Acqua dell’Elba’s road to sustainability through a structured, shared approach
In 2000, Acqua dell’Elba set sail. An entrepreneurial venture born from a desire to recreate the Essence of the Sea in a fragrance. Today, it is the story of a company that listens to and respects the world around it, aware of the role it plays within the society of which it is part. A society on which it depends and whose needs it seeks to address, helping to improve people’s quality of life and the wellbeing of society as a whole through a structured, shared approach.
A journey that:
• Starts from within, with an in-depth review of management and production processes and a structured commitment to social responsibility. Becoming a Benefit Corporation, embarking on a decarbonisation pathway in 2021 and deciding, in 2023, to pursue environmental certifications are all milestones on a journey that began long ago and continues to present the company with new challenges;
• Encompasses our relationship with our people, through initiatives focusing on occupational health and safety, gender equality, professional development and employee wellbeing. Women account for over 90% of the company’s workforce: the ISO 45001, PAS 24000 and UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification processes, initiated in 2023, form part of this commitment;
• Extends to the local community through projects that protect and enhance the local area, delivered either directly or through the Acqua dell’Elba Foundation, established in 2022 and active in the fields of the environment, education, social initiatives, culture and art;
• Reaches the wider community of Acqua dell’Elba friends throughout Italy, through support for projects that raise awareness of issues relating to the sea and initiatives centred on people’s wellbeing, particularly organisations involved in medical research and healthcare.
Acqua dell’Elba has been a Benefit Corporation since 2021. This represents a clear commitment to generating a positive impact for its shareholders and for all the people and organisations involved in or affected by its business activities: employees, suppliers and customers, the local community and local area, and the environment.
Being a Benefit Corporation means taking a different approach to the company’s role in society: economic objectives are accompanied by direct responsibilities and tangible commitments to creating value for the environment and society. The aim is to help build a fairer society that is more responsive to the needs of people and the environment.
Becoming a Benefit Corporation was the natural evolution of an ongoing commitment that will pursue even more ambitious goals in the years ahead. Chief among these will be a renewed drive to promote and enhance the local area.
Where We Are Today
The individual certifications are described in the boxes below, where the documents issued to date are also available. The current status is as follows:
• FSC: certification obtained on 8 November 2024.
• ISO 22716: certification obtained on 4 December 2024.
• ISO 14001: environmental management system certification obtained in August 2026.
• ISO 45001: occupational health and safety management system certification obtained in August 2026.
• EMAS III: the 2026 Environmental Statement was validated on 25 August 2026 by Bureau Veritas Italia, an accredited environmental verifier. The registration process with ISPRA and the Committee for Ecolabel and Ecoaudit is currently under way.
• PAS 24000 and UNI/PdR 125:2022: certifications obtained in 2024.
With the ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications, the company has completed its integrated Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Management System, bringing together environmental protection and the health and safety of its workforce.
