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sede-hera_110.jpg centrata The Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities operating in the waste management, energy and water sectors, is among the winners of the 60th edition of the FERPI (Italian Public Relations Federation) Financial Reporting Oscar, a traditional event dedicated to the importance of reporting for companies and organisations. The award ceremony took place yesterday, Friday 13 December at Palazzo Mezzanotte in Milan and was organised by FERPI, Borsa Italiana and the Bocconi University with the support of the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan. The theme of the 2024 edition was reporting transparency, in light of the new European CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), which reflects the growing importance of sustainability reporting and compliance with ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) criteria. After the 2007 Financial Reporting Oscar, received for the high attention dedicated to corporate social responsibility, the 2018 Financial Reporting Oscar with special mention for “innovation in reporting”, and the 2019 Financial Reporting Oscar for communication, in the 2024 edition the Hera Group stood out in particular for its “strong and deep-rooted corporate maturity in the integration between financial aspects and ESG issues”, according to the jury’s statement, and, overall, for “the Group’s high level of maturity and its awareness of the intrinsic value of the reporting process from an ESG perspective”. The motivation provided refers to a “clear and systemic perception of the Group’s orientation towards creating shared value, mentioned as a reference value in all documents proposed for candidacy”. These documents, moreover, organically reflect and describe, on the basis of strategic drivers, its actual implementation and the methodologies used. As stated in the motivation, “operating and financial aspects are perfectly integrated with ESG factors thanks to the formula of shared-value Ebitda (CSV Ebitda) and CSV investments, including the graphic layout and explicit references to the Strategic Plan, as well as a particularly effective forward-looking approach”. The jury also particularly appreciated the clear presentation of the materiality analysis section, in which the methodology and correlations between impact areas, in line with the CSRD directive and the UN 2030 Agenda goals, are well described, as is risk analysis, presented from an integrated and systemic perspective. Furthermore, the classification of sustainable economic activities based on the EU Taxonomy, which are described in a separate report, was found to be very clear and concise, along with concrete and effective communications, involvement and listening processes with stakeholders. Publicly listed since 2003 and included in the FTSE MIB since 2019, the Hera stock, which has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2020, was also included in the MIB ESG Index in 2021, the first blue-chip index for Italy dedicated to ESG best practices, launched by Euronext and Borsa Italiana. The Hera Group has also long been included in the international FTSE Diversity Inclusion Index, drawn up by LSEG Data & Analytics, formerly Refinitiv, for its commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and the development of people, and in the ESG Identity Corporate Index 2024 (formerly IGI), for the full and conscious integration of sustainability policies in its business strategies. 20241214 pr Hera Group awarded with the Oscar for Financial Reporting.pdf 2024-12-14 09:40:00 sede-hera_110.jpg

sede-hera_110.jpg centrata The Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities operating in the waste management, energy and water sectors, has been confirmed for the fifth consecutive time in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Following up on the previous editions, as announced yesterday evening by S&P, Hera was included in both the European and global indexes. The DJSI, an authoritative international stock market index, includes the highest performing listed companies in the Environmental, Social and Governance & Economics dimensions. More specifically, Hera has reconfirmed itself among the world leaders in its sector for the fourth time in the last five years. A recognition that confirms both the results achieved and the complete and transparent sustainability reporting, along with its strategic approach in pursuing the creation of shared value for all stakeholders. This Group strategy has also brought further elements perfectly consistent with this approach during 2024: the Good Work Deal to define strategies and commitments on safety, inclusion, training and environmental sustainability the Climate Transition Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 HeraPro for the sustainable development of the entire supply chain This inclusion comes as further recognition of the results achieved by the Group, which has always been aware of its institutional and social role within the local ecosystem and is strongly committed to generating value as a cornerstone of its relationship with all stakeholders. Listed since 2003 and included in the FTSE MIB since 2019, Hera’s stock has been in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2020 and has ranked first worldwide in the Multiutility & Water sector as of the same year. It has also been part of the first blue-chip index for Italy dedicated to ESG best practices, launched by Euronext and Borsa Italiana in 2021, since its establishment. The Hera Group has also been present for some years in a row in the top ten of Refinitiv’s international Diversity & Inclusion Index ranking, for its commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development. It is the first Italian company in the ESG Identity Corporate Index 2024 (third time in the last four years), for the full and conscious integration of sustainability policies in its business strategies. Hera in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as world leader in its sector.pdf 2024-12-14 09:16:00 sede-hera_110.jpg

centrata The Hera Group has been awarded 9.4 million euro to finance two pioneering projects in the development of advanced agrivoltaic systems. This funding falls within the measures of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), as Investment 1.1 “Agrivoltaic Development”, under Mission 2 “Green Revolution and Ecological Transition”, Component 2, “Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, Grid and Sustainable Mobility”. The plants will make an important contribution to the energy transition in Emilia-Romagna thanks to their total peak power coming to over 19 MW, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 11,000 Italian households, with savings amounting to 7,700 tonnes of CO2 per year, equal to the absorption capacity of 830 hectares of forest, corresponding to about 1,200 football pitches. More specifically, 6.6 million euro have been allocated to the Hera Group’s project for developing an Energy Park in Faenza, while 2.8 million euros will go to the Cesena project of Horowatt, a newco established by Hera and Orogel, an agricultural cooperative company. These NRRP grants will reinforce the Hera Group’s investments in the renewable energy sector and the installation of agrivoltaic plants, and give further recognition to Hera’s commitment in the field of energy transition and decarbonisation in favour of the areas served. Agrivoltaic development projects are part of the strategy outlined in the Group’s Business Plan, which includes numerous initiatives and investments to achieve carbon neutrality, reduce emissions and increase the production of green energy. These initiatives also fall under the Group’s Climate Transition Plan, which aims to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. In particular, the Faenza Energy Park project obtained the largest contribution among the projects admitted to the Centre-North and came tenth in the overall Italian ranking. To promote the construction of these agriculture-energy hybrid systems, the NRRP call for tenders provides an incentive consisting of a capital contribution, coming to a maximum of 40% of the expenses incurred to build the plant, and a fixed and predetermined incentive tariff for 20 years, applied to the production of net electricity fed into the grid. The predetermined tariff set by the GSE allows the Hera Group to eliminate the risks associated with fluctuations in commodity prices during the life of the plant. Horowatt: Orogel’s green agriculture 4.0 revolution Horowatt will construct an innovative agrivoltaic plant at the Cesena facility of the Orogel Group, capable of producing roughly 8 GWh each year, more than 80% of which will be self-consumed energy used by the agricultural cooperative’s own plants. The agrivoltaic plant will be built and managed by Horowatt and will integrate with the existing cogeneration plant built and managed by Hera Servizi Energia, the Hera Group’s ESCo. This is a highly important work, both for reducing Orogel’s energy costs and for its environmental benefits. In fact, it is estimated that the plant will lead to an annual saving of about 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted. This project is also aimed at experimenting with a virtuous coexistence between agrivoltaic technology and agricultural crops, without consuming soil and creating synergies with the crops, which will be protected from excessive temperatures and will benefit from more moisture in the soil. The photovoltaic panels will be mounted on metal structures at a height of about 3 metres, high enough to allow all agricultural activities to be carried out underneath. Moreover, thanks to sophisticated automation integrated with sensors on the ground, the panels will be able to be oriented not only to follow the sun’s rotation, guaranteeing maximum production efficiency, but also to meet specific agricultural needs, to the benefit of the crops below (agriculture 4.0). The project is expected to be completed in 2025. Faenza Energy Park: an urban forest with renewable energy production The Faenza Energy Park will be built on a vast area, covering about 70 hectares to the west of the city. This new plant will consist of over 22,000 double-sided panels with a total power of about 14 MW and is estimated to produce 21.5 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of about 7,500 families, with an annual carbon dioxide saving of over 5,700 tonnes. The electricity produced will be directly fed into the grid, significantly reducing Faenza’s carbon footprint and increasing the city’s energy self-sufficiency. The protagonists of this project – the Municipality of Faenza, the Hera Group with Studio LBLA, Unione della Romagna Faentina and the Società Agricola Le Cicogne, whose shareholders include Crédit Agricole and the Fondazione Banca del Monte e Cassa di Risparmio di Faenza – have imagined allocating approximately one third of the surface area to energy production alongside agricultural cultivation, one third to open-field agriculture and one third to the urban forest. In this new green infrastructure, agrivoltaics linked to precision agriculture will use digital techniques to monitor and optimise agricultural production processes, reducing their environmental impact. The system will consist of photovoltaic panel support structures positioned at a height from the ground that allows the agricultural vehicles used for cultivation to pass. These systems minimise soil occupation, allowing 90-95% of the land on which they are installed to be cultivated. To function, these systems also use solar tracking: an automatic mechanical device orients the photovoltaic panels towards the sun’s rays. The photovoltaic panels that will be installed will also be double-sided, allowing radiation to be utilised on both sides of the module, with the aim of maximising electricity generation. Appropriate monitoring systems are also expected to be installed, to verify the impact of the plants on agricultural production. The construction of the plant is planned to begin in 2025 and be completed in early 2026. Hera Group receives almost 10 Mln euro from NRRP for agrivoltaics.pdf 2024-12-09 10:38:00 sede Hera 110x150.jpg