Press releases

The multiutility company forges ahead of the European agenda on the circular economy and, at Ecomondo, it presents the new editions of its sustainability reports, which this year are accompanied by "I mille volti del servizio", focusing on customer services. Transparency and 360° certification with a shared value approach.

The European Union calls, Hera responds. As part of the transition towards a circular economy, the target set by Brussels in 2015 on the reduction of landfill use (<10% by 2030) has been reached and surpassed by Hera, whose rate last year declined to 8.6%, marking an improvement in its performance compared to 2014 and also easily surpassing the national average (34%).

It is enough to look at the clear, certified numbers contained in the seventh edition of Sulle tracce dei rifiuti("Tracking waste"), the report on waste tracking that the multiutility company presented in Rimini today at Ecomondo, along with the other publications that provide a snapshot of the Group's commitment to and results in favour of water quality and energy efficiency, with an approach based on transparency and shared value. In addition, I mille volti del servizio ("The thousand faces of service"), the newest report dedicated to customers and innovative projects for the community and local areas, was presented for the first time.

The economic benefit for households rose to Euro 27 thanks to the improved quality of separate waste collection

These indeed are excellent results for all residents, whose good practices continue to be leveraged as much as possible by Hera, which in 2015 recovered 94.4% of the separated waste. This figure, of clear environmental importance, resulted in a benefit of Euro 27 per household - equal to 11% of the bill - which exceeds the national average (Euro 22) and which, also thanks to the plant resources deployed by the multiutility company, is expected to increase further this year. All of this goes to benefit the green economy in which - also thanks to Hera's commitment - work has been given to 18 thousand people throughout the supply chain, which overall encompasses 191 recovery plants and generates annual turnover of 10 billion Euro. Excellent results were also achieved in packaging recycling. The Group, with 64%, has nearly reached the 65% target set by the European Union for 2025 (which has already been surpassed in the area served by Hera in Emilia Romagna). Lastly, the finishing line is getting closer to meet the European goal on the overall rate of municipal waste recycling, set at 50% for 2020: indeed, in 2015 the multiutility company had already reached 48%.

5.5 million Euro in annual savings due to energy efficiency projects

Similar success was seen on the energy efficiency front, as certified by the second edition of the Valore all'Energia("Valuing Energy") report. Through actions for improvement carried out on a broad range of processes and plants, also in collaboration with other companies, from 2007 to date Hera has saved 676 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE), equal to the consumption of 475 households and corresponding to 1.3 million tonnes of CO2. Furthermore, there are already 6 Group companies that have achieved the Iso 50001 certification for efficient energy use, a sign of the widespread and transversal commitment which from 2013 to date has led to an overall reduction in energy consumption of 2.5% - an important step towards reaching the objective of 3% set for 2017. Just a few days after the regional environmental protection agency (ARPA) released the news about the surpassing of PM10 levels on via Emilia, Hera's commitment acquired further significance: projects have been identified which can save roughly 6,000 TOE, equivalent to a 11,000 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions. But the advantages of this commitment do not lie solely in the environment: the activities planned and partly already completed by the Group have resulted in annual savings of around 5.5 million Euro, of which 2.7 million Euro relating to the water service alone, benefitting household bills. Lastly, Hera helps local companies to develop efficient energy consumption systems with dedicated teams that boost their competitiveness by taking advantage of challenges regarding the efficient use of resources contained in the government's Industry 4.0 plan.

Good, tested and affordable tap water, at the cost of just 0.2 eurocents per litre

Tap water has also passed with flying colours, as reported in the eighth edition of the report In buone acque ("In good waters"), in which Hera attests to its commitment to guaranteeing good, tested and affordable tap water. The results of 99.9% of the controls carried out, with more than 2 thousand analyses every day, showed full compliance with legal requirements. In addition, at the cost of just 2 Euro for one thousand litres, drinking tap water instead of purchasing bottled water enables each household to save 270 Euro per year, while also contributing to avoiding the production of plastic. In 2015 alone, 35% of the residents in the area served by Hera chose tap water, avoiding the production of 245 million bottles, which would have filled 113 thousand waste bins. There are many reasons to be pleased in the area of investments as well: indeed, in 2015 alone the Group invested more than 127 million Euro. In the area served by Hera, investments totalled 41 Euro per resident, widely surpassing the national figure of 28 Euro. The Group has also made a significant commitment to wastewater treatment, with many projects including in particular the Plan for safeguarding swimming in Rimini, the largest water reclamation project ever carried out in Italy.

The customer takes centre stage, with protections for customers in economic difficulty and 119 million in bills with payments in instalments in 2015 alone

Lastly, the first edition of the report I mille volti del servizio, dedicated to the many commitments made by the Group in favour of its customers, was released with news and details on the innovative projects carried out for local areas and the community regarding environmental education, leftover food recovery, and the reuse of bulky waste still in a decent state and unexpired drugs. In 2015, Hera broke a total of 119 million in bills down into instalments, helping households and businesses during an economically complex time. In addition, tariff support in 2015, for water and energy, exceeded 8 million Euro overall, including through bonuses and facilities in addition to those established by the Authority. But Hera's action - based on solid roots in the community, innovation and closeness to the customer - is also accounted for by many other indicators: 170 drop-off points for separate waste collection, 123 customer branches with limited waiting times (less than 12 minutes), call centres differentiated by target, roughly 14% of customers receiving e-bills (ranked first in Italy in the area of utilities), service safety performance exceeding legal requirements, and protections for customers exceeding those established by the Authority.

Venier: "the areas served byHera at the forefront in Italy and in Europe in terms of water, energy and waste"

"Our commitment to sustainability reporting," declared Stefano Venier, CEO of the HERA Group, "bears witness to the results of a far-reaching action carried out by the Group in the interest of its reference communities and the residents who live there." Mr. Venier continued, "As our industrial growth has been accompanied by a sharp focus on environmental topics, the communities we serve can now boast of cases of excellence and at the forefront in Italy and in Europe in terms of water, energy and waste. This is why we intend to continue with a view to continuous improvement and while adopting a shared value approach that takes everyone's interest to heart. In essence," theHera CEO concluded, "I am pleased to report that by taking advantage of our services, households have been able to enjoy benefits exceeding national averages, with the economic value transferred to local areas reaching 1.6 billion Euro in 2015 alone."