We dialogue and communicate with our stakeholders according to the values set out in our Code of Ethics to exploit the opportunities to create shared value.
Our relationship with the Institutions is a fundamental aspect of our business, as we are a company which provides essential public services throughout the country, the majority of which are subject to regulation.
Acea is a strategic infrastructural asset of the territory and interacts with the public administrations to contribute towards the superior needs of public interests, for example in
terms of water, by means of the activation of emergency management plans shared with the local institutions. Emerging themes include monitoring the cyber threat to the IT networks of general interest services and, in this area, Acea is permanently involved in the works of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and has also taken part in the European Horizon 2020 programme with the ECHO (European network of Cybersecurity centres and competence Hub for innovation and Operations) project. for the establishment of a European network of centres of competence on cyber security.
Relations and synergies with universities, research entities, representation organisations, professional associations, etc. are maintained assiduously and transparently, in respect of
roles and purposes.
In the multi-utility world, we stand out for the human relationship of our services. We organise specific initiatives to involve our staff and encourage them to work to the best of their ability in order to create a solid company culture first and foremost.
We involve our employees in every aspect of our work and we pay close attention to their health and safety, training, their life-work balance and equal opportunities.
As we are aware that if we are to improve, it depends first on our employees' skills, we have created a Model of Execution,, a method to exploit our internal wealth of competencies in order to put important company strategic initiatives into practice. Our "Managerial Academy" projects are part of this aim to create a centre of managerial excellence from the perspective of leadership and utility management, and the "School of Trades" aims to share the technical knowledge present within the Group.
Given the nature of our business, the topic of safety is of utmost importance to us. We are particularly careful to diffuse a culture which allows our operators to work in maximum safety: e.g.: we organised a Safety Week to share the values, practices and meanings of safe employment.
We are also careful to ensure a favourable, inclusive work environment. To this regards, we have set out a new, innovative, participatory model of industrial relations by signing a Group Framework Agreement which has enabled us to define implemental corporate agreements on topics, such as the performance bonus and welfare, smart working (259 resources employed in this mode) and parent support measures (extension of maternity and paternity leave and new family leave).
We wish to assure our customers we control a socially and environmentally sustainable supply chain. Our discussions with our suppliers help them to become increasingly more sustainable.
The main initiatives we have undertaken along the supply chain are concerned with strengthening contractual forecasts to protect social and environmental aspects. For example, our tenders reward and encourage companies which can prove they protect aspects of sustainability, such as safety and the use of ecological equipment during their activities and that they hold quality, environmental and safety certifications. Furthermore, on the subject of green procurement, we apply the minimum environmental criteria (CAMs) in all our tender specifications and we are working on extending this approach to product categories currently not covered by the Ministerial Decrees. Acea’s commitment on the subject has been acknowledged at the International Compraverde-Buy Green Forum, where we received the Social Procurement Award for best practice in the European tender for the supply of work clothes for the entire Group with the least environmental impact. Lastly, Lastly, in order to register with the qualification systems according to the Single Regulation for Goods, Services and Works, all our suppliers have to answer a self-assessment questionnaire on matters of social and environmental responsibility managed directly on our Vendor Management platform and we have a second party audit plan to support improvement of our supply chain.
We operate in businesses closely linked to natural resources which therefore have a major impact on the environment.
We are constantly committed to managing our industrial processes sustainable from taking the resources to transforming them and returning them to the ecological cycle.
We encourage companies to use resources responsibly and efficiently, to protect springs, safeguard natural areas where the plants and mains networks stand, and mitigate the physical impacts and external effects generated by the operational processes on the ecological context. This is why we encourage the companies in our Group to use Management systems, which we consider to be essential instruments to administrate our businesses sustainably. Thanks to an increase in production from renewable energy resources and to increased efficiency of internal end and process uses of energy over the last ten years, our Group has achieved among the lowest levels of carbon values (gCO2/kWh products) in the utility sector in Italy, with a 72% share of the total renewable energy sources. Furthermore, as regards the environmental waste management services, we actively develop technologies to improve the efficiency of the processes and transform waste according to the dictates of a circular economy.
As a multi-utility company, we ensure citizens receive the essential services. This awareness encourages us to ensure we become a reliable, top quality partner which can respond to our customers’ needs.
Our Group focuses clearly on the customer. In the digital era, technology is influencing and rapidly changing not only the infrastructures, but also the dynamics and contact channels between the company and the customer. Alongside the consolidated six-monthly customer satisfaction surveys, with which we measure customer and citizen satisfaction for the services we provide, thanks to new technologies we are capable of advanced communications and we can monitor in real time not only our services, but also as a result our level of efficiency and compliance with territorial requirements.. After listening carefully, we decided to involve customers and residents directly, by encouraging a sustainable style of consumption, e.g. by encouraging the choice of energy from renewable sources, the use of electronic payment and by designing campaigns to raise awareness focused on the topics of saving and protecting water.
Relationships with the economic and financial world are important to make us known, to exploit our strong points and create growth opportunities.
We keep an open, loyal dialogue with the financial community which we meet at numerous road shows at the main corporate events in the major European piazzas. With this we continue to support sustainability which we know is increasingly focused on in the financial world: we have discussions with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) analysts to effectively communicate our commitment to creating a shared value with our stakeholders.
We want to develop with the territory and create the best infrastructural conditions in terms of safety and efficiency, which are the foundations for developing the local community and valorising the monumental heritage by creating culture.
To be at the forefront and create value means making our networks and plants more efficient, safer and more technologically advanced, so that the services can be integrated increasingly rapidly and reliably. Our projects and investments in innovation for the urban network focus on becoming a smart city with intelligent public lighting and multiservice metering systems. From a safety point of view, we ensure our services operate well by strengthening the resilience of the system when faced with critical environmental and fraudulent or terrorist events.
We are working simultaneously with the local communities to spread an environmental education and valorise our monumental heritage , via initiatives conducted in collaboration with the competent authorities.
When we carry out our work, we set out to be a sustainable company over time.
We have drawn up a challenging, innovative Business Plan which retrieved, strengthened and renewed Acea's industrial vocation, clearly focused on creating and managing modern, resilient infrastructures. The Business Plan was designed in close conjunction with the Sustainability Plan, as it is clear we cannot develop without operating sustainably, and respecting the environment and work conditions and aiming to create a shared value with the community.
We consider innovation as a precious leverage to develop our business, thanks to which we can grow and provide effective solutions to future challenges, such as smart cities and the reduction of water leaks.
