Measuring to improve. All the Objectives of PNA’s Global LCA

Through its global-level Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the PNA Business Network – Authentic Natural Stone – has sought to expand its understanding of the environmental components involved in quarrying and processing operations. This initiative also provides a robust data foundation to inform both current and future projects. The study serves as a strategic starting point for the development of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for sector-wide certification of stone slabs with an entirely Italian supply chain. Internationally, the global LCA contributes to the establishment of forthcoming guidelines aimed at harmonising and enhancing the comparability of LCA studies across the stone sector.

The research engaged companies utilising raw materials of both Italian and international origin. These firms contributed an extensive dataset (including consumption figures, inputs, outputs, and environmental performance indicators), covering a one-year period and representing over 174,033 tonnes of finished stone slabs. The study was conducted with meticulous data accuracy and weighted according to production volumes, although some limitations arose due to the varying performance characteristics of the input materials.

PNA’s LCA assessed the average percentage impact on climate change across different stages of the production process: extraction of stone blocks, transportation, sawing, and subsequent finishing. The assessment was based on a representative slab measuring 2 cm in thickness and 1 square metre in surface area, considering 20 samples of distinct input materials. The weighted average climate impact from producing a single slab was found to be 12.5 kg CO₂ equivalent per square metre.

These findings enable PNA member companies to plan specific actions such as the adoption of renewable energy sources and the implementation of energy efficiency systems. The future of architectural design and construction using Authentic Natural Stone will increasingly align with the principles of sustainability.

Focus interview:
Gianluca Pellegrino (President, Confindustria Marmomacchine and CEO, Basaltina) and Agatha Alfieri (Organisational and Commercial Secretariat, PNA)

Gianluca Pellegrino, President, Confindustria Marmomacchine and CEO, Basaltina:
“The LCA analysis we have undertaken, along with the EPD certification currently in development, allows us to properly assess environmental impact across the full life cycle of our products. Understanding our impact is essential to improvement. Energy efficiency and impact reduction offer a clear competitive advantage for our companies. Today’s market, public procurement procedures, and design professionals are increasingly focused on value chains defined by the sustainability of production processes. Through this assessment, we realised that we are more competitive than certain artificial materials, such as ceramics.”

Agatha Alfieri, Organisational and Commercial Secretariat, PNA:
“Companies within the Authentic Natural Stone Network have shown a growing awareness and commitment to the sustainability strategy initiated by PNA. A clear indicator of this is the increasing number of businesses joining the initiative year after year, underscoring how central this issue has become for the industry. What has been particularly striking is the proactive approach taken by these companies—not only accepting the results but striving to investigate further, measure their performance, and improve, with the ultimate aim of reducing the environmental impact of their operations. This shows that the initiative is more than a response to market demands; it reflects a genuine commitment to continuous improvement that brings value to individual enterprises and to the entire natural stone sector.”