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toputility_110 The Hera Group focuses on communication to create a direct relationship and open dialogue with the local area in which it operates. A commitment that saw it achieve first place in the "Communication" category of the seventh edition of the Top Utility award which, each year, analyses and enhances the evolution and performance of the top 100 Italian utility companies. The award ceremony was held today in Milan, during the Top Utility Analysis convention entitled "Utilities, the driver of sustainable growth". Quality and transparency: Top Utility rewards Hera communication "Capacity to establish relationships with all stakeholders and listen to the numerous requests from the communities in which it operates, as well as a high level of administrative transparency": these are the factors that have made the difference for the members of the Scientific Community (lecturers and researchers at the most important Italian universities) who chose to give the award to Hera. In particular, indicators relating to the quality of the website, transparency and exhaustiveness of financial, institutional and environmental communications were used for the evaluation. But also the quality of communication with customers and the various stakeholders. The recognition this year for communication is a repeat of the one obtained in the same area in 2014 and augments the Top Utility Assoluto award received in 2012 and the Top Utility Sostenibilità award in 2015 and 2018. The website, apps and social channels: Hera close to citizens An always updated and highly interactive website, with dedicated on-line services for customers, plus numerous channels for dialogue with citizens and operating support for services, including social and the app. "My Hera", an extremely valuable application that Hera Group customers can use to manage their utilities; but also "Rifiutologo" and l'"Acquologo", which turn smartphones and tablets into digital assistants for separate waste collection and water services: these are some of the strong points of communication that have brought the multiutility to the summit of the Top Utility classification. Not only these, numerous initiatives constantly implemented in the field to spread awareness of the economic and sustainability data. Together with multiple editorial activities to inform citizens about particularly important themes, an example of which are the annual reports on the themes of water, energy, waste and initiatives for citizens and customers. toputility_870 20190221_CSpremioTopUtility_DEF.1563431901.pdf 2019-07-18 Read more top_utility_870.1550754098.1563431900.png The prize was given today in Milan at the seventh edition of the award, which analyses and enhances the performances of the most important public service companies in the country http://www.toputility.it/ https://twitter.com/GruppoHera https://www.instagram.com/gruppohera/ Visit Top Utility website Visit Hera Group Twitter profile Visit Hera Group Instagram profile toputility_110

valuetoenergy_110 Giving "Value to energy", because the advantageous effects of the circular economy model are actually visible in energy savings. And this is one of the objectives of the Hera Group which, on Monday 18 February, celebrates International Energy Efficiency Day. An imperative that is also the title of the sustainability report in which the Hera Group details the results obtained over the last eleven years on the energy efficiency front. Now in its fourth edition, the report - verified by an independent certification body - analyses all the aspects which embody the multiutility's commitment to energy savings and efficient energy use, focusing on environmental and economic sustainability and to the interests of the local areas and more than 4 million customers. Decarbonisation is actually crucial for tackling climate change. Both the multiutility's energy efficiency initiatives and the other projects for promoting the production of renewable energy are implemented with this in mind.The Hera Group also contributes to 6% of the national white certificates target, by incentivising energy efficiency and financing projects with measurable and certified savings. The figures are telling: 507 projects have been implemented in the field by the Group over the last 11 years to save energy (of which 133 in companies in the local area), with 753 thousand toe (tonnes of oil equivalent) saved, corresponding to annual consumption of 529 thousand households, and 1.4 million tonnes of avoided CO2, equivalent to approximately one million less cars in circulation (with 10,000 km of travel). In order to reach these energy efficiency objectives, Hera therefore makes all its know-how available to local companies, by supporting them in carrying out energy analyses, with the objective of encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency initiatives. In the Bologna area alone, the last two projects, which concerned the construction and management of a new technology-energy hub for a company which produces bioplastics and a new cooling plant for a well-known company that produces salami and cold pork meat, generated a total energy saving of 413 toe per year. The confirmation of the multiutility's general objective of cutting its energy consumption by 5% by 2020 (with respect to 2013 consumption) should also be emphasised, following the increase from 3% to 5% which occurred last year. These initiatives generated a saving of over Euro 8 million, of which Euro 4.5 million relating to the water service, with subsequent benefits on citizens' bills. The results have been made possible by integrated efficiency programmes, implemented in the field continuously by the Hera Group, first and foremost within its plants and offices and which, in 2017 alone, enabled the company to improve the heating energy efficiency index of its premises by 6.3%. As regards plants, an important example is on show in the water sector, in which Hera implemented 115 efficiency initiatives, for a total of 2,876 toe saved. Significant efforts were expended in the public lighting sector, in which Hera manages more than 518 thousand lighting points scattered throughout Italy, 71% low consumption and 51% with consumption optimisation, augmented by 65% of traffic lights with led lights. Stratagems which, in 2017, contributed to an energy saving of 10.2%. valuetoenergy_870 20190215_CS_Hera_per_la_giornata_internazionale_dell_efficienza_energetica_BO_DEF.1563431443.pdf 2019-07-18 Read more value_to_energy_870.1563431442.jpg Over 11 years, with 507 projects, with a saving of 753 thousand toe (tonnes of oil equivalent), equal to annual consumption of 529 thousand households and benefits in terms of tackling climate change. The multiutility looks to 2020, aiming to reduce consumption by 5%. All the available data in the Value to Energy report, dedicated to the Hera Group's commitment to energy efficiency valuetoenergy_110

Valsecchi_110 The Hera Group promotes the project by Carlo Valsecchi, which from February 1 to March 31, 2019 exhibits fourteen photographs of the Gasometer M.A.N. #3 at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna. The photographs by Carlo Valsecchi tell in a completely new and original way the metamorphosis of the gasometer during the reclamation and restoration works promoted by the same multi-utility. Outside of any archaeological intent, Valsecchi's work presents the structure of the gasometer as a living organism in continuous transformation and not as inert testimony of an industrial past. The project, in addition to the free exhibition, is accompanied by a volume edited by Luca Massimo Barbero, published by Silvana Editoriale. Carlo Valsecchi's work stems from a continuous and direct dialogue with the places he faces in his projects from time to time, be they architecture, an urban landscape, heavy industry, high-tech industry, or natural infinity. The analogical and geometric-analytical approach to large-format photography - a medium that distinguishes the entire production of Valsecchi - leads him to break down and recompose the subject to return it in a completely new form. "We wanted this exhibition - comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group - to bring out the distinctive element of our recovery intervention, which goes beyond a merely conservative dimension and gives the city a structure capable of actively interacting with the his physical and emotional landscape: an important artist like Carlo Valsecchi - continues Tommasi - thanks to his experience at international level, he was able to fully grasp this aspect, allowing us to represent also through art the spirit with which we put ourselves daily at the service of our reference territories ". [block]div:row-fluid::db:hr_press_comunicazione::box:117[/block] Valsecchi_870 2019-07-23 mostra_valsecchi_870x.1547559528.1563890557.jpg The exhibition will be open for free from February 1 to March 31 2019 at the Pinacoteca Nazionale of Bologna Valsecchi_110

The Hera Group firmly holds its place among the companies that set themselves apart for their commitment to providing the best working conditions for their employees and for implementing best practices focused on the development and well-being of its people. It was certified by the Dutch organisation Top Employers Institute which, since 1991, has been carrying out research focused on quality standards in terms of human resources management. Moreover, with this year's achievement, Hera has achieved ten consecutive Top Employers certifications: a factor that further enhances the value of the recognition and confirms the Group's ongoing focus on the development and continuous improvement of its strategies in this field. For the Dutch institute, in fact, what qualifies Hera for certification are "the working conditions offered to employees and the ability to develop a human resources strategy focused on putting people first". Top Employers is one of the most prestigious international awards. Its selection and certification process requires in-depth data surveys and validation. The parameters the Institute analyses include: investment in learning and development, corporate welfare and on-boarding, career and succession management, talent strategy, corporate culture and the working environment. The level required for each of them is very high, which makes access to certification very challenging. Hera's best practices include: Hextra, the integrated corporate welfare plan for the Group's almost 9,000 employees, in which workers can "customise" a quota of economic resources according to his or her needs, as well as the possibility of converting part of one's performance bonus into an additional welfare quota; work-life balance measures and initiatives to raise awareness on health, safety and well-being issues. Also, Hera Group's commitment to equal opportunity and the appreciation of diversity is paramount. Hera is once again among the leading Italian companies that invest in the personal and professional development of its employees, with 29 hours of training per capita per year, well above the national average for multi-utilities. Heracademy, the corporate university that facilitates the Group's interaction with companies and the main public local organisations, has played a pivotal role in this context. It has also provided targeted training opportunities, such as workshops focused on the macrotrends of business and society. Not to mention the significant investments to increase organisational agility and to develop digital skills. Hera has also implemented many projects thanks to partnerships with important local and national companies, focussing on innovation and circular economy. The new generations are also at the heart of Hera's commitments, to train tomorrow's employees today and pass on the Group's values and mission. An example is the ever-increasing number of joint school-work experiences that Hera has organised, based on adding business skills to those acquired in secondary schools, which starting this year will also take place in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. In addition, the focus on sustainability and generating shared value remains strong, as reflected by Hera's participation in the network of companies involved in the "Insieme per il Lavoro" [Together for Work] project, in which the Group engaged in implementing horizontal cooperation, training and mentoring practices to help people in need or scarcely independent and seeking employment. "To receive the Top Employers certification for the tenth consecutive year makes us particularly proud because it acknowledges our commitment in the field of training and investments directed to the well-being of our workers, our primary resource - declared Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of Hera. Moreover, it confirms our front-line involvement on behalf of the new generations, to whom we try to hand down the distinctive values of our corporate culture: integrity, transparency, personal accountability and continuous improvement". Top employer 2019 20190131_comunicato_Top_Employers_2019_EN_DEF.1549895226.pdf 2019-01-10 top_employer_2019_870x320.1548921797-2.png Innovative human resource strategies, excellent working conditions, initiatives for personal and professional development for the entire company and the new generations: this is how Hera achieved the prestigious certification for the tenth consecutive year. https://www.top-employers.com/it/ Go to the Top Employer site centrata top_employer_2019_110x150.1549895228.png