Bocconi ISO 14001 Certified: Sustainability Becomes a System
Bocconi University has obtained ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System, confirming the robustness and effectiveness of the strategies adopted to reduce the environmental impact of its activities. This achievement is the result of a process started in 2023, during which the University consolidated the good practices already in place, strengthened the monitoring of environmental aspects and implemented new tools to ensure compliance with regulations and continuous improvement of environmental performance.
“We have chosen to approach sustainability with a rigorous and structured approach allowing us to measure impacts and take concrete and timely action,” says Riccardo Taranto, Bocconi’s Managing Director. “This certification is a sign that we are going in the right direction and spurs us to keep the course with even greater determination.”
The certification is part of a broader strategy, which for years has seen the University engaged in tangible actions to reduce emissions and optimize resources. Since 2017, all electric power purchased has come from certified renewable sources, enabling zero indirect Scope 2 emissions. In addition, the new Bocconi campus has achieved LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of the leading global standard for sustainable buildings. Thanks to photovoltaic and geothermal systems, the university self-produces part of the energy it needs, with an installed capacity in excess of 1.2 MW. At the same time, it has pursued an extensive energy efficiency program, with the replacement of lighting with the latest LED technology and the adoption of consumption optimization strategies. The energy management system is already ISO 50001 certified, making Bocconi a unique case in Italy and among the few universities in the world to have obtained this recognition.
But the University's efforts do not stop here. In fact, achieving of ISO 14001 certification goes hand in hand with the start of the formalization process of the sustainable management system for the implementation of events, which will lead to the achievement of ISO 20121 certification. “We do not consider this certification an end, but rather a new starting point,” Taranto concludes. “We have a responsibility to continue to innovate and improve, involving our entire academic community in a journey that aims for an increasingly sustainable future.”