We raise awareness to create value

In order to spread a culture based on respect for the environment and social development, we organise various events to involve and raise the awareness of the local communities. In fact, we are convinced that our commitment to protecting natural resources and our respect for the territory can generate value for everyone, if also shared and endorsed by our stakeholders.

Our suppliers

For some years now we have been monitoring the water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of our supply chain, involving a representative sample of our suppliers, also with a view to encouraging them to adopt initiatives for a responsible management of their environmental impact. Furthermore, during the qualification stage, they are required to complete a mandatory self-assessment questionnaire, which includes environmental and social questions, and we are developing awareness-raising initiatives on social and environmental topics. Moreover, during 2022, we expanded the Group Vendor Rating. The system monitors various supplier performance indicators (punctuality, quality, safety) and generates a “vendor rating indicator”, which in 2022 was calculated for 900 suppliers. This is supplemented with a sustainability rating, in accordance with the model created by Ecovadis, a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) global rating firm, based on international standards. The Ecovadis model calculates the sustainability rating taking account of 21 CSR criteria concerning environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable purchasing. The average score obtained by the approximately 340 suppliers assessed in 2022 exceeded the national average.

 

The territory

We want to grow alongside the territory, with mutual respect and in a constructive manner. We actively take part in dialogue initiatives with the local community with a view to jointly tackling the problems that emerge, and planning together the development of solutions for the community through targeted and weighted investments. For example, Acea is involved in the PlatOne project (PLATform for Operation of distribution Networks), a European consortium of companies and organisations, whose objective is to develop a technological solution capable of optimising the working and management of the electrical grid, making it more stable and resilient; it collaborates with ENEA for the development of projects concerning the sustainable management of waste and water resources, with a view to applying innovative technologies and solutions to industrial projects; from a smart city perspective, in 2021 Acea, in keeping with its strategy for electric mobility and with its charging point installation plan, launched the Acea e-mobility App which enables customers to charge their electric vehicles at over 15,000 authorised points in Italy, thanks to the interoperability agreements signed with other industry players; in the water sector, Acea consolidates its community involvement commitment via the Waidy Wow initiatives; moreover, Acea is continuing its participation in Rome’s Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti (CTE - House of Emerging Technologies), promoted by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Labour, for the development of smart cities of the future. For example, in 2022 a tender was launched for the selection of start-ups with innovative project solutions concerning emerging technologies or 5G networks, to be developed in the field of mobility or tourism. With a view to continuing to support and foster the innovative and sustainable growth of the sectors in question, in 2022 Acea took part in the “Re-SHApCeA” call, promoted together with EY, to identify innovative ideas in respect of three areas: new smart city models, infrastructures, buildings and networks, new workplace models and new workforce models. We also launched, in collaboration with Open Innovation and Deloitte Officine Innovazione, the “Green Hydrogen Tech Accelerator” project aimed at creating a technology accelerator, intended for Italian and international start-ups, and identifying innovative solutions in the area of hydrogen technologies.

The community

It is important for residents to become increasingly conscious of how they use natural resources. Thus, each year we organise campaigns to raise awareness and engage on topics concerning water and energy saving and protection of the environment. In particular, the new generations represent our future.

The involvement of young people is therefore essential to the sustainable development of the planet. For this purpose, in 2022 the Group continued its commitment vis-à-vis students by carrying out the entirely digital event “Acea School - ProteggiAmo l’ambiente”, a training course that introduces youngsters to best practices, projects and technologies set up by the Group to manage activities in a sustainable manner, looking more closely at certain aspects, such as alternative energy sources.

We are also planning Work experience paths to stimulate the interest of young people approaching working age for the sustainable management of our businesses, encouraging them to reflect on our common future. With this in mind we created the project GenerAzione 2030 involving approximately 400 students from 15 senior schools in the Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany and Campania regions, aimed at offering the students the opportunity to get to know the Group’s companies operating in their areas in order to learn more about the firms and their businesses.

Acea per la comunità” (Acea for the community) is one of the projects with which our Group aims at supporting people and territories where it operates. The initiative has the purpose of making the elderly more aware of their consumption, with an eye on saving and protecting resources. . During the meetings at the senior centres of some municipalities in the metropolitan city of Rome – which sponsors the event – the Acea Ato 2, Acea Energia and Waidy Wow staff undertake to raise the awareness of the community about various issues concerning sustainability, energy saving and the supplementary water bonus.

On the occasion of the festivities, on 8 January 2023 Acea supported a solidarity lunch at the former San Gallicano Hospital in Trastevere attended by Ukrainian refugees welcomed by the Community of Sant’Egidio since the beginning of the war. The initiative, carried out with the Group's corporate CRA, also involved some employees as volunteers. At the end, each family received a food package.

Highlights

Discover the latest news and initiatives of the Acea Group