Mapei’s sixth Sustainability Report covers the whole of Europe

Constant growth in terms of revenue and staff, a genuine commitment to sustainability and an analysis pool that spans all of Europe. The sixth Sustainability Report marks some important new milestones for Mapei Group, whose figures exemplify a corporate strategy that proves to be successful even in tricky times.

Mapei is firmly committed to the local territory and community: 1,939 million euros handed out to stakeholders, 38 million euros invested in Research & Development and 32 million euros spent on sport, culture and social projects.

Facts and figures covering the whole of the Group’s European operations for the first time, taking into account Mapei SpA, all Mapei’s European subsidiaries and also all its fully consolidated Italian and European subsidiaries: Adesital, Cercol, Gòrka Cement, Mapei Marine, M+, Polyglass, Rasco, Sopro, Tecnopol, Vaga and Vinavil. A commitment to provide an annual report on its own corporate values and environmental, social and economic performance in a transparent manner.

The year 2021 will be remembered for a revival in business and return to normality, which injected fresh drive and impetus into our operations.  The pillars on which the entire group stands are still the same: Internationalisation, Specialisation, Research & Development and Sustainability.

"The results provided in this report make us proud because they demonstrate Mapei's commitment to both the environment and the societies/communities in which it operates all over Europe - so Veronica Squinzi stated, Mapei CEO -. By supporting culture, sport, social/solidarity projects, we want to be active players and promoters of growth and development in all the countries where we do business. We are doing this our own way: with passion and enthusiasm that engages the whole company ".

"Lots of virtuous projects were carried out in 2021 - so Marco Squinzi announced, Mapei CEO –. Ranging from the first experimental phases in the Arena del Futuro electric mobility project to an agreement reached with Iren for the re-use of thermoplastic polymers deriving from innovative recycling processes to make long-lasting and sustainable road surfaces. Another landmark event was the decision to offset the residual CO₂ emissions of another of our flagship products, Ultracolor Plus, which, together with Keraflex Maxi S1 zerø, now has zero impact on climate change. For us sustainability is not just an obligation, it is a way of being”.

Sustainability is part of everyday life at Mapei. It is embodied, for example, in the careful selection of raw materials and search for solutions to reduce their consumption and manufacture products with low environmental impact, especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. An approach that also involves the packaging side of these products, which are made - whenever possible – out of recycled plastic certified by third-party associations. The high quality and low environmental impact characterising Mapei products contribute to the sustainability of the buildings in which they are incorporated, boosting their energy performance.

As confirmation of its commitment to the health of the environment, in 2021 Mapei received some important commendations: the company was named as one of Italy’s 150 most sustainable businesses, the only one in the chemical industry, in the ‘Leaders in Sustainability’ survey carried out by di Statista, a leading market research company specialising in ranking and analysing corporate data, in partnership with Il Sole 24 Ore; it also won the Green Star of Sustainability award in a study conducted by the German Institute of Quality and Finance - ITQF, in partnership with the IMWF Institute for Management and Economic Research in Hamburg and Affari & Finanza (a supplement of  La Repubblica newspaper).

Other key factors for Mapei are its community relations and support for sport and culture. In 2021, Mapei was fully committed to the world of sport with which it shares the same values: passion, a will to excel and make the most of one's talent, a love of and dedication to teamwork and desire to take on new challenges every day with grit and tenacity. This is precisely it is continuing to invest in the football club it has owned since 2003, Sassuolo Calcio.

One of the most important projects undertaken by Sassuolo Calcio in 2021 was “Generazione S - Per diventare grandi ci vuole passione” (Generation S – It takes passion to become great), a project focused on amateur men's and women's clubs to jointly engage in a social responsibility project by organising special events and training courses. Interest in this project has crossed national boundaries and even spread abroad.

A passion for cycling also led to the support of key events throughout the year. ‘Re Stelvio Mapei’, an historic sporting event whose main Sponsor is Mapei, was held again on 11^th July 2021 after it had to be cancelled the previous year. An ongoing partnership with the International Cycling Union resulted in the company once again being the Main Partner of the World Road Championships held in Flanders, Belgium.

Football and cycling are not the only sports it backs. Mapei supports the entire world of sport: volleyball through its sponsorship of the final-four of the Italian Serie A1 Cup for women's volleyball; motor sports through its sponsorship deal with the racing driver Rachele Somaschini; and basketball thanks to the upgrading of an urban space for hosting the Red Bull Half Court 2021 tournament with the aid products from its sports surfaces range. And not only in Italy: the Group has taken the field right across Europe, supporting numerous sports enterprises, projects and clubs.

Attention to culture in all its forms is another of the Group’s central beliefs since culture lays the foundations and sets the identity of the community as a whole. Over the years, Mapei has pooled its resources with numerous valuable entities and institutions to work on ongoing projects. They include: La Scala Opera House, of which Mapei has been a Founding Member since 2008, Santa Cecilia National Academy, the Milan Triennale Foundation, San Domenico Museums in Forlì and the Biblioteca degli Alberi (Library of Trees) in Milan, an innovative project allowing cultural enterprises to be enjoyed outdoors in a green space right in the heart of the city of Milan.

Last year Mapei was also a Partner of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, a flagship event for the business world, supplying new materials created from such natural elements as sand, coffee and orange peel powder and supporting the project through one of its production plants just a few kilometres from the Expo.

2021 was a year when Mapei focused plenty of attention on solidarity and charity projects, demonstrating its belief that a company can make a real contribution to the development of communities through sponsorship deals, supplying products and technologies free of charge, and offering the support of its laboratory and on-site technicians. The most significant projects include support for the AIRC Foundation by offering a three-year scholarship dedicated to Giorgio Squinzi and Adriana Spazzoli, and support for Gomitolorosa Onlus and its Lanaterapia (knitting therapy) project.

An approach adopted by all the Group's companies on a European level: Sopro Poland decided to lend its support to the "Noble Package" project to help families in need; Mapei France supported the "Courir pour elles" association that supports the fight against women’s cancer through preventive measures; Mapei Yapi (Turkey) opted to support the "Together we will regenerate life and rekindle hope!" campaign founded by TEMA for the reforestation and conservation of natural works in Turkey.

Finally, Mapei's is also boosting its real commitment to the world of research, scientific community and universities by helping out young researchers.

The Group recognises its responsibility to place tools at society’s disposal so that it is increasingly ready to take on the challenges posed by sustainability. To share ideas and know-how in the field of R&D, Mapei works closely with the scientific community: in 2021, the Group donated a total of 472,631 euros to universities and research institutes.

The Italian Chemicals Society has instituted the Giorgio Squinzi Medal in memory of the business entrepreneur and his commitment to the Italian chemicals industry. The award - to be assigned annually – will go to a researcher under the age of forty-five who has made outstanding scientific contributions to the field of Industrial Chemistry. The prize was awarded for the first time to Federico Bella, associate professor at Turin Polytechnic.

Read our sixth Sustainability Report, click here.