The group’s commitment to continuously improving the quality of the services it provides, so as to prevent negative effects on the environment and public health, began in 2004 when it achieved the ISO 9001 certification. It continued in 2006 when Hera S.p.A. and its seven local operating companies obtained the ISO 14001 environmental certification, together with the EMAS registration of various waste treatment plants managed by subsidiary Herambiente S.r.l.

In the first half of 2009, all the certifications obtained in previous years (ISO 14001 and ISO 9001) were renewed for Hera S.p.A. and the seven local operating companies thanks to continued growth and improvement, as well as the extension of some of the group’s aims.

With regard to environmental management, the EMAS project is ongoing. This project involves the gradual registration of all Herambiente (formerly the group's environment division) plants, and will be completed in the next three years with the integration of the plants in the Modena area. The group has a total of 34 EMAS-registered plants. Another 13 plants have passed an external test and are awaiting ministerial approval. In 2009, waste disposed of in EMAS-registered plants represented 56% of the total waste treated in the group’s plants. This proportion is 72% if the plants that have passed an external test, but are awaiting ministerial approval, are taken into account.

As at December 2010, 95% waste disposal plants had obtained the ISO 14001 environmental certification. These plants accounted for 93% of the waste disposed of in the group’s plants.

In 2007, work began to obtain the OHSAS 18001 workplace health and safety certification. In the second half of 2008, SINCERT (now Accredia, following the merger of SINCERT and SINAL), following a request submitted by Hera through DNV, an independent certification organisation, acknowledged that the group had a peculiar organisational complexity. This allowed it to organise the OHSAS 18001 certification procedure into four different sections, to be carried out and completed between 2008 and 2010. The certification for the entire group is considered to be a single process, subsequently being extended to almost all companies controlled by the Hera Group.

After successfully passing the certification process for the first two parts of the scope in 2009, in 2010 Hera S.p.A. submitted the third and last part for certification, which included the management of integrated water service activities and plants. The certification process enabled us to prove that the safety management system complies with the OHSAS 18001 standard, and therefore allowed us to achieve the goal of certification in February 2011.

During the first half of 2011, we underwent routine, integrated controls for the maintenance of the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications. The certification body's integrated, 360-degree assessment of corporate processes and areas was, clearly, on the topics of quality, safety and the environment. This new approach achieved positive results, both in relation to the process for performing the controls and in relation to the excellent results accomplished.

Furthermore, the Hera Group is planning to launch the process for the SA 8000 certification (Social accountability standard) and the 16001 energy management systems certification.

These choices confirm the Group's constant and continuous path of improvement toward sustainability and the consistency of its fundamental values.

Page updated 10 August 2011