Integrated strategy overview

[GRI - 102-14], [GRI - 102-15], [GRI - 103-1], [GRI - 103-2], [GRI - 103-3], [GRI - 102-43], [GRI - 102-44], [GRI - 102-12], [GRI - 102-42], [GRI - 102-43], [GRI - 102-44], [GRI - 102-16], [GRI - 102-21], [GRI - 102-26], [GRI - 102-27], [GRI - 103-1], [GRI - 103-3], [GRI - 102-29], [GRI - 102-31], [GRI - 302-1], [GRI - 302-3], [GRI - 201-2], [GRI - 102-30],

Acea’s strategic planning seizes the opportunities offered by the evolution of the reference framework and the new economic, social and environmental challenges, reconciling the industrial dimension and the sustainability aspects with the business objectives. The Business Plan and the Sustainability Plan for 2020-2024 were approved in 2020 by the Board of Directors and will be subject to further revision in 2022.
Business management towards the pursuit of “sustainable success” is also subject to further research by Acea through discussion with the institutional world, experts and other companies, of which the Company itself is a promoter, creating opportunities for dialogue and exchange of experiences, such as the Sustainability Day, which reached its third edition in 2021 (see box).
Acea’s commitment is appreciated by external observers, analysts specialised in ESG and the market. In this sense, Acea’s good positioning in the Integrated Governance Index (see the chapter Corporate governance and management systems) is demonstrated by the improving trend in the Group’s rating by the Gender Equality Index of Bloomberg (see the chapter Personnel), the “innovation” awards received (see the chapter Institutions and business), the positioning in the ratings of the CDP - Carbon Disclosure Project (see box below), the further improvement in the rating given by Standard Ethics, as well as the feedback that the market wanted to give to the first Green Bond issued by the Company and the assessments issued by ESG analysts (see the chapter Shareholders and investors).
In 2021, Acea once again took part in the Top Utility Award, the initiative established by the Althesys research centre with the intention of promoting excellence among the 100 biggest companies that manage public services, for their contribution to the economic and industrial development and collective well-being of the country. The rewards given as part of the initiative involved the following 8 categories: Absolute, Sustainability, Communication, Research & Innovation, Consumers & Territory, Operating Performance, Diversity, South. Acea was in the top five best in class for the Sustainability and Research and Innovation categories; The Acea Group company GORI was awarded the price for the South category.

SUSTAINABILITY DAY ACEA 2021

The 2021 edition of the Acea Sustainability Day was held on 26 November with a blend of in-person and digital attendance, at La Lanterna Rome. The event, in response to the desire to offer an opportunity for discussion among the main institutional and business players on sustainability topics, was developed around the theme of the Fair and sustainable transition. Many subjects were addressed, which highlighted the various forms of the concept of sustainability, underlining the need not only to consider the environmental aspect but also to integrate the social aspect in order to allow for the “Just Transition” to be exactly that.


Moderated by Antonella Baccaro, a journalist from Il Corriere, the debate took place across four different events, which, starting from a scenario analysis for a Just Transition, covered the responses and projects put into place by Acea, the implementing aspects of the transition, the challenges and the opportunities from the industrial perspective of the financial markets and the regulations. These subjects were analysed thanks to discussion among reputed members from the institutional world, such as the Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family, Elena Bonetti, and the ARERA Commissioner, Clara Poletti, from institutions involved in research, such as the President of Utilitatis, Prof. Stefano Pareglio, and the Director of TIRESIA, Prof. Mario Calderini, and lastly from organisations and businesses, such as the President of the Young Ambassador Society, Alberta Pelino, the Head of Large Caps, Investment Vehicles & Market Intelligence at Euronext, Patrizia Celia, and the Enav President, Francesca Isgrò. The event was live streamed on the dedicated platform and on CorriereTV attracting over 900,000 video views.

The 2020-2024 Business Plan, which guides the Group, was defined by taking into consideration 5 mega trends which mark the evolution of utilities: sustainability and circular economy; customer focus; energy transition; innovation and digitisation; increased competitiveness on the market.

Chart no. 11 – – The 5 mega trends for utilities

Mega trends

In particular, the Business Plan has divided the Group’s growth guidelines into 5 strategic pillars summarised by the acronym GRIDS:

  • Growth: growth driven by the regulated market;
  • Renewables: investment in renewables;
  • Innovation: investment in new innovative services;
  • Delivery: results exceeded targets;
  • Sustainability: increasing focus on the environmental impact and circular economy.

The total business investments envisaged in the Plan amount to € 4.3 billion.

MAIN ACTIONS AND STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE 2020-2024 BUSINESS PLAN BY BUSINESS AREA

business area strategy strategy  

Water -

Development of a Smart Water Company
for sustainable use of water by improving
the quality and efficiency of the service
Expansion through participation in new
tenders in other territories.

  • installation of smart water meters and districting of the network
  • virtuous path of water resource protection with reduction of losses
  • rationalisation of small treatment plants
  • optimisation of network performance through the Water Management System
  • securitisation of supply with work on the strategic Peschiera and Marcio aqueducts
IDRICO

Networks –

Major player in the energy transition with
enabling projects for increased electrification
and integration of distributed
generation.

  • investments for network resilience with interventions on specific substations
  • network digitisation through remote control and IoT solutions
  • network maintenance to improve service continuity
  • 2G smart meter installation
  • new Network Service Management Centre
ENERGIA

Environment –

Consolidation of the market towards the circular economy including in a "one-stop-shop" logic.
Accelerated closing of the waste cycle in Central Italy.

  • consolidation of core business in energy recovery (WtE) and disposal of unsorted waste and organic fraction
  • strengthening Waste to Material (WtM) supply chains in view of the circular economy (e.g. plastic, paper)
  • further development in the special waste sector, also in synergy with the Group's water (e.g. sludge) and WtE (e.g. ash) activities
  • development of industrial synergies
ambiente

Engineering and Services –

Development of a building oriented company for turnkey management of construction and engineering activities

  • focus on core engineering activities
  • construction of plants through the internalisation of construction activities in an EPC perspective
  • reducing construction time and strengthening laboratory activities
  • development of a research centre
ingegneria

Energy (commercial and tradin) -

Commercial growth in central and southern Italy, also supported by the elimination of greater protection and "digital" offers. Development of a Services-Based Company to strengthen customer relations and enhance Acea Group brands

  • reinforcement in the reference territories and growth in Central and Southern Italy​​​​​​​
  • opportunità di cross-selling e up-selling dalla completa liberalizzazione del mercato e spinta sull’offerta dual fuel
  • commercial strategy focused on digital channels, including through a new customer management platform
  • developments of the segment and mobility with installation of columns and value-added services
  • energy efficiency services offer
  • Smart Comp installation with system managed remotely through an IoT
    platform developed by Acea
  • installation of residential photovoltaic and solar thermal systems
energia commerciale e trading

Generation –

Growth of the PV portfolio to seize opportunities from the energy transition and decarbonisation process

  • growth in generation from renewable sources to seize opportunities offered by the decarbonisation process, whether through the construction of new PV plants in industrial and agricultural areas and through M&A transactions
generazione

In line with the industrial development guidelines, the 2020-2024 Sustainability Plan, divided into a governance level, intended to consolidate the integration of sustainability into the Company’s governance, and into five operating macro-objectives, split into 127 targets by 2024 and their KPIs, shows the unique traits assumed by sustainability for the Group, in the practical management of production and organisational processes and in relations with stakeholders (see dedicated boxes and charts 12 and 13).
The update to the 2020-2024 Plan, carried out with the involvement of the organisational structures (Parent Company Functions and Operating Companies) and taking into account the material issues defined by listening to stakeholders, maintaining consistency with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals that are relevant to Acea’s businesses, brought about the definition of 125 targets and their related KPIs. In 2021 a number of Group companies proposed integrations to the targets defined with the latest sustainability planning leading to the upgrade/reformulation of 4 targets already present in the Plan (aspects pertaining to energy efficiency, the remote control of infrastructure, etc.) and the insertion of 2 new targets (the installation of drinking water supply infrastructure in the territory and an important restoration project for the Sarno river’s ecosystem)35. Therefore, following the integrations, the 2020-2024 Sustainability Plan is structured, at operating level, into 127 targets.
The investments envisaged in the 2020-2024 Business Plan related to sustainability targets totalling € 2.1 billion. In 2021, the progress of the targets, illustrated in detail in the following section, as well as the amount of investments made in the year was monitored, which, as at 31/12/2021, was around € 408 million; on a whole, in the 2020-2021 two-year period, the Business Plan investments related to sustainability targets totalled around € 740 million.

THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL OF THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN 2020-2024: CROSS-CUTTING OBJECTIVES FOR INTEGRATION

Governance areas Strategy
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE RISK ASSESSMENT
  • consideration of material ESG topics in the risk management model;
  • assess risks and impacts on safety and the environment and mitigate them, including by adopting certified management systems
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
STRATEGY
  • highlighting the total value generated by the Group with an integrated reading of economic and sustainable development
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
REMUNERATION POLICY
  • enhancing the objectives aimed at promoting sustainability impacts by integrating them into the performance management models
SUSTAINABILITY CULTURE SPREAD
  • involving internal and external stakeholders in the matter by disseminating the “sustainability culture
SUSTAINABILITY FOR SHAREHOLDERS AND INVESTORS
  • integrating financial with ESG elements in communications and relations with shareholders and stakeholders
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
REGULATION SECTOR
  • identifying sustainability topics in the evolving trends of national and European regulations
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE
MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE
  • developing an advanced, collaborative labour-management relations model that meets new social needs
SUSTAINABILITY IN
PROCUREMENT
  • promoting sustainability along the supply chain, while being mindful of the relevant best practices

THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL OF THE 2020-2024 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN: SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE 5 MACRO-OBJECTIVES

macro obiettivo

  Strategy
PROMOTING
A FOCUS ON
THE CUSTOMER
clienti
  • increasing the technical and commercial quality of the services, while consolidating digital services;
  • improving the customer experience and the contact channels so that they fully meet customers' needs
ENHANCING
STAFF FOR THE
GROUP’S GROWTH
gruppo
  • training, employee involvement and increasing organisational well-being, including the protection and promotion of diversity
  • enhancing sustainability in performance management systems
QUALIFYING
PRESENCE IN THE
REGIONS AND
PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
territori
  • increasing resilience of water and electricity infrastructure to ensure security of supply, adaptation to climate change and support for energy transition;
  • limiting impacts on the natural environment, protecting the land and biodiversity and using resources more efficiently;
  • streamlining and contributing to the decarbonisation of the energy system, with the increase of production from renewable sources and the consequent reduction of CO2 emissions;
  • reducing the city’s environmental impacts through smart green services for customers and the development of circular economy initiatives;
  • promoting sustainability along the supply chain, raising awareness of customers and students on sustainability issues, with a structured approach to stakeholder involvement
PROMOTING HEALTH
AND SAFETY ALONG
THE VALUE CHAIN
salute
  • disseminating the culture of safety and prevention along the internal and external value chain;
  • increasing verification and control activities and actions to ensure the health and safety of customers
INVESTING IN
INNOVATION FOR
SUSTAINABILITY
innovazione
  • applying innovative technologies for network management (digitisation, remote control, IoT) in a smart city perspective and in other production and organisational processes;
  • developing synergies in research and innovation for knowledge sharing as well as project implementation, including in association with start-ups and scientific partnerships

Chart no. 12 – The 2020-2024 Sustainability Plan in numbers

chart 12

Chart no. 13 – The sustainability strategy guidelines

The Management and Sustainability Systems Policy36 adopted by Acea also sets out the principles, values and commitments made by the Group, and is an integral part of the Management Systems in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 (see also the section Management Systems). The Policy sees the following values as fundamental elements for sustainability:

  • promotion of a culture of quality;
  • respect for the environment and preservation of ecosystems;
  • fighting climate change:
  • the development of people and safety at workplace;
  • the efficient management of resources;
  • the assessment of the risk and the economic, social and environmental impacts;
  • participation in the well-being of the community and the development of an ongoing dialogue with stakeholders;
  • the promotion of creativity and technological and organisational innovation.

The 2021 edition of the Global Risk Report, albeit centred around the social effects caused by the pandemic, continues to indicate climate change and the failure to take action to counter it as some of the most probable and highest impact risks. Acea monitors this area and the initiatives undertaken have once again received the positive assessment of the CDP (see box); furthermore, in order to expand on the analysis of the risk factors generated by climate change and their impacts on the businesses managed, the Group has concluded an initial process of alignment with the Recommendations defined by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures – TCFD, which will also continue in 2022 (for more details see The relations with the environment, section Environmental and climate risks: analyses and disclosure).

ACEA CONFIRMED IN THE LEADERSHIP CATEGORY OF THE CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT – CDP

The independent organisation CDP is the main reference for investors who are interested in understanding the commitment of companies to climate change. The CDP promotes worldwide attention on the management of climate change risks and impacts, inviting companies to provide timely information about their governance, strategy, actions undertaken and performance. Based on the data received, each year the CDP publishes a ranking of its assessments for each organisation. In 2021 more than 13,000 companies, with over 64% capitalisation of the world market, including 1,100 public administrations, disclosed environmental data via CDP, making the CDP platform one of the richest sources of information in the world about the commitment of companies and governments to limit climate change. Again in 2021 Acea was confirmed in the “leadership” category of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) ranking, with a score of “A-”. The rating (scale D-/A) is based on the assessment of areas such as the presence of targets and initiatives undertaken to reduce emissions, risk analysis and management, the assessment of financial impacts due to climate change and reporting.

35 In particular, this includes the upgrade to 2 AdF targets pertaining to energy efficiency and the reduction of energy consumption and the insertion of 1 new target on the installation of drinking water supply infrastructure (Water Kiosks); the upgrade to 1 Areti target on the remote control of the MV/LV lines and 1 Acea Innovation target relative to the installation of electric charging points in which the development of an electric mobility platform has been integrated by Acea Energia, and the insertion of 1 new GORI target on the interventions required to remove pollution from the hydrographic basin of the Sarno river, through the completion of the sewerage water system.
36The Policy, updated in November 2020, can be found on the institutional website, www.gruppo.acea.it.

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