Communication, events and solidarity

COMMUNICATION

The Communication Function of the Holding directs and coordi- nates communication and information strategies and initiatives, defining the development of the Group image. It oversees infor- mation coverage by journalists and looks after the management of relations with the media, including the drafting and dissemina- tion of non-price-sensitive press releases, the preparation of press reviews and the organisation of press conferences for the various business areas. It also coordinates communication activities and internal dissemination of documents, news and editorial content, brand enhancement, management of corporate identity , creation of institutional, advertising and commercial campaigns, organisa- tion of public or institutional events, development and manage- ment of environmental education and solidarity projects, as well as special projects and external events aimed at strengthening the bond between Acea and the territory.

In-house expertise also covers the design and production of pho- tographic and video services, management of the Group's modern and historic documentary and photographic archives, and the pro- motion of Acea sites/plants for educational and cultural purposes.

The Communication Function also defines digital strategy and digital identity, in line with the strategic guidelines defined by Top Management, the positioning of the Group in the digital ecosystem, through the design, development and management of the institu- tional website and the websites of the Companies that align with the corporate identity. It is responsible for the operational manage- ment of social media channels to disseminate and enhance, in ad- dition to news and information about the Group, brand awareness, the Group's values and mission and the initiatives it carries out.

In 2021, the Group's advertising communication focused on in- novation and value creation, with special attention to the territory and people. In April, with the aim of enhancing the Group's brand reputation, a campaign entitled “Acea, 111 years of innovation” was launched in the main national and local newspapers, both online and in print, with the aim of illustrating how Acea's values are evident and recognisable throughout its history (see the dedicated box).

The year's communication was also characterised by a focus on in- novation. Starting in January, in fact, the Digital Branch campaign went on air for three months to communicate the digitalisation of the Water Area through the new branch available to customers, and in July, to encourage customers to use digital channels, a campaign dedicated to the web bill was created for Acea Ato 2 and Acea Ato 5, to communicate the characteristics of the new interactive dig- ital bill: immediacy, digitalisation and simplicity. The campaign was in print, outdoor, digital and aired on the radio. Lastly, in April, an important information campaign was launched for the same com- panies operating in the water sector, using various forms of com- munication (press, digital, BTL and posters) to encourage the use of the social water bonus.

To support the communication of the energy industrial area (com- mercial & trading), a campaign for Acea Energia was launched in April 2021: E-Mobility, aimed at underlining its commitment to sustainable mobility, with the launch of Acea's new e-mobili- ty app, full of services that facilitate the use of electric vehicles. The campaign was developed in targeted and crossing actions involving several media (print, digital programmatic and reservation, outdoor). Acea Energia's 100% Eco Green communication campaign was also launched in June and July, aimed at improving brand reputation by highlighting the company's increasingly clear-cut decisions to protect the environment and reduce carbon dioxide emissions (see box in the Customer Care section). The campaign, which had a significant media response involving two exceptional testimonials, Emanuela Fanelli and Frank Matano, was developed in targeted and crossing actions that involved several media, with over 1,300 radio spots, press, video strategy on digital, TV commercials and 1,800 outdoor installations.

The Group's commitment to students also continued in 2021 with the creation in June of the entirely digital event "Acea School We Are Energy! Turn off the light and turn on your imagination", a training course that enabled teens to experience and learn about the world of energy, alternative energy sources and to raise their awareness of a more conscious use of energy, also to protect environmental resources (see the dedicated box).

The possibility of using remote access also concerned two other important events organised by Acea in 2021: in July, the Innova- tion Day entitled Builders of the Future was held, viewed by about 5,000 people in live streaming and about 200,000 social media views online and offline. In November, the Sustainability Day was on the subject of 'a fair and sustainable ecological transition', broadcast via streaming on a dedicated platform and live on CorriereTV with over 900,000 video views (see the in-depth boxes in the In- stitutions and the Company chapters, where the Group's commit- ment to research and innovation is illustrated, and in the Strategy and Sustainability chapter of Corporate Identity).

In September, with the collaboration of Marevivo and 100Vele, the Group also organised the first Acea Green Cup, in the area in front of the Port of Ostia, a regatta reserved for Group employees was held with the aim of raising awareness of sustainability and environ- mental protection throughout the Acea world (see box with details). Also in September, Acea launched MIA, Acea's Immersive Muse- um, which allows visitors to retrace, thanks to a dedicated portal, over 110 years of the company's history and, in parallel, that of the city of Rome (see the dedicated box).

The Communication Department is responsible for Acea's presence at events such as Ecomondo and Maker Faire (see the dedicated boxes in Relations with the Environment, Environmental Sustaina- bility and the Main Challenges and the chapter Institutions and the Company), as well as at conferences and other initiatives, referred to below. It also coordinates visits to the Group's plants, which be- fore 2020 had been a frequent destination for visitors interested in technical and scientific aspects, as well as students, thanks to the willingness of the employees responsible for guiding them around the sites, but which in 2021, due to the continuing Covid-19 pan- demic emergency, were unable to receive visitors.

The Group's digital strategy and digital identity, as mentioned, are defined within the Communication Department by the Digital and Corporate Media Unit, which manages communication on digital channels. The corporate website (www.gruppo.acea.it) therefore expresses the Group's values, mission and industrial positioning. The Group's website tells the story of the company, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and innovation, transversal elements that increasingly characterise its way of working to guarantee the greatest efficiency in services rendered to customers, thanks also to the quality of the work of its people and its daily commitment to the territories in which it operates.

In addition to corporate content, the site features an area dedicated to Acea's services and initiatives. Through an in-depth analy- sis of positioning and digital strategy, the information on the site is organised clearly. In addition, it provides a smooth and intuitive navigation, with a particular attention to visual communication, also thanks to distinctive graphics, consistent with the Group's brand identity.

Acea’s commitment to effective communication, in terms of the transparency and quality of the content available on its institu- tional website, has also been recognised in its placement in sector rankings. The result of the work on the Group's entire digital eco- system has further strengthened Acea's presence in the top 10 of Webranking Italy 2021-2022, the research conducted by Lund- quist and Comprend that assesses the transparency of corporate and financial communication on the digital channels of the main Italian listed companies. Compared to last year, the Group moved up two places to eighth place and gained an additional star, thus entering the category of "5-star companies" for the first time. Acea was mentioned in the best practice ranking for the presentation of the company in the Getting to Know Acea section of the web- site (www.gruppo.acea.it/conoscere-acea). The research showed that the business areas and the mission are described in a clear and transparent way, thanks also to precise data and infographics that give substance to the information and make it easier to understand. During the year, the Acea website highlighted the initiatives undertaken to ensure the continuity of services and express closeness to the community, in the face of the continuing health emergency caused by Covid-19, through the constant updating of the page dedicated to this information, including the opening of the Acea Vaccine Hub.

The website gave space to the main events of 2021, organised by the Company or in which the Group took part, mentioned above, and highlighted the events to which the Company has long linked its brand, through sponsorships (see the dedicated paragraph below), such as the Rome Marathon and the Film Festival. Also worth mentioning are the 2021 Christmas light decorations: Acea joined the campaign "Christmas in Rome - Let's give the gift of a sus- tainable city", promoted by the FAO and Roma Capitale to raise awareness on the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.

In 2021, the section of the website dedicated to "stories" was en- riched with new content, telling the story of the Acea Group and its commitment to the community and the territory, combining the human dimension, technology and sustainability. In particular, as well as being dealt with in the reference section "Our Commit- ment", sustainability is highlighted on all pages of the website as a key element for the Group's growth and value creation, with references to dedicated initiatives and projects in each area.

In addition, the website also highlighted the artistic lighting projects of monuments and the main symbolic lightings that concerned ac- tivities to raise awareness among citizens for the prevention of dis- eases such as breast cancer or other events with a high social impact (photo gallery on the corporate website).

Every year, on the occasion of the Shareholders' Meeting, the Acea Group's "Navigable Financial Statements" are published on the web- site, making the Consolidated Financial Statements and Sustainabil- ity Report available for viewing in interactive mode, with open data and multimedia content. The online reports present Acea's results, values and projects and allow visitors to grasp the multiple connec- tions that link the two annual reports on one screen.

The website also performs a service function, with the timely publica- tion of notices about any water stoppages affecting the areas where the Company operates. For several years, it has provided data about emissions, monitored in real time, from the Group's two waste-to-en- ergy facilities and the Tor di Valle power plant, and the main param- eters of the quality of the water supplied by companies that operate in the water industry can be consulted online. Lastly, the company website has given visibility to the environmental video declarations that illustrate Acea Ambiente's commitment to safeguarding the ter- ritory and reducing CO2 emissions, for which the company received a special mention from ISPRA during the Ecomondo event.

In May 2021, Areti's new website (www.areti.it) went online. It fea- tures information content aimed at electricity distribution users, of- fering smooth navigation and an effective user experience as well as quick and clear access to a single reserved area to manage utilities and services. The website also aims to effectively disclose the company's projects, and devotes, for example, an area to the 2G meter replace- ment plan. In addition to creating a digital identity consistent with the company's brand, a content strategy was defined for positioning Areti on search engines.

In addition, the mini-site of Acea Innovation (www.aceainnovation.it), the Group company dedicated to the development of innovative ser- vices associated with the world of energy and ecological transition, went online in July 2021. The mini-site, hosted within the Group's website, was created to introduce Acea Innovation to a wide audi- ence and as a contact tool for customers interested in the services offered: sustainable mobility, widespread composting and energy requalification. To this end, the most effective customer journey has been studied and a form has been created through which the user can leave his data to be contacted. In order to strengthen the Company's image, an ad hoc visual and digital identity was created, aligned with the Group's brands and digital guidelines.

The Group's website is active on the domain www.gruppo.acea.it. During the year, there were approximately 31.8 million page views (an increase of about 7% compared to 2020), representing 8.8 million hits. The desktop connection mode prevails, accounting for 57.3% of accesses (5,073,969), and the increase in access to the site via mobile phone is confirmed, with 3,641,833 accesses or 41.2% of accesses in 2021 - the figure was 37.2% of accesses in 2020 - while access via tablet remains low, 135,289 accesses in the year, or 1.53%. Most visitors are in the 25-44 age group.

On Acea Energia's website (www.acea.it), more than 2.9 million hits were recorded in 2021, an increase of about 12% compared to 2020. Again, access was predominantly from desktops (51%), mobile phone use is growing (47% of accesses compared to 39% in 2020), while access from tablets remained stable at 2%. The site, dedicated to the sale of electricity and gas for the free market, has sections dedicated to "guides" and "stories", where useful information is provided to us- ers on topics such as innovation in the energy sector, wind energy, e-mobility, energy saving, etc., which account for about 15% of total access to the site; navigation is user friendly, to encourage the cus- tomer journey and interaction with all touchpoints. In 2021, particular visibility was given to Acea Energia's offers focused on sustainability and environmental protection, with the 100% ECO offer (see Cus- tomer care section).

The www.servizioelettricoroma.it website, which is dedicated to Acea Energia's customers with standard market service, had 534,796 hits in 2021, up 33% on 2020 (around 400,000 hits), with 66% con- nected via desktop, 32% via mobile phone and 2% via tablet.

Chart no. 33 – Acea 2021 corporate website by access modes and age groups

The strengthening of Acea's presence on social media continued in 2021 (see the dedicated box), with careful planning, a storytelling strategy and content declined for each channel with the aim of highlighting the elements that have characterised Acea's commitment during the year, in line with the communication tone of the Group's institutional website.

The Media Relations Unit oversees relations with the national and local media, with a view to mutual respect of roles and cooperation, in order to convey, through the media, the correct corporate image and position of the Group. Through press articles, television, radio and web reports, the Unit guarantees media coverage of Acea's main events and initiatives, including those in the field of value liberality and sponsorship, enhancing corporate communication content. Moreover, to highlight the main news stories concerning the Group, starting from October 2021, in collaboration with Acea Communication and Internal Communication, the Unit is in charge of the creation of videos on Acea News, published weekly on the intranet and on the corporate website.

Press releases and press conferences in 2021 disclosed the eco- nomic results achieved, the initiatives carried out by the Group and information of public interest relating to the provision of services. Together with Digital and Corporate Media, in coordination with other Functions/Departments of the Holding Company, such as Investor Relations & Sustainability, Legal and Corporate Affairs and Administration, Finance and Control, Media Relation handles the dissemination of press releases relating to major corporate events, such as the Shareholders' Meeting.

The link with the operating companies also allows the Unit to provide feedback to reports of inefficiencies coming from the media, interacting with press editors willing to publish the company's replies.

Media Relation manages the national and local press review on a daily basis, making it available through the company's Intranet. This activity is complemented by the transmission of additional and timely information about the Group or relevant to the business managed, thanks to the regular monitoring of press agencies and the web (web news, social media and blogs).

Among the communications that accompanied Acea's initiatives of particular importance during the year are, by way of example:

• releases during the year, starting in January, concerning the electric mobility sector and Acea Innovation's agreements with some Italian municipalities for the installation of charging in- frastructure. These include initiatives in Terni, Taranto, Baselga di Piné and Benevento;
• communications, between April and July, of Acea Energia's in- itiatives, with the launch of the App dedicated to recharging electric vehicles, the promotion of the 100% green electricity and gas offer and the launch of the commercial partnership with Windtre;
• communication actions, from May onwards, relating to the opening and services of the Acea vaccination hub, on company premises in Piazzale dei Partigiani made available to citizens;
• the communiqué, in June, with the Carabinieri concerning the installation of the SmartComp at the Salvo d'Acquisto barracks;
• releases, between June and September, which focused on in- novative research, circular economy and engineering design. In June, the European funding for the Promisces project won a call for proposals in relation to Horizon 2020; in August, Acea Elabori obtained ICMQ BIM certification; and in September, the launch of the BIOREF experimental platform with the CNR to develop new solutions for the recovery of organic waste;
• actions linked to the celebration and exploitation of Innovation Day (in July) and Sustainability Day (in November), organised by Acea;
• the events and announcements relating to the work carried out throughout the year to upgrade the lighting, both artisti- cally and functionally, in collaboration with the Municipality of Rome, in places such as the Torretta Valadier at Ponte Milvio, Porta San Sebastiano and Piazza Farnese, as well as turning on the Christmas lights in Via del Corso, organised by Acea, and the lighting of the Cestia Pyramid in collaboration with ASviS, on the occasion of the fifth edition of the Festival of Sustainable Development;
• the October press release, during Ecomondo, which present- ed the agreement with INSTM (Inter-university Consortium for Materials Science and Technology) in view of the circular economy and the Gasiforming patent, for the transformation of non-recyclable plastics into eco-fuels, as well as the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Ancitel Energia e Ambiente for ecological transition.

EVENTS AND SOLIDARITY

The economic value distributed to the community (in terms of sponsorships, trade fairs, conferences, etc.) in 2021 is approxi- mately € 8 million80 (it was € 7 million in 2020). Of this amount, some € 900,000 thousand have been earmarked for sponsoring cultural, social and sporting events. Allocations by way of donations for major initiatives amounted to approximately € 2 million (€ 1.97 million in 2020).

Acea offers its services, such as the supply of electricity and water or switching on/off public lighting, on the occasion of events, or even in special circumstances of a solidarity and symbolic nature, such as, for example, special lighting/ switching off of the Coliseum, as part of the campaign to raise awareness of the fight against the death penalty or on World Blood Donor Day, of the Senate Palace, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women or on the occasion of the "Earth-Hour", and of Lazio Re- gion Palace or other emblematic buildings, on the occasion of par- ticular anniversaries, such as the Pink October campaign and many others, as on the occasion of the Festival of Sustainable Develop- ment, with the special lighting of the Cesta Pyramid. These services, referred to as 'technical sponsorships', had a total economic value of around € 336,000 in 2021.

The company participates in the main events related to its business activities and supports, every year, including with sponsorships, in- itiatives considered of high cultural and social value for the develop- ment of the areas it operates in and for the benefit of the community (see also the boxes at the end of the section). The Sponsorship and Value Liberality Function advises on and manages requests from the entire region and from the Group’s corporate structures, to submit them to the Executive Committee, a body with respon- sibility for Institutional Relations, Sponsorships and Donations. The sponsorship initiatives approved by the Executive Committee are subject to an Integrity Due Diligence, for an ethical and reputational assessment of the proponents, according to best practices.

In view of the continuing pandemic emergency, Acea has contin- ued to support hospitals and public assistance structures, allocat- ing to them a portion of the funds allocated to sponsorships (see the dedicated box) and during the year carried out numerous other solidarity initiatives in the areas where it operates to support the most vulnerable (see also the initiatives, such as the "Solidarity Taxi" illustrated in the Diversity, Inclusion and Welfare section in the Per- sonnel chapter).

In compliance with restrictive and safety measures, which have continued into 2021, Acea has continued to support cultural and socially interesting events, with the aim of supporting the revitalisation of the area and helping to return places of social encounter, whether physical or virtual, to the citizens after the long period of isolation.

Among the main events supported in 2021, two major exhibitions stand out: the Klimt exhibition. The Secession and Italy, open in Rome from October 2021 to March 2022 at Braschi Palace, which made some 200 works by the great Austrian painter and other art- ists in his circle exceptionally accessible, tracing the artistic stages and relations with Italy. Also, the exhibition 1849-1871 Roman Jews between segregation and emancipation, set up at the Jewish Museum of Rome, between November 2021 and May 2022, has been showing about 70 works by Jewish soldier-painters together with masterpieces of 19th century Italian art, including paintings, sculp- tures, manuscripts and photographs aimed at bringing to mind the events that led to the breach of Porta Pia and the proclamation of Rome as capital city.

In 2021, in order to promote the resumption of theatrical, musical and cinematographic activities, Acea once again became a private partner of the Rome Opera Theatre Foundation and sponsored shows at both the Opera Theatre and Caracalla; it also sponsored the 2021 editions of the Two Worlds Festival of Spoleto, the 100 Città in musica initiative, the Film Festival at Rome's Auditorium Par- co della Musica, and other similar local initiatives, such as the 2021 Etruria Eco Festival, the 2021 Tolfa Jazz Festival, etc.

Alongside entrepreneurial initiatives for young people and the pro- motion of innovation, Acea sponsored the Technology and Scien- tific Research Week, held at the Ettore Majorana Industrial Techni- cal Institute in Cassino. Together with the National Association of Young Innovators, it awarded the ANGI 2021 Prize, which conveys a message and commitment to technological development to the best innovation leaders and supported the creation of an exhibition and relevant catalogue to present the projects of the Italian Smart Design competition.

Among the main sporting events of the year, Acea associated its brand with the Rome Marathon – Acea Run Rome The Marathon - and the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon; both events, of great im- portance for the capital, could in fact be held again on 19 September and 17 October 2021, respectively, after being suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic situation. Acea has sponsored numerous other sports initiatives and some teams, such as Frosinone Soccer, Virtus Basket Siena, Santa Lucia Basket, the Italian wheelchair basketball team, and has supported, as every year, initiatives aimed at children such as School Volleyball - Acea Trophy (see the dedicated box) and Acea Camp. Started in 2015 from an idea of Carlton Myers and thanks to the support of Acea, every summer, at the end of the school year, the latter initiative has offered the opportunity to thou- sands of children, aged between 6 and 16, to practice more than a dozen different individual and team sports, at a sustainable cost for families and accepts, first of all, those with greater economic difficulties.

The following boxes describe the main events supported by the Acea Group in 2021, through sponsorships or donations.

⁸⁰This item also includes expenses incurred for 'trade fairs and conference' but not 'technical' sponsorships.