MILAN, July 27, 2021 – “Sustainability can no longer be the sole concern of the communications department of a company. It is something that has to enter into the way we produce, something that becomes a clear business concept. This is the big investment that Webuild is making,” Webuild Chairman Donato Iacovone told the “Campioni di Italy” (Champions of Italy) webinar hosted by REMIND Filiera Immobiliare that explored best practices in both the public and private sectors to relaunch Italy.

“What the construction sector needs is a new culture, a new reference model,” Iacovone said. “The Webuild Group, which took over Astaldi as part of Progetto Italia, has today a clear objective: become a player that is able to compete on the global stage against the sector’s big companies with a focus on building sustainable projects. That means giving a tangible contribution to sustainability – both in the construction phase as well as in the end use of the project.”

“Today, sustainability no longer solely concerns contributing to the achievement of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. Instead it is a part of the production strategy. In Europe, the construction industry is responsible for 36% of total emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 50% of raw materials consumption and 21% of water consumption. If we are to avoid this impact on the environment, we need to change the way we build.” “Webuild’s production and performance targets are very much tied to sustainability,” Iacovone said.

“As a Group, we want to focus on projects capable of bringing significant benefits in terms of sustainability. At the same time, there is also a commitment to change the way we build, such as adopting a model that reuses materials. This is a complex challenge that involves the entire supply chain, but it is a commitment that we want to pursue with resolve. The other big challenge is the use of digital technology, big data and other related resources. By managing a construction site as a virtual site, using the huge amount of data that is available - from the design phase to the construction phase – we are able to reprogramme a project according to the needs that can arise during construction“.

Webuild, a global player in the construction industry, also thanks to the success of Progetto Italia, is among those that are most committed to sustainable mobility and construction, as shown in its recently launched ESG Plan 2021-2023. Taking into account all the projects under construction worldwide the Group has calculated that it will improve the lives of 87 million people and remove 21 million tonnes of CO2. The projects in the green buildings sector will have a positive impact on 13.7 million people whilst those in the sustainable mobility sector will have a positive impact on the lives of 32.2 million people, more than double.