5 Million Funding for Sustainable Forestry for the Cartiere Carrara Group in Italy
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BPER has finalized a €5 million financing with SACE’s Green Guarantee in favor of La Badia Soc. Agr. Srl, a company belonging to Cartiere Carrara Group, to finance the costs and expenses to be incurred in relation to the activities that constitute a reforestation project aimed at pursuing the following environmental objectives, which aims to implement polycyclic plantations and the redevelopment of the surrounding territory, including through targeted training activities.
Thanks to this initiative, the company will make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change, while supporting economic activities related to the prevention of deforestation and forest degradation. The operation will also allow the development of projects aimed at promoting correct practices for the restoration and sustainable management of forests, as well as encouraging regenerative agriculture. Polycyclic Plantations are part of the broader project “The Paper that Plants Trees,” which has already led to the planting of over 15,000 trees in the areas adjacent to Cartiere Carrara’s plants in Capannori and Badia Pozzeveri, in the province of Lucca, Italy.
The Group’s initiative is part of energy efficiency policies: since its foundation, the company has focused on renewable sources and limits emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, saving 25% of water consumption compared to the industry average. To date, the Group is continuing its path of business expansion in Italy and Europe, favoring long-term value creation.
Cartiere Carrara is today one of the leading integrated paper production players in Europe. With 7 production sites in Italy, approximately 850 employees, and a production capacity of 300,000 tons of pure cellulose and recycled paper tissue, the Group distributes products in 50 European and non-European countries.
Cartiere Carrara’s products have always cared for the environment and the well-being of the Planet and future generations, with a production process that combines experience, quality, innovation, and sustainability, inspired by the principles of the circular economy.
Valerio Alessandrini, Senior Relationship Manager Center of SACE, stated: “Gruppo Cartiere Carrara is an example of sustainability and innovation, and we are pleased to have contributed, together with BPER, to strengthening the reforestation projects already started by the Group since 2020. This operation has a significant impact on the environment, as it aims at the naturalization of areas close to the company’s production sites. Cartiere Carrara has been able to combine a winning strategy based on production efficiency with continuous investments in R&D, which they themselves define as ‘A sustainable growth,’ with our tools, which have proven to be a concrete response to their need to grow sustainably in compliance with ESG principles, safeguarding the company’s financial economic balance.”
Massimo Lanzarini, Corporate Manager of BPER, adds: “BPER is pleased to support an initiative that combines innovation and sustainability, contributing significantly to the issue of environmental protection. We have always supported projects that promote responsible resource management and growth in an ESG perspective. This financing adds to many other interventions put in place to promote Italian excellence and their growth path.”
Mario Carrara, Vice President & Chief Growth Officer, stated: “Sustainability has always been part of our DNA. We have built the company on this principle, adopting a responsible approach that integrates respect for the environment in every aspect of our operations, and the adherence to the United Nations Global Compact, in 2024, further strengthens our path of responsibility and transparency in the environmental, social, and governance fields. The idea of starting a reforestation project was born many years ago, when these issues were not yet at the center of the debate. We have acquired land over time with the aim of preserving the natural areas close to our plants and developing initiatives with an educational value as well. This financing, which strengthens our virtuous relationship with SACE and BPER, demonstrates how collaboration between companies and the financial system can be a driver of development for sustainable projects and represents a further confirmation of our daily commitment to sustainability, not only as a guiding principle, but as a concrete element of our way of operating. Investing in environmental protection and the training of new generations represents for us a long-term strategic choice, which translates into concrete actions for the protection of the territory and to promote a more conscious use of resources.”
