Press releases

On the twentieth anniversary of its foundation, the Group continues along the path of growth that has distinguished it since its establishment, confirming its commitment to sustainable development by creating value for the areas served and all stakeholders Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg The ordinary and extraordinary Shareholders Meeting of Hera met this morning in Bologna to approve the 2021 financial statements and the payment of a dividend increasing to 12 cents per share (+9% compared to the last dividend paid), as further confirmation of the value created for stakeholders and local areas. Among the various resolutions passed, the Shareholders Meeting also approved an amendment to the Articles of Association, in compliance with the content of the new Corporate Governance Code. At the Shareholders Meeting, the 2021 Sustainability Report (a consolidated non-financial statement prepared pursuant to Legislative Decree 254/2016) was also presented. Financial statements for 2021 approved, with growth in results In the ordinary session, the Shareholders Meeting approved the 2021 financial statements, which showed growth in all main operating and financial indicators. Among the main results: Ebitda rose to 1,223.9 million euro (+9%) and net profit attributable to shareholders reached 333.5 million euro (+10.2%). Operating investments, including capital grants, amounted to 588.7 million euro (+16.3%), while net financial debt stood at 3,261.3 million euro, in line with the 3,227.0 million euro seen at 31 December 2020. The net debt/Ebitda ratio improved to 2.66x, confirming the Group’s financial solidity. These figures testify, once again, to the validity of the multi-business strategy adopted by the Group: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and the extraction of higher synergies than expected, to the benefit of the local areas in which Hera operates. Despite the complex scenario, due to the ongoing Coronavirus emergency, in addition to the volatility of the energy market during the second half of the year, further progress occurred along the path of uninterrupted growth achieved by the Group, led since its creation in 2002 by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano. In twenty years, in fact, Ebitda has increased more than sixfold and net profit has grown more than tenfold. In addition to achieving positive results, Hera has also constantly pursued sustainable development, supporting its stakeholders, first and foremost its customers, with concrete actions such as instalment plans for bills to enable them to meet their payments. Payment of a 12 cent/share dividend introduced The Shareholders Meeting also approved the Board of Directors’ proposal to pay a dividend coming to 12 cents per share, up 9% compared to the last dividend paid. The ex-dividend date was set at 20 June 2022, with payment as of 22 June 2022. The dividend will be paid to shares recorded on 21 June 2022. The dividend paid, based on the Hera share price at 31/12/2021, corresponds to a 3.3% annual return. A strong focus on creating value for shareholders was therefore confirmed. This increase is consistent with the dividend policy set out in the Business Plan, which foresees a steady increase in dividends, reaching 14.5 cents per share by 2025. The Sustainability Report: Shared value Ebitda rises to 570.6 million During the Shareholders Meeting, the 2021 Sustainability Report was also presented, showing how improvement in operating and financial indicators goes hand in hand with creating shared value. More specifically, in 2021, shared value Ebitda, referring to business activities that also meet the drivers for sustainable growth, rose to 570.6 million euro, a significant increase compared to 2020 (+25.4%), corresponding to 46.6% of total Ebitda. This result reflects the direction set out in the Business Plan, which projects this figure at 55% of total Ebitda by 2025, rising to 70% in 2030, along a linear path that generates concrete benefits for the local areas and communities served, alongside the company’s own development. Articles of Association adapted to the new Borsa Italiana Corporate Governance Code The extraordinary agenda items approved by the Shareholders Meeting include an amendment of Article 17 of Hera’s Articles of Association, in compliance with the content of the new Corporate Governance Code, following a close analysis of international developments in corporate governance. In particular, the recommendation that administrative bodies should include a number of independent directors coming to at least half of the members of the Board of Directors was implemented. Therefore, with the reformulation of paragraph 17.3 of the Articles of Association, it is clearly stated that, within each list presented, at least half of the candidates must meet independence requirements. Other resolutions approved The Shareholders Meeting also approved a renewed authorisation for the Board of Directors to purchase treasury shares (and the procedures for their treatment), for a total value of up to 240 million euro for 18 months, at the same time revoking last year’s resolution for the non-executed part. The renewal of authorisation to use treasury shares was requested in order to pursue the purposes permitted by law and accepted market practices, in order to increase value creation in transactions carried out by Group companies as well, for whom investment opportunities arise, and for transactions involving the issue of financial instruments. Lastly, the Shareholders Meeting approved the Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid, in line with international best practices, and the Corporate governance report was also presented. “Over the Group’s twenty-year history, we have pursued a path marked by constant growth, leveraging our operating-financial solidity, with positive repercussions for all stakeholders, first and foremost our shareholders”, states Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “We will continue to guarantee the highest quality and efficiency in our services, despite the complexities of the external scenario, as done for twenty years working concretely and coherently with the values that have always distinguished us. We are therefore carrying on with our commitment to further developing a highly innovative and original business model, capable of acting as a real driver of change for the local areas and communities we serve, with a strategic approach aimed at creating shared value.” See the press release 20220428_PR_HERA Shareholders meeting.pdf 2022-04-28 11:48:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg

Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg As regards the appointment, by the Mayor of Bologna, of Mr. Orazio Iacono as member of the Board of Directors of Hera S.p.A., indicating him for the position of CEO, the company declares that it has begun the internal procedures necessary to convene the Board of Directors meeting for his co-optation. The appointment of the new CEO will therefore occur in accordance with the provisions of the Shareholders Agreement to which the public shareholders adhere. The Executive Chairman of the Hera Group, Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, congratulates Mr. Orazio Iacono on his appointment and wishes him every success in his future professional role. See the press release 20220426 CEO Appointment.pdf 2022-04-26 19:37:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg

A protocol has been signed to implement environmental sustainability and circular economy initiatives, reducing waste, recovering resources and optimising the water cycle to reduce sludge and losses immagine.jpg Bologna, Fiumicino, 22 April 2022 - A protocol to jointly assess joint initiatives in favour of sustainability and a circular approach to the management of Fiumicino and Ciampino airports: this is the focus of the protocol signed by Aeroporti di Roma - the company that runs both of the capital’s hubs - and the Hera Group, one of the main multi-utility companies in Italy. The areas of intervention of the agreement, valid for two years, concern the management of waste, the treatment of waste water in the airport purification plant and the optimisation of water network management. Actions to make the first airport hub in Italy, the seventh in Europe, increasingly sustainable. The hub’s commitment has already been recognised by ACI Europe, which awarded Fiumicino excellence as the best airport in Europe for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. In terms of circular economy, “Leonardo da Vinci” airport boasts a separate waste collection that has amounted to 99% and, in the last 10 years, the consumption of drinking water for each passenger assisted has been reduced by approximately 30%, thanks to a dual distribution network system that ensures the reuse of “recycled” water for all uses for which drinking water is not necessary: irrigation, fire prevention, etc. The Hera Group will make its experience and commitment available in terms of the circular economy and the recovery of resources that have distinguished it since its inception. Concrete projects to reduce waste, the production of waste and increase its recovery As regards waste, the main objective is to define guidelines to improve the recovery and reuse of waste produced at the airport, identifying the best solutions to manage the main types of waste, minimising environmental impacts and optimising economic management. This will be achieved by studying any new operational and management processes to further develop separate collection, also involving staff, suppliers and passengers, recover the waste produced (especially used oils, plastic and organic products), reduce the production of waste that cannot be recovered, adopt systems for the recovery of food surpluses produced by airport catering, thus reducing waste and giving new value to uneaten food. Reduction of sludge produced in the purification process and water losses The water system of the airports is also the subject of the agreement, in order to assess the possible optimisations to be made to the purifier in a circular economy perspective, facilitating processes that enable the reduction of sludge produced by the waste water purification process (such as, for example, through the installation of dryers to reduce weight and volume) and assessing the possibility of recovering material. Systems are also being studied to optimise the management of water networks, to prevent and limit losses with a view to increasingly virtuous water management, including with the use of advanced sensors and artificial intelligence systems. “We continue along the path of environmental transition by co-opting the best national excellence” said Marco Troncone, CEO of ADR “by launching, today, a partnership with the Hera Group, a key player, amongst other things, in the circular economy. The scope of action will be concrete and focused on areas in which ADR already performs high, such as waste management and the water cycle, but on which we intend to reach levels of excellence with the support of a recognised specialist leader.” “This agreement with Aeroporti di Roma is a virtuous example of how a partnership between companies can be a driver of sustainability with positive effects for the environment. Sustainability accompanies and permeates all of our activities and we want to share our experience in this area with the people who operate in the communities, further strengthening our commitment to the circular economy and the regeneration of resources” commented Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. See the press release 20220422 PR Roma Airports and Hera Group.pdf 2022-04-22 11:02:00 immagine.jpg

The country’s leading catering company and the Emilia-Romagna based multi-utility have forged a circular economy partnership Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg Elior, Italy’s foremost catering company, and the Hera Group, one of the nation’s main multi-utilities, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on projects geared towards the circular economy, environmental sustainability and sustainable mobility. The agreement, presented on Earth Day, 22 April, will be valid for two years and will unfold by gradually implementing a series of environmental actions and initiatives, starting with catering outlets located mainly in the areas served by Hera, and later gradually extending the scope of action to other regions. Sustainable mobility, circular economy and environmental sustainability pilot projects launche Faced with the economic, environmental and social changes currently underway, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to join forces and work on common objectives. The circular economy is a key element for both companies, who have set themselves the goal of working together to ensure maximum value for resources, with a sustainable approach integrated into their business strategies. With this agreement, Elior and Hera are thus launching a collaboration that will start with specific pilot projects, particularly in the field of sustainable mobility, the circular economy and environmental sustainability. The organic waste produced in catering outlets can be used to produce biomethane and compost in the Hera Group’s S. Agata Bolognese (BO) plant, while separately collected exhausted vegetable oils (those that remain at the end of food preparation, for frying or to preserve food) can be used to produce biodiesel, thanks to the partnership signed by Hera with Eni. Furthermore, electric vehicle recharging points may be built. The two companies will evaluate collaborations involving projects for recycling and reusing the plastic used in catering outlets and for preventing waste production, making the most of any waste. Hera will also be able to provide support on how to sort and treat the waste produced. Lastly, extensive environmental communication campaigns will be developed jointly, dedicated for both employees and customers. The figures in question are significant: in Italy, over 95 million meals are prepared every year by Elior, with 10 thousand people working in more than 2 thousand restaurants and sales points. Constant attention to sustainability Elior dedicates constant attention to sustainability, as certified, for example, by its membership in the Global Compact, the United Nations programme fostering corporate social responsibility, to create a virtuous circle in the area of catering by working in synergy with suppliers, customers, end users and employees. As regards the Hera Group, it has always been committed to sustainably developing the areas it serves, thanks to active communication with local communities and cooperation with stakeholders. Hera will bring all its experience in the field of waste management to this partnership: it is the leading national operator in terms of the amount of waste treated, and in 2021 it reached over 65% in sorted waste collection (with a recovery rate of over 90%), serving more than 180 municipalities and 3.2 million citizens, meeting years in advance the targets set by the European Union for the general and specific recycling rates for packaging and the use of landfills. Moreover, Hera was the first utility, and the second company in Italy, to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which brings together the companies most active globally in the transition to the circular economy. “The transition towards a circular economy is a challenge made up of many actions implemented on an ongoing basis, and this agreement with Elior is one further example”, comments Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. “Another step towards achieving concrete results, it allows us to share our experience in the field of sustainability and further strengthen a commitment that accompanies all our work.” “A commitment to making our daily activities more sustainable is a priority in our business strategy. This is why we aim to involve all our stakeholders in activating virtuous processes capable of reducing waste of all kinds, thanks to circular economy mechanisms”, adds Rosario Ambrosino, CEO of Elior. “The collaboration with Hera that we are presenting today is an excellent example of this approach, and we are confident that the pilot projects we are launching together can lead to significant results which benefit the community.” See the press release 20220421 PR Elior and Hera Group partnership.pdf 2022-04-21 11:31:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg