ESG Report 2024/25: Towards a More Responsible Education

Florence, January 22, 2026 

Over the past academic year, AD Education has carried out more than 100 initiatives, including environmental projects, social activities and governance interventions, involving students, faculty and staff in awareness-raising and action programmes. The goal? To transform educational and organisational practices to reduce environmental impact, promote inclusion and strengthen responsible and transparent management.

The report shows concrete results, such as an approximate 11% reduction in the carbon footprint per student between 2022 and 2024, demonstrating the effectiveness of the actions undertaken to make campuses more sustainable.

Alongside environmental aspects, the report also highlights the importance of educational initiatives: workshops and awareness-raising programmes on climate issues have been promoted across campuses, making students and communities more aware and active participants in the ecological transition.

On the social front, the group supported more than 80 projects through the AD Education Foundation, amplifying the impact of student activities and promoting projects with social value.

Finally, the group’s governance continues to evolve with increasingly structured tools: the report confirms the strengthening of the group ESG committee, the presence of representatives in every school and country, and a constant commitment to diversity in decision-making roles, with a gender balance target of between 40% and 60% in executive committees.

Within the group’s overall framework, Accademia Italiana stands out for a series of concrete and cross-cutting projects that combine education, research and social responsibility.

Circular and sustainable fashion

Students from the Bachelor Degree in Fashion Design at the Florence campus created 100% sustainable collections in collaboration with Manteco, using recycled fabrics to produce men’s, women’s and gender-neutral garments.

In collaboration with the Nosotras association and the tram operator GEST, Accademia Italiana took part in the “Da divise a Uniche” (“From Uniforms to Unique Pieces”) project, transforming 15 discarded corporate uniforms into unique fashion pieces through upcycling techniques.

Inclusion and rights

The first Gender Equality Plan in Italy was launched, a three-year programme aimed at creating a more inclusive teaching and working environment, with concrete actions and awareness seminars on gender-based violence.

The photographic exhibition “IO, NOI” (“ME, US”), created by students from Accademia Italiana and Bar.lina, portrayed queer personalities, promoting art, activism and inclusive pedagogy.

Design for accessibility

During Milan Design Week 2025, more than 100 students, 20 staff members and 15 faculty from IAAD, Accademia Italiana and SAE Institute participated in the event BE AWARE: rethinking Paralympic design, in collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee. The project invited students to imagine innovative solutions to make environments and objects more accessible.

As part of the “STRAordinario” project of Open House Roma, students from the Rome campus created tactile models and multisensory design solutions to make cultural heritage accessible to people with visual or hearing disabilities, working directly with people with disabilities.

The AD Education ESG Report 2024/25 confirms the group’s commitment to transforming education into a driver of sustainability, with concrete actions and measurable results. In this context, Accademia Italiana stands out for its ability to integrate environmental sustainability, social inclusion and accessibility through creative projects and concrete collaborations, demonstrating that creative education can be an effective lever for change.

Read the ESG Report 2024/25