Energy and sustainability, waste and the circular economy: Confartigianato Week

Environmental, social and economic sustainability is the elephant in the room which, in this period of profound global uncertainty, we can no longer afford to ignore. Amidst rising energy costs, geopolitical crises and unstable markets, for craftspeople and small businesses, the ecological transition is no longer an option that can be postponed, but a strategic lever for competitiveness. Precisely to chart a concrete course through this complex landscape, the Energy and Sustainability Week, organised by Confartigianato, is taking place from 19 to 24 October, featuring 50 events across Italy (the calendar is available at www.settimanaenergia.it).

The initiative aims to raise awareness amongst businesses, citizens and institutions about the ongoing energy and environmental transitions, drawing on solutions, experiences and best practices already in place to promote more responsible models of production and consumption, whilst highlighting the contribution of the craft sector and micro and small enterprises. The aim is to bring sustainability into the practical realm of economic activity and everyday life: to encourage a more efficient use of energy and resources, to promote innovative solutions, to combat waste and to strengthen the skills needed to support this change. A process that links environmental protection, training and economic development.

The event was launched on 12 October in Milan with ‘Seize the Change: Sustainable Futures’, during which Confartigianato presented an analysis by its Research Department on the demand for green skills and the difficulties businesses face in recruiting staff with these skills. This is a crucial issue for the success of the ecological transition, which requires not only investment and new technologies, but above all people capable of designing, installing, using and maintaining them efficiently. The figures highlight a critical issue that risks slowing down the transition. By 2025, Italian businesses were expected to need 3.4 million workers with skills in managing green products and technologies. Of these, 1.6 million were found to be difficult to recruit, accounting for 48.7 per cent of the requirement: almost one in two vacancies. “This figure,” emphasises Marco Granelli, President of Confartigianato, “highlights the urgent need to strengthen the link between schools, vocational training and the manufacturing sector, by promoting technical courses, apprenticeships and on-the-job training. We must transform the demand for sustainability into new opportunities for employment, innovation and development.”

The ecological transition also encompasses the circular economy, which aims to reduce waste, limit the generation of refuse and extend the lifespan of products through maintenance, repair and reuse. These are issues of particular concern to the public. According to data from Confartigianato, 38.1 per cent of Italians aged over 14 cite waste production and management as one of their main environmental concerns. Furthermore, 19.5 per cent of citizens say they avoid single-use products, a practice that is more widespread in the South, where the figure rises to 24.1 per cent. Against this backdrop, the repair and maintenance sector represents a key resource: we are talking about 329,000 businesses employing 934,000 people, of whom 235,000 are craft businesses employing 498,000 people.

“These are activities,” insists Confartigianato president Granelli, “that make a tangible contribution to sustainability: repairing an item rather than replacing it, keeping a system running efficiently, reducing energy consumption and extending the lifespan of equipment means limiting the use of new resources and minimising waste production. The craft sector offers the transition a widespread wealth of technical expertise, knowledge of materials and practical skills that are essential for establishing more circular models of production and consumption. But to support this commitment, we need appropriate tools, accessible training, policies capable of supporting investment and closer collaboration between institutions and the manufacturing sector. The challenge is to ensure that sustainability does not become an additional burden for businesses, but rather a driver of innovation, productivity and new career opportunities.”