Covid-19 Emergency - Acea’s initiatives

We are committed to the communities and territories in which we operate.

From 15 May 2021 to 1 January 2023, the vaccination hub in "Piazzale dei partigiani" in Rome was in operation, administering around 170,000 vaccine doses among citizens and staff. Acea was the first multi-utility in Italy to convert its own offices into a vaccination hub with a daily administration of over 1,000 doses in support of the Regional Plan.

In recent months, informative campaigns have been launched to encourage the use of digital channels to manage water and electricity supplies and to provide information about the new measures and services introduced to support customers.”

We suspended all actions to interrupt the supply of electricity and water and postponed bill payment deadlines for customers in economic difficulty.
Additionally, in compliance with the measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, we gave water and electricity users the ability to book appointments via app to access physical help desks while also improving the options to contact the company via digital channels.
In Rome and its surrounding areas, thanks to the Acea Ato 2 digital help desk, customers can manage their supply account through a video call system with the support of our operators.

To support hospitals, Acea launched the internal campaign #IODONODACASA, to help collect funds in favor of the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases. A total €310,496 was raised for the cause.

We donated € 250, 000 to Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for the purchase of beds for intensive care and to renovate the pneumology department of the hospital. Moreover, we contributed to establish an advanced biomolecular diagnostic laboratory at Bambin Gesù Children Hospital.

As our Company's contribution to the speeding up of the Covid-19 Vaccination Plan coordinated by the Health Ministry, we offered two of our corporate sites in Rome to be used as vaccine hubs.

Safety is at the center of all measures taken to manage the emergency.
Acea obtained the Biosafety Trust Certification, for the management system aimed at preventing and controlling coronavirus and other infections.
The certification promotes a number of good practices that help reduce to a minimum the risk of spreading epidemics in the workplace. Its requirements integrate perfectly with those of the management system already in place, especially health and safety requirements.

Since February, the company has bought 1 million face masks, 65 termoscanners and 234 thermometers. Acea has provided all its premises with hand sanitizer dispensers and carried out 5,000 antibody tests, testing activities, including quick saliva tests and a vaccination campaign against seasonal flu. All workplaces are constantly sanitized.

A Coronavirus Prevention Committee has been tasked with implementing all measures necessary to ensure employee health and safety. Additionally, virtual training courses have been held to explain the risks caused by the Covid-19 emergency and the correct prevention and protection measures.
Internal communication campaigns have been run to inform personnel about the measure taken by the company in response to the health emergency.
Look at the images of the campaign

To support and protect our people and their families, health insurance has been introduced to cover employees who test positive to the virus. The insurance also extends to their family members.

Technologies are a key element against the current challenges.
In March, just 48 hours after the lockdown started, the majority of Acea employees were working from home thanks to an adequately scaled VPN system. Additionally, a number of apps have been developed to manage and plan office presence safely, order meals from the canteen online, and book antibody tests made available by the company. Meetings take place on online platforms: every month, Acea employees make approximately 86,000 calls and hold 15,300 virtual meetings.

The wellbeing of our people is a priority.
We believe that even from a distance we can stay close and face this difficult moment together.
For this reason, we have started psychological support programs, group webinars, and made individual psychotherapeutic counseling available with the aim of providing practical recommendations and to show people that our actions are centered around them. We have also invested in psychological and physical wellbeing with a webinar dedicated to healthy lifestyles and diets, organized in collaboration with FAO, to coincide with World Food Day.
At the moment, prevention is more important than ever: once again, this year we have allowed personnel to get free breast, thyroid, and skin screening tests, in collaboration with nonprofit association Susan G. Komen Italia.
To support parents, we have introduced flexible hours, allowed time off, and provided remote educational programs for their children.

To remain close to the community, we have come up with a number of different initiatives. 

This year, Acea Scuola – Acea’s initiative dedicated to schools – adopted a digital format. The event was held online in a 3D environment recreated on a dedicated digital platform. In the education sector we also created "The school I would like", a digital project to show our support to students involved in the IdeAzione program.
As a sign of support to local residents during the Covid-19 emergency, we lit up some of the iconic buildings in the capital – Campidoglio, the tower of Palazzo del Quirinale, Palazzo Chigi, Palazzo della Consulta, and the Baths of Caracalla – in the colors of the Italian flag.