In 2023, Group-wide investment in "GHG Emission Reduction and Energy Efficiency" projects and initiatives totaled Euro 7 million.
Total energy consumption for 2023 stands at 9.6 million gigajoules (GJ), of which 6.14 million GJ related to electricity and nearly 2 million of these generated from sustainable sources.
| Energy consumed* (GJ) | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity from renewable sources | 1.948.875 | 1.921.399 |
| Electricity from non renewable sources | 4.193.696 | 4.112.089 |
| Natural gas | 2.277.375 | 2.747.360 |
| LPG | 127.805 | 135.365 |
| Petrol | 7.561 | 7.424 |
| Diesel | 908.062 | 896.985 |
| Fuel oil | 17.380 | 5.571 |
| Steam (purchased, not produced internally) | 5.616 | 9.791 |
| Heat from district heating produced from renewable sources | 20.318 | - |
| Steam (purchased from distribution networks) | 123.539 | 135.931 |
| Chilled water | - | - |
| Biogas/biofuel/biomass purchased | 877 | - |
| TOTAL | 9.631.104 | 9.971.915 |
Prysmian publishes a “GHG Statement” with the aim of monitoring its progress against set targets and providing transparent disclosure of the carbon footprint of the entire value chain.
Prysmian monitors Group-wide Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from certain production processes and maintenance operations.
Significant reductions in these emissions have already been achieved in the past by gradually introducing new methods and/or products, particularly for cable degreasing, cleaning and stamping operations. In any case, Prysmian continues to monitor this indicator, estimating – as a precaution – that the total amount of VOCs emitted into the atmosphere is equal to the total consumption of substances containing organic solvents.
In 2023, the total amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere was approximately 500 tons.
In total, Prysmian generated 235,163,841 kg of waste in 2023. Hazardous waste accounted for 5.2% of the total (vs. 6% in 2022), with nonhazardous waste accounting for the remainder.
In compliance with the requirements established by European legislation, the main waste from production activities has been divided into specific categories, assigning a hazardous/non-hazardous status to each. Different use/destination categories have been defined for each type of waste:
• Recycling, for which Prysmian has set its own group targets (to increase the recycling rate);
• Incinerator;
• Landfill;
• Other uses/destinations (residual category).
| Waste by destination (kg) | 2023 | 2023% | 2022 | 2022% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAZARDOUS WASTE | 12,381,045 | 14,050,194 | ||
| Landfill | 1,740,750 | 14% | 2,166,186 | 15% |
| Incinerator | 2,852,812 | 23% | 2,815,748 | 20% |
| Recycled | 6,027,126 | 49% | 6,620,003 | 47% |
| Other | 1,760,357 | 14% | 2,448,257 | 17% |
| Waste by destination (kg) | 2023 | 2023% | 2022 | 2022% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NON-HAZARDOUS WASTE | 222,782,796 | 220,355,520 | ||
| Landfill | 41,793,434 | 19% | 42,373,457 | 19% |
| Incinerator | 13,030,721 | 6% | 13,104,990 | 6% |
| Recycled | 162,821,860 | 73% | 159,240,565 | 72% |
| Other | 5,136,781 | 2% | 5,636,508 | 3% |
| Waste by destination (kg) | 2023 | 2023% | 2022 | 2022% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 235,163,841 | 234,405,714 | ||
| Landfill | 43,534,184 | 19% | 44,539,642 | 19% |
| Incinerator | 15,883,533 | 7% | 15,920,738 | 7% |
| Recycled | 168,848,986 | 72% | 165,860,569 | 71% |
| Other | 6,897,138 | 3% | 8,084,765 | 3% |
The Group’s approach to circularity addresses three main aspects:
In 2023, the percentage of waste (hazardous + non-hazardous) sent for recycling reached 72%, and the portion of waste sent to the landfill constitutes, on average, about 19% of the total amount of waste generated.
At Prysmian's production sites, water is mainly used for cooling. On-site wells are the main sources of water, satisfying more than half of all water needs, supported by other sources of surface water and the public water main. In order to optimize the consumption of water and energy, the process water used for cooling at many Prysmian plants is recirculated, either totally or partially, depending on the situation. As a result, the volume of water drawn is low in many cases.
From the analysis conducted on 93% of the operating units, the results show that most of the factories have recirculation systems, with percentages ranging from 99% to 100% in 45% of the cases and from 95% to 99% in 27% of the cases. Recirculation rates below 95% were found in about 10% of the plants. This situation does not apply to the remaining 11% of plants.
The most significant water-related impact is mainly associated with the supply chain, particularly the production cycle of metal suppliers. For this reason, in addition to continuing to track and audit “critical” suppliers, Prysmian extended assessment of the risks related to water availability to the entire supply chain in 2021.
In addition, the Group has introduced specific rating systems, including ISO14001 certification and completion of the CDP Water Security Questionnaire, as indicators of the proper management of all environmental aspects/impacts by its suppliers.
| Water drawn by source – 2023 | Water stress areas | All areas | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water from wells | 1,497,471 | 2,430,695 | 3,928,166 |
| Water from public water main | 457,524 | 2,134,877 | 2,592,401 |
| Water from other sources – Fresh water | - | 519,512 | 519,512 |
| TOTAL | 1,954,995 | 5,085,084 | 7,040,079 |
Prysmian aims to delineate activities that are respectful of natural habitats in order to maintain their balance without adversely affecting the biological functions of the areas chosen to carry out the activities, both on land and at sea, while restoring habitats that have been damaged by such activities.
In line with its HSEE Policy, updated in 2023, Prysmian is committed to identifying and assessing any biodiversity-related risks, applying a hierarchical mitigation approach (avoid, minimize, restore and compensate) to all operations. Prysmian has established an inventory of protected areas, compiled directly by each plant, which is updated annually. Analyses conducted and inventories show that to date most of Prysmian's plants are not located within or near protected areas or where endangered species are potentially present.
In 2023, the Group screened with the “Biodiversity Risk Filter” tool provided by WWF, taking into consideration the location of Prysmian sites and applying different risk categories and indicators. About 13% of Prysmian sites are potentially affected by risks related to biodiversity, but an analysis at the level of each plant confirmed the absence of potential dependencies or significant impacts on biodiversity for all of the Group's production sites.
