News

Top Utility According to Top Utility, we are the leading Italian utility in terms of economic and financial policies, sustainability, research and innovation, communication and the positive effects on the areas served. This prize has been assigned over the last ten years following an analysis of the main companies in the water, energy and waste management sectors, carried out by a research team from Althesys, a consultancy firm specialising in the public utility sector. The award ceremony was held during an online event entitled “Digitalization and sustainability for the future of Italian utilities”. Our best practices rewarded over the 10 years of Top Utility In particular, this year we were awarded the overall Top Utility prize for the following reasons: “For the excellent results achieved in all areas analysed, with particular reference going to stakeholder relations, transparency and communication. Hera has also confirmed itself at the forefront in digitalising business processes and in the sustainability of operations”. This is the second time that we have received this important award, an even more significant achievement since this marks the twentieth anniversary of our establishment, which occurred in 2002 when 11 municipal companies in the Emilia-Romagna region merged. Looking to the future: a focus on generating shared value These two anniversaries are important in conceiving the future of this sector, examining the growth and evolution that municipal utilities have undergone to date and the strong impact they have had on local communities. In this sense, the core of our strategy and identity consists in uninterrupted economic growth accompanied by sustainable development of its businesses and the areas served. Top Utility 2018-01-30 For further information Top Utility On the occasion of the tenth edition of this award, reserved for public utility companies, we received the first prize overall among the companies analysed /-/top-utility-2022-hera-group-wins-first-prize-overall Press release centrata Top Utility

Gold Class 2022 We are once again a global gold medal winner for sustainability, for the second consecutive year. The S&P Global 2022 Gold Class award was announced together with the publication of the 2022 Sustainability Yearbook, the report containing the analyses carried in order to be included in the latest edition of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). This document highlights the results achieved, which make us leader in all three aspects evaluated in Environment, Economic & Governance and Social, for our ability to efficiently manage resources, seize market opportunities and ensure stakeholder involvement. In the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the authoritative international stock exchange index which evaluates listed companies based on ESG aspects, we were confirmed as the international leader in the Multi-Utilities & Water sector, reaching a score of 90/100, compared to an average of 39/100. Gold Class 2022 2019-05-27 For further information Gold Class 2022 For the second time in a row, we have been awarded the S&P Global Gold Class Sustainability Award. This is the highest recognition reserved for listed companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index /-/hera-wins-2022-sustainability-gold-medal-from-s-p-global /group_eng/investors /group_eng/sustainability/social-responsibility Press release Visit Investors web area Visit Social Responsibility web area Gold Class 2022

Business Plan to 2025 A Plan that combines growth, value creation and sustainable development Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors approved the Business Plan to 2025, which consolidates the Group’s commitment to balanced and sustainable development in all business areas, with the aim of continuing to create value for shareholders, local areas and the communities served. With Ebitda expected to reach 1.4 billion in 2025 and investments totalling approximately 3.8 billion over the period covered by the Plan, this five-year strategic document shows increases in all main targets and outlines a wide range of actions for the energy transition, the circular economy and technological evolution, with concrete and innovative projects that will also benefit from funding opportunities coming from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. 20 years of uninterrupted growth, and 2021 Ebitda expected to total over 1.2 billion euro The new Plan is based on a trend of uninterrupted growth, as is proven by Group Ebitda, which has increased more than sixfold in 20 years. This consistent and linear path has been seen since the establishment of the Hera Group, which is characterised by a full correspondence between the commitments made and the initiatives implemented, capital and financial solidity and a multi-business strategy that balances regulated and free market activities, internal growth and M&A transactions. This model, which has proved its resilience and capability of supporting stakeholders, even during adverse scenarios, has enabled the Hera Group to consolidate leading positions in all business areas. Three focal points of the Business Plan to 2025: environment, socio-economic factors and innovation In a context undergoing recovery, with an increasing emphasis on sustainability and the utilities sector set to benefit from the most significant share of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Hera Group will be able to continue to leverage the competitive position it has cultivated over the years and thus grow. In full compliance with national and European policies and the objectives on the UN’s 2030 Agenda, which have been guiding Hera’s strategies for some time, all projects in the Business Plan to 2025 are structured around three focal points: the environment, socio-economic factors and innovation, with initiatives for the green and digital transition, capable of generating positive effects in the areas served. A strong increase in investments, coming to over 3.8 billion euro, thanks to the Group’s financial solidity The Plan to 2025 calls for a sharp increase in investments, amounting to more than 3.8 billion euro, or approximately 770 million per year. This is a very significant rise – equivalent to 60% – compared to the average seen over the last five years, and is possible thanks to its solid financial structure, reinforced over the years and in 2021 as well. Investment allocation combines internal development opportunities with actions to increase system resilience (accounting for roughly 1.2 billion). Significant investments for innovation will be made in all business areas and support will be given to the ongoing transition. In general, of the total investments envisaged in the Plan, more than 1.7 billion are aligned with the criteria with which the European Taxonomy identifies opportunities that contribute to environmental policy objectives, in particular the two areas regulated for now, relating to mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, many of these interventions respect the directions indicated by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Business Plan to 2025 2019-05-27 For further information Business Plan to 2025 The new five-year strategic document builds on the Group’s path of growth, with investments coming to over 3.8 billion and concrete energy transition and circular economy projects /-/hera-group-approves-business-plan-to-2025 /group_eng/investors /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-overview Press release Visit Investors web area Hera Overview Business Plan to 2025

Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2022 In 2022, we have been included, for the third consecutive time, in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, confirming and improving its results in all areas analysed. We stand out most importantly for our transparency in disclosure on these issues, as well as our inclusive corporate culture and our attention towards women in many areas, including equal pay. We obtained an overall score slightly above 80%, a significant increase over the previous year and better than both the sector average and the Italian companies analysed. This year, the index included 418 listed companies from 45 countries, selected from over 11,700, reflecting the international financial community’s growing interest towards companies with outstanding diversity policies. Our presence in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index confirms the attention we have always reserved for these issues, following a path it has enhanced over time. Diversity policies are in fact an integral part of our business strategies. For over 10 years, a company Diversity Manager, accompanied by a team of female and male colleagues from different areas, has been committed to promoting diversity both inside and outside the Group, supporting initiatives intended to raise awareness and support, and developing projects geared towards these priorities. Promoting diversity, inclusion and people development is also central to human resource management. Professional growth takes place regardless of gender, and equal access is ensured by meritocratic systems that are guaranteed to be applied, with compensation and benefits tools linked to performance, role complexity and market comparisons. We count 32.6% of women in roles of responsibility and, more generally, a 26.7% share of female staff, higher than the national average for the sector (2020 data). Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2022 2019-05-27 For further information Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2022 This year, for the third year in a row, we have been included in the international index assessing gender equality, diversity and inclusion /-/hera-group-in-the-2022-bloomberg-gender-equality-index /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-overview/creation-of-shared-value https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/bloomberg-2022-gei/ Press release Diversity and inclusion in Hera Group Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2022

Top Employer Italy 2022 The start of a new year is always an occasion to look back in time, but even more so to look forward, taking a look at results and focusing on new objectives. 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary of our establishment. This is why receiving Top Employer certification for the 13th consecutive year, a sign of excellence in human resource management, is even more significant. After gaining recognition as the best company in 2020 and 2021, we have found our place on the podium this year as well, ranking second overall in Italy among the 1,600 companies analysed by the Dutch Top Employer Institute. How? Over the years, we have provided ourselves with the best technologies, projects and initiatives to invest in the skills and well-being of workers and select the most interesting talent on the market. One aspect which is increasingly crucial on the workplace as well, especially considering the changes in external contexts, is the care given to relations, which must be seen as real capital. We have decided to invest in this area, through means including training and corporate culture. HerAcademy, our corporate university, plays a leading role in this field, and at the end of last year it organised a conference entitled “The evolution of social and relational dynamics for the ‘rebirth’ of work”, an event which called on leading figures from the world of business, academics and professionals. The goal was to compare experiences and practices, demonstrating that only by being part of a solid and motivated team is it possible to meet the challenges awaiting us outside and inside organisations. Moreover, we have always stood out for its organisational methods, promoting agility in work, safety and the value given to the uniqueness of people, all within a context highly exposed to change. Alongside the increasing importance of training and welfare, along with a corporate culture dedicated to the inclusion of diversity, we have proven able to meet the challenge of digitalising services and therefore professional activities. Within this process, which is now in full swing and covers all company activities, even the most operational, employees have been accompanied but above all listened to, trying to understand and share their needs. Top Employer Italy 2022 2019-05-27 For further information Top Employer Italy 2022 Once again among Italy’s highest ranked employers, this year second place overall among companies nationwide for outstanding human resource management. Training, welfare and digitalisation among our strong points. /-/hera-top-employer-for-the-13th-time /group_eng/working-at-hera-group /group_eng/working-at-hera-group/heracademy Press release Visit "Working at Hera Group" area Visit "HerAcademy" area Top Employer Italy 2022

Rendering NexMeter With the Hera Group, also gas distribution is going green. NexMeter, our smart gas meter 4.0, the first of its kind worldwide in terms of cutting-edge technology and safety functions, including reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere, will be made from recycled plastic and can already be used for distributing hydrogen in the network up to a maximum of 20% compatibility, with a trial planned in the coming months. This advanced meter is therefore a concrete example of our commitment to the energy transition and carbon neutrality, focusing on green gases, such as biomethane, hydrogen and green syngas, and contributing to the fight against climate change. Furthermore, it results from Hera’s experience and know-how in management of the gas distribution service, combined with continuous investments in innovation, research and development, and confirms the Group’s collaboration with outstanding partners: Panasonic, the Japanese multinational global leader in electronic products and components, and Pietro Fiorentini, an Italian company and market leader in creating products and services for the entire natural gas chain. The advanced version of NexMeter will be previewed today in Milan at Enlit, the most important event in the sector. An immediate debut: initial experiments with hydrogen in the domestic gas network soon to be underway NexMeter’s first field test involving hydrogen will be carried out during the next few months, as part of a wider set of activities aimed at certifying our entire supply chain as qualified to use green gases. More specifically, it involves introducing a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen into a portion of the distribution network managed by the Group, involving around thirty households in Castelfranco Emilia in Modena province. This is the first experiment of this kind in Italy as regards domestic gas distribution, and it aims at studying innovative solutions to contribute to the local area’s needs as regards decarbonisation, with benefits for the environment as well. The trial is also part of the broader strategy for developing hydrogen in a two-fold perspective: on the one hand, upgrading our assets, starting with the gas distribution networks, and on the other, creating new business opportunities, which we can make the most of by leveraging its multi-business expertise, including partnerships with other major industrial operators. Rendering NexMeter 2019-05-27 For further information Rendering NexMeter Our smart gas meter 4.0, the first of its kind internationally in terms of safety functions, is already prepared for its first experimentation in the network with hydrogen, and its construction in recycled plastic further confirms the commitment to the energy transition and circularity /-/hera-group-with-nexmeter-the-gas-meter-goes-green /-/nexmeter-the-smart-gas-meter-for-innovation-and-security Press release Find out the dedicated webpage Rendering NexMeter

Bologna The Emilia-Romagna Territorial Agency for Water and Waste Services (Atersir), acting as regulatory agency and contracting station, has officially awarded the tender for urban and assimilated waste management in the Bologna area to the temporary consortium (RTI) formed by Hera S.p.A., Giacomo Brodolini Soc. Coop and Consorzio Stabile Ecobi. The figures of the tender won by the consortium led by the Hera Group The contract awarded concerns 50 municipalities in the Bologna area, including the capital city, and a total of approximately 1 million inhabitants. As requested during the tender, the temporary consortium led by the Hera Group – the current manager of the service in the same municipalities – will make significant investments to extend the ‘pay as you throw’ waste collection model to the entire area, with the aim of minimising the amount of non-sorted waste and increasing the quantity destined to be recycled. The contract, which will be signed in the coming weeks by Hera and Atersir, has a total value of over 1.7 billion euro and a timespan of 15 years. More sustainability and increasing shared value for communities Thanks to the excellent operational skills of Hera and the other companies in the contracted consortium, the area covered by the service contract will be provided with collection methods based on innovative services and equipment, strongly oriented towards sustainability, waste reduction and an increase in the amount of recycled materials. More dialogue and better environmental performance The key principles underpinning the offer presented by the consortium led by Hera are awareness-raising and the active involvement of citizens and businesses, in order to encourage a reduction in the amount of waste, especially non-sorted waste, and an increasing focus on sorted waste collection. In fact, experience in this field shows that – regardless of the collection method proposed – the environmental performance of waste is better where the community is more aware of its role. For this reason, right from the first months of the new service contract, Hera will launch progressive communication and information campaigns aimed at increasing citizen involvement, and in so doing, further improving the service quality, with a view to creating increasing shared value for local communities. Bologna 2019-05-27 For further information Bologna The winning proposal for the Bologna area, submitted by a consortium led by the Hera Group, focuses on sustainability, innovation and creating shared value /-/hera-wins-waste-management-tender-in-the-bologna-area Press release Bologna

DJSI 2021 We have once again been confirmed as the world’s best multi-utility in ESG dimensions by S&P Global that selects the companies to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). S&P Global has indeed announced the new ranking - effective as of November 22, 2021 - for its authoritative international stock exchange indices, which assesses the social responsibility of listed companies, based on sustainability performances for ESG factors. For the second consecutive year, we have been included in both the global (Dow Jones Sustainability World Index) and European (Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index) indices, ranked best in the sector. We further raised our sector benchmark, achieving an overall score of 90/100, against a sector average of 39/100. The ratings achieved: 92/100 in Environment, 90/100 in Economic & Governance and 88/100 in Social, reaching the highest sector score in all the three dimensions. This recognition is fully in line with the consensus found in ESG assessments thanks to a strategy focused on sustainable value creation in the last 20 years. DJSI 2021 2014-03-19 For further information DJSI 2021 A further recognition to our strategy, which combines attention towards sustainability with creating shared value /-/dow-jones-sustainability-index-hera-once-again-world-sustainability-leader-in-multi-utility-water /group_eng/investors /group_eng/sustainability Press release Visit Investor Relations website area Visit Sustainability area DJSI 2021