The Group's sustainable approach and constant commitment in creating shared value has proved to be rewarding also in 2022, allowing the company to improve its positioning in almost all indices, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe.
Further confirmation of the quality of the path undertaken 20 years ago comes from additional awards in different areas, assigned to the company in 2024.
The full list is available in "Who we are" area.
Seleziona il tuo comune
Hera Top Employer for the 15th Consecutive Year
The company reaffirms, once again in 2024, its position among the best performers in human resources management, thanks to substantial investments in welfare, training, and skill development.
Hera Group is certified Top Employer for the 15th year in a row, ranking among the top three Italian companies, standing out for employment policies.
The Top Employers program this year recognized and certified more than 2,300 Top Employers in 121 countries globally. Awarded by the Dutch Top Employers Institute, a global certifying body for HR excellence, this is among the most prestigious international recognitions for companies meeting high standards in human resources management. The certification is granted after a meticulous and increasingly selective annual analysis, focusing on specific parameters such as remuneration policies, working conditions, career opportunities, corporate culture, training and people development.
To learn more: Press release
Hera in the Top 1% of S&P Global CSA Score
The corporate sustainability performance assessment carried out by S&P Global sees Hera within the “Top 1%” of the best-performing companies in the sector. With an ESG score coming to 82/100, as against an industry average of 43/100, Hera has confirmed its leadership in both the environmental and social dimensions, where it recorded the highest score among Multi and Water Utilities.
Membership was highly competitive this year; of the over 9,400 companies assessed in the Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023, divided into 62 business sectors, only 66 are classified as “Top 1%” and Hera is among them.
The S&P Global ESG Score measures a company's performance and management of material ESG risks, opportunities, and impacts informed by a combination of company disclosures, media and stakeholder analysis, modelling approaches, and in-depth company engagement via the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment.
To learn more: Press release
Hera a Top Employer for the 14th consecutive year
Early 2023 sees Hera confirmed among the best companies in human resource management, thanks in particular to substantial investments in welfare, training and skills development.
The Hera Group has been certified as a Top Employer for the 14th consecutive time, standing out for its job policies and ranking among the top 3 in Italy out of 1,600 companies analysed.
The well-being of people, training, professional growth and transformation of skills are the main strengths that have allowed Hera to receive this prestigious award. It was conferred by the Institute based in Holland, a global body certifying corporate excellence in the HR field, after a close analysis that becomes increasingly selective every year and concerns specific parameters such as adequate salaries, working conditions, career opportunities, corporate culture, training and people development.
With its pioneering vision, concrete decisions and increasing investments in human resources and training, Hera continues to take on the challenges of change, aiming at developing new skills and competencies. In this sense, a central role is played by HerAcademy, the corporate University founded precisely with the desire to generate new knowledge in response to the trends seen in the context, including an ongoing debate on current issues and collaborations with major national and international institutions.
To learn more: Press release
Hera Group in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index
Hera has been included for the fourth year in a row in the international index that assesses outstanding companies for their policies relating to gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
Always concerned with implementing policies concerning gender equality and enhancing diversity in the workplace, in 2023 as well the Hera Group has been counted among the most inclusive companies worldwide.
In the 2023 edition, which includes 484 listed companies, based in over 45 countries, selected out of more than 11,700 businesses, Hera confirmed its results in all areas under analysis with an overall score of 80.1%, above the Italian average (78.27%). The Group stood out in particular for equal pay, an inclusive culture and harassment prevention.
This important result confirms the Hera Group’s desire to keep valorising the uniqueness of people in a working context highly exposed to change, constantly committing itself to promoting and creating fair and inclusive workplaces, thanks to the development of dedicated policies and projects. This path stretches quite far into the past and has been enriched over time, starting with the signing of the Charter for equal opportunities and equality in the workplace in 2009 and the introduction – as early as 2011 – of the figure of the Diversity Manager who undertakes to promote the enhancement of diversity inside and outside the company, with dedicated awareness-raising initiatives.
To learn more: Press release
Hera awarded 2023 Sustainability Gold Class by S&P Global
This year, once again, Hera has received the Gold Class from the rating agency responsible for the Sustainability Awards. This important recognition highlights the Group’s ability to safeguard resources and create value for its stakeholders.
In the most recent edition of the authoritative DJSI international stock market index, which evaluates listed companies on the basis of ESG factors, Hera ranked first internationally in its sector (Multi-utility & Water), with a score of 90/100 compared to an average of 34/100, calculated based on the three areas analysed: Environment, Social and Governance.
A focus on sustainable development and creating value for the areas and communities served is a commitment and a responsibility that the Hera Group has taken on since it was established in 2002, with the aim of guaranteeing quality and continuity in essential services for citizens and giving value to all stakeholders. Its commitment to safeguarding resources and contributing to the circular economy is demonstrated by numerous projects, including plastics recycling, biomethane production, water and energy saving initiatives and the reuse of purified water, only to mention a few. For the Hera Group, economic growth and sustainable development go hand in hand, to encourage a just transition and accompany the areas served along a responsible and value-oriented change.
To learn more: Press release
Integrated Governance Index 2023: Hera Group once again among top three companies
Among Italy’s top companies for the last three years, Hera ranks second in 2023 thanks to its full and deliberate integration of sustainability policies into its business strategies and governance structure. This has been confirmed by the Integrated Governance Index, the main quantitative index measuring the integration of ESG factors in the governance of the top 100 Italian listed companies, managed by ETicaNews and presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference.
Local roots and focus on ESG objectives are one of Hera’s hallmarks, showing that it has always been committed to giving full value to people, thus generating a tangible impact and helping the communities served move towards a more equitable future in environmental, economic and social terms. The Hera Group’s sustainable growth is, in fact, the result of a business model that always considers the generation of value as the cornerstone of its relations with all stakeholders, from the local ecosystem and future generations to customers, shareholders, workers and suppliers.
To learn more: Press release
HERA GROUP once again among TOP 100 ranked companies in 2023
For the 8th consecutive year, Hera Group is confirmed among the Top 100 companies in the world most committed to diversity and inclusion. It's certified by Refinitiv on Diversity Inclusion Index 2023, the international Index that ranks over 15,000 listed companies globally.
For the multi-utility, the only among the 4 italian companies included in the TOP 100, drawn up based on data collected by Refinitiv as of 30 June 2023, it is an important result that confirms the commitment that has lasted for over 10 years, including projects, activities and initiatives aimed at promoting equality, enhancing diversity and encouraging people's development. All actions that focus on people first and improve the Group's performance, by fostering innovation, cooperation and the exchange of ideas.
Hera in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fourth year straight
Group confirmed as one of the world’s sustainability leaders in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index, once again recognizing Hera’s decades-long strategy for long-term value creation for its shareholders and for all stakeholders.
The Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities operating in the waste management, energy and water sectors, was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fourth year in a row.
The composition of the DJSI, the authoritative international stock market index, includes the best performing listed companies in the Environmental, Social and Governance & Economics dimensions.
As was the case in previous years, and as announced yesterday evening by S&P Global, Hera is included in both the global and European indices and achieved the highest score in the Environmental and Social areas among the companies in the Multi-Utility & Water sector included in the indices.
To learn more: Press release
Major awards achieved:
HERA is Top Employer for the 13th time
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.
This result, achieved thanks to the continuous commitment of the company to provide itself with the best technologies, projects and initiatives, recognizes also the strong investment of the Group in the skills and well-being of its workers.
The care given to relations, which must be seen as real capital, is a priority too. This is an aspect which is increasingly crucial on the workplace, also in terms of training and corporate culture, especially considering the changes in external contexts.
Overall, this commitment has been recognised by the workers themselves, as shown by the latest employee climate survey, in which 82% of the company’s workforce took part and in which the company achieved excellent results. 16 years after the first survey, the overall satisfaction index has risen by more than 20 points, reaching 71 on a scale of 1 to 100. All of this testifies to the effectiveness of the steps towards improvement introduced following numerous communication initiatives.
To learn more: Press release
Hera Group in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index
This year, for the third year in a row, Hera has been included in the international index assessing gender equality, diversity and inclusion
The Group has once again been included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, confirming and improving its results in all areas analysed. Hera stands out most importantly for its transparency in disclosure on these topics, as well as its inclusive corporate culture and its attention towards women in many areas, including equal pay.
The Group 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.
Diversity policies are in fact an integral part of Hera’s business strategies. For over 10 years, a company Diversity Manager, accompanied by a team of colleagues from different areas, has been committed to promoting diversity both inside and outside the Group, supporting initiatives intended to raise awareness and developing projects geared towards these priorities.
To learn more: Press release
Hera wins 2022 sustainability gold medal from S&P Global
For the second time in a row, Hera has 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 in which the Group had also confirmed its ranking as sector leader last year
The Hera Group is 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 by Hera, a leader in all three aspects evaluated in its area (Environment, Economic & Governance and Social), for its 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, Hera was confirmed as the international leader in its sector (Multi-Utilities & Water), reaching a score of 90/100, compared to an average of the sector equal to 39/100.
To learn more: Press release
Hera ranks first in the 2022 Integrated Governance Index
Hera is the foremost company in Italy for the importance of sustainability policies, fully and consciously incorporated within its business strategies. This is demonstrated, for the second consecutive year, by the Integrated Governance Index, the main quantitative index to measure the integration of ESG factors in corporate governance, managed by ETicaNews and presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference.
Ever since its foundation, sustainability has been at the core of Hera’s strategy. This award is therefore fully in line with the cultural transformation that began 20 years ago and has concerned all aspects of the Group. ESG factors are indeed fully integrated within the company’s activities and represent a strategic asset in all respects.
To learn more: Press release
Hera in the Top 10 of the Diversity & Inclusion Index
The Hera Group has been confirmed as one of the companies most committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development. This has been certified once again by Refinitiv’s “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, whose 2022 edition examined over 12,000 companies worldwide and assigned to the Group a score that places Hera in the TOP10 of the international ranking, now first among multi-utilities and the top Italian company.
After more than 10 years of projects, activities and initiatives aimed at reducing inequality, enhancing diversity and promoting an inclusive culture, this recognition provides further confirmation of the attention that the Hera Group pays to policies in this area.
This is also demonstrated by Hera’s personnel policies: its corporate welfare plan, for example, provides important support for Group employees and their families, with 5.3 million in services used last year alone. Hera also invests in developing internal and customised career paths, with 34% of women in positions of responsibility and, more generally, a female workforce coming to 27.3%, above the national industry average (2021 figures).
To learn more: Press release
Hera top multi-utility worldwide in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
For the third year in a row, Hera has been confirmed as world leader in the Multi-Utility & Water sector, providing further recognition of the Group’s twenty-year strategy that combines corporate growth with the creation of value for all stakeholders
Hera has been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index this year as well.
More specifically, the Group achieved an overall score of 90/100, the highest in the Multi-Utility & Water sector, against a sector average of 32/100. The ratings obtained were 89/100 in Environment, 91/100 in Social and 91/100 in Economic & Governance, achieving a leadership position in all three areas assessed.
These results provide further recognition of Hera’s commitment to all aspects of sustainability as an integral part of its 20-year growth strategy focused on creating value for its stakeholders.
To learn more: Press release
S&P Global has awarded the company its Gold Class 2021, the highest recognition reserved for companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the authoritative international stock market index assessing the ESG factors of roughly 3,500 listed companied with the highest capitalisation globally.
This prestigious result was released with the publication of the Sustainability Yearbook 2021, a report that contains the results of analyses carried out for gaining access to the index last year, and the names of companies that achieved the highest sustainability scores.
In addition to Gold Class status, Hera also received special mention as "Industry mover", that is, the company that recorded the most significant improvement, rising by no less than 19 points compared to the score of 68/100 in 2019.
Following its inclusion in the FTSE MIB in 2019, Hera participated in the selection process for the DJSI and, in only 2 years, rapidly rose in the classification, being included in the World and European indices at the same time and ranking as "Industry leader", i.e. the best "Multi-utility and Water" in the world, with a score of 87/100.
Compared to the other companies assessed by the DJSI, Hera stood out in particular for its environmental and economic sustainability, and its governance. The Sustainability Yearbook 2021 gives particular emphasis to the significant results achieved by Hera in the areas identified as most challenging for its sector, such as resource management and protection, the ability to grasp market opportunities and relations with stakeholders.
To learn more: Press release
Hera's confirmation within the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index - achieving significant results, even compared to the average in the utility sector - bears witness to the quality of the path chosen by the Group, which over time has been enriched with new content and increased dimensions, involving a growing number of employees. The Hera Group stands out in particular for its transparency in providing information on these issues and its harassment prevention and sanctioning policies.
Additional proof of the Group's attention towards these issues comes from the score obtained in the 2020 Refinitiv "Diversity & Inclusion Index", where Hera is ranked 12th company in the world, 2nd in Italy and the leading multi-utility overall.
To learn more: Press release
In 2021 Hera has once again been certified as a Top Employer for its business strategies, in which attention towards human resources has always been fundamental, thanks to its best practices regarding welfare, working conditions, development and training, diversity and innovation.
The Hera Group, which continues to dedicate resources, attention and commitment to its team of over 9,000 employees, has been awarded, for the 12th consecutive year, by Top Employer 2021, an international certification of excellence in human resource management. This recognition comes from the Holland-based Top Employer Institute, which carries out research on the quality of human resource management, examining over 1,600 businesses.
The Group stands out for its organisational methods, which promote worker agility and digitalisation. An example is the smart working project launched in 2017 that created the bases for effectively addressing in 2020 the need to maintain the quality and efficiency of services, protecting at the same time the health and safety of its employees and customers.
Hera's most outstanding human resource policies include Hextra, the integrated corporate welfare plan intended for all Group employees, investments for which reached 4.5 million euro in 2020 alone. The Group also offers its employees campaigns aimed at awareness, prevention, cure, overall wellbeing and education.
To learn more: Press release
Hera at the top of the 2021 Integrated Governance Index
The Hera Group leads the overall ranking in this index, which measures the extent to which sustainability is integrated within corporate strategies. Hera is also at the top of the finance category, for the fourth consecutive year, and second in the special ESG Identity survey
Hera ranks first among Italian companies for its full and conscious integration of sustainability policies within its business strategies. This has been confirmed by the 2021 Integrated Governance Index, presented today at the ESG Business Conference, an authoritative model for analysing ESG factors, i.e. the social, environmental and governance aspects of business activities.
Hera is fist also in sustainable finance category, which analyses the links between a company and responsible investors. Indeed, Hera has proven able to act swiftly, in line with the growing interest shown by investors towards ESG factors, adopting innovative models that have led it to play a pioneering role in the sector.
The group also ranked second in the special 2021 ESG Identity survey, which focuses on a company’s ability to enhance its sustainable identity, through means including stakeholder involvement, first and foremost customers and suppliers.
To learn more: Press release
Hera among the world’s top companies for diversity and inclusion
In the international standing provided by Refinitiv’s 2021 “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, the Group ranks 42nd globally, second overall among multi-utilities and third in Italy.
Hera has been confirmed among the listed companies most committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development worldwide. This emerges from the 2021 edition of the “Diversity & Inclusion Index” published by Refinitiv, which examined approximately 11,000 companies globally and awarded the Hera Group with 42nd place in the world ranking, 2nd best multi-utility in the world and 3rd best among Italian companies.
Policies promoting diversity, inclusion and people development are increasingly central for investors and have always been at the center of the Group's attention.
To learn more: Press release
Dow Jones Sustainability Index: Hera once again world sustainability leader
For the second consecutive year, Hera has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, both World and Europe and ranked best in the sector Multi-Utility & Water.
The Group further raised its sector benchmark, achieving an overall score of 90/100 (improving compared to the 87/100 seen in 2020), 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 under analysis.
The company therefore confirms itself once again as the world leader in its sector, giving further recognition to the Group's strategy, which combines attention towards sustainability with creating shared value.
To learn more: Press release
Hera has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe, the most important and influential stock indexes linked to sustainability and managed by S&P Global.
An even more significant milestone if we consider that Hera has been recognized as the best multi-utility in the world and therefore indicated among the 61 Industry leaders in their respective sectors out of about 3500 companies evaluated.
Hera achieved an overall score of 87/100, with a gap of 5 points on the second classified and distinguishing itself above all for environmental and economic dimensions, and for its governance.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) is one of the world’s most authoritative stock indexes that evaluates social responsibility. Managed by S&P Global, it selects the largest companies in the world based on the best sustainability performances in all areas of ESG (environment, social, governance).
Presentation: Hera best multi-utility worldwide (2547 kb - PDF)
Press Release: Hera best multi-utility worldwide (169 kb - PDF)
Refinitiv's “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, which rewards the most committed companies to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development, assigned to Hera a score of 77 points. Twelfth overall and second Italian company in the 2020 edition, Hera ranked as the world’s leading multi-utility among over 9,000 listed companies examined globally.
This recognition proves that our company’s attention towards these issues have made it a pioneer, nationally and internationally.
The “Diversity & Inclusion Index” was conceived and is carried out by the international financial information giant Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters), which analyses corporate performance based on a range of ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors. It mainly focuses on four areas: diversity, inclusion, people development and controversies published in the media.
To learn more: Press release
Hera Group, for the third consecutive year, came in first in the sustainable finance category of the 2020 Integrated Governance Index
This result rewards, once again, the Group’s abilities and its attention towards sustainability, understood as an element that contributes to creating shared value, not only for the company but above all for the communities and local areas served.
The Integrated Governance Index is a leading analysis of the degree to which ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors are integrated within a company’s strategy. These factors, alongside the traditional business goals pursued, bring social, environmental and governance aspects into the equation.
To learn more: Press release
Hera is now part of the FTSE4Good Index Series, a series of ethical indexes conceived by FTSE Russell to bring together the most outstanding companies that, across the world, show active commitment towards sustainable development and thus to encourage investment in companies that meet globally recognised standards in the area of social responsibility
Hera’s efforts in the area of sustainability, which have always marked its way of doing business, have thus received significant recognition once again.
Companies included in the FTSE4Good Index meet strict environmental, social and governance criteria and are therefore potentially better placed to capitalise on the benefits deriving from responsible business conduct.
To learn more: Press release
A noteworthy milestone is the 2020 TOP EMPLOYER certification, for the eleventh consecutive year.
Holland-based Top Employers Institute, which has been researching quality standards in people practices since 1991. Hera has once again been recognised for its strategy, focused on people, and its best practices in terms of welfare, workplace environment, development and training.
To learn more: Press release
Also in 2020, Hera has become part of the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which examines 325 listed companies in 42 countries worldwide, committed to promoting and creating equal and inclusive workplaces, thanks to the development of specific policies and projects.
The Hera Group reached particularly outstanding results in the latter area, with a score of 93.94%, outdoing the best practices of international companies (whose average comes to 89.92%) and the utility sector (with an average of 92.73%).
Excellent results were also seen in the multi-utility's harassment prevention and sanctioning policies, with a score coming to 80.00% (as opposed to a national average of 57.75%, and 57.92% in the utility sector).
Lastly, Hera also achieved quite good results in "female leadership and pipeline" (52.63%) and as a "brand that recognisably supports women" (65.00%).
To learn more: Press release