Chief Operations Officer of Gruppo Desa.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.