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21/03/2023
Sustainability Report 2022 approved

The Board of Directors of Hera Spa today approved the Sustainability Report 2022.

The Board of Directors of Hera Spa today approved the Sustainability Report 2022.
The 2022 Hera Group sustainability report:
• reports on the three areas of shared value creation: carbon neutrality, resource regeneration, innovation and resilience;
• contains a focus on EBITDA and shared value investments;
• reports objectives and results considering the Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD);
• proposes a way of reading the results achieved in the direction of the “Just transition”;
• continues the reporting of the digital transformation initiatives according to the Corporate digital responsibility framework;
• reports on Taxonomy (environmentally sustainable economic activities according to EU Regulation 2020/852);
• contains the Green Bond Report on the Green Bond 2022-2029 issued to finance Euro 500 million of investments aligned with the EU Taxonomy.

The sustainability report represents the Consolidated non-financial reporting of the Hera Group according to Art. 3 and 4 of Italian Legislative Decree No. 254/2016 and will be available online from April 5, 2023.

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29/09/2021

We are among the world’s top companies for diversity and inclusion

Refinitiv 2021 We have 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 us with 42nd place in the world ranking, 2nd best multi-utility in the world and 3rd best among Italian companies. The “Diversity & Inclusion Index” was designed and created by the international financial information giant Refinitiv and analyses the performance of companies on the basis of a wide set of sustainability KPIs. It provides one of the main references to investors who look favourably at companies adopting policies oriented towards Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). These issues are becoming increasingly important worldwide, alongside a growing awareness on the part of companies themselves of the benefits linked to ESG factors from an economic and social point of view, in terms of sustainability and wellbeing. For us, this offers further confirmation of the attention always paid to these issues, focusing on the wellbeing and development of its over 9,000 employees, promoting an inclusive culture both inside and outside the company. We were a pioneer in this area, signing the Charter for Equal Opportunities and Equality on the Workplace in 2009 and introducing the position of Diversity Manager in 2011, to promote diversity, equal opportunities and equality on the workplace. One outstanding example of our personnel policies is our corporate welfare plan, which supports employees and their families, with 4.5 million in services used in 2020 alone. We also invest in developing personalised internal career paths, with 32.6% of women in positions of responsibility and, more generally, a 26.7% share of female staff, above the national average for the sector (2020 figures). Investment in training is also crucial, with an average of approximately 26 hours per capita and activities involving 95% of employees last year. Refinitiv 2021 2019-07-18 For further information Refinitiv 2021 In the international standing provided by Refinitiv’s 2021 “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, we rank 42nd globally, second overall among multi-utilities and third in Italy. /-/hera-among-the-world-s-top-companies-for-diversity-and-inclusion /group_eng/working-at-hera-group/why-work-at-hera/diversity-inclusion /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-overview/creation-of-shared-value Press release Diversity and Inclusion in Hera Group Investments in sustainability and inclusion Refinitiv 2021
13/09/2021

Herambiente acquires Vallortigara Group

Herambiente acquires Vallortigara Group The Hera Group has further strengthened its national leadership in the waste management sector, more specifically in industrial waste treatment. The Group, through its subsidiary Herambiente, has in fact acquired 80% of the Vallortigara Group, which provides services to industries, public administrations and citizens and manages a multifunctional platform for special waste treatment in Torrebelvicino (Province of Vicenza in the North-Eastern part of Italy). The Torrebelvicino platform consists of three sections: a storage and selection plant for solid and liquid, hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste, a stabilisation and solidification plant for industrial sludge and a chemical-physical plant for liquid waste. Currently, this facility treats approximately 75,000 tonnes of waste per year and, thanks to the investments planned by Herambiente, it will be able to increase and streamline its activities, in line with the principles of the circular economy. The acquisition of the Vallortigara Group, which employs over 100 workers and has 4,000 customers,both in public and private sector, will enable the Hera Group to strengthen its presence in the Triveneto region. also expand its service to neighbouring territories, creating significant synergies with the Hera Group’s industrial centres in the provinces of Pisa and Ravenna, which have been operational for some time. The current owners (the Vallortigara family) will remain within the new corporate structure. Overall, through the company Hasi (Herambiente Servizi Industriali), Herambiente now has 18 multi-purpose sites dedicated to treating waste produced by businesses, with 1.3 million tonnes of industrial waste treated each year. Following the two transactions in the same field, industrial waste treatment, carried out in the first half of 2021 – the acquisition of 70% of the company Recycla in Friuli and 31% of the company SEA in the Marche region – Herambiente’s development plan thus continues, confirming its position as the country’s leading operator in the sector, able to provide across-the-board solutions in industrial waste treatment to an increasing number of new customers. Herambiente acquires Vallortigara Group 2019-07-18 For further information Herambiente acquires Vallortigara Group By acquiring this Veneto-based company, the Hera Group has further consolidated its leadership in the waste management sector /-/herambiente-acquires-vallortigara-group Press release Herambiente acquires Vallortigara Group
30/07/2021

The world’s first AWS-certified drinking water plant is located in Bologna and managed by Hera

Potabilizzatore Val di Setta Hera’s Sasso Marconi (BO) drinking water plantcertified by the AWS (Alliance for Water Stewardship), the leading international standard that encourages a responsible use of water resources and acts as the global benchmark in this area. We are the first utility in the world to obtain this certification for a drinking water plant and the third largest in Italy. The AWS standard is designed to help companies and individuals implement responsible practices and protect this resource, improving their efficiency and addressing current and future water challenges such as drought, climate change and population growth. It is typically used in the manufacturing sector, adopted by major multinational companies, and is recommended by the United Nations. Obtaining this certification is a rigorous process that includes a range of actions, criteria and indicators on how to manage water, both within the plant and outside of it, across the board, submitting the industry’s best practices to a worldwide scientific committee. A clear path, with no observations, and important benefits in terms of efficiency and water resource protection In the case of the Val di Setta drinking water plant, the certification was completed without any nonconformities. The process is rarely so clear-cut, rewarding our commitment over the past year, the length of the entire process. The efficiency measures implemented in 2020 for managing the drinking water plant led to an overall improvement in the use of resources during the plant’s operations. For example, the filter washing phase was optimized thanks to a priorly conducted study, leading to an overall saving coming to roughly 2,400 cubic meters of water per day in water treatment and purification. The AWS also certifies the degree of efficiency, and the Val di Setta plant is outstanding in this regard: to introduce one litre of drinking water into the aqueduct, it takes 1.1 from the environment, compared to an average amount of 1.7 litres for 1 litre of bottled water. Increased good practices at the heart of the certification This certification is also centred around involving the local community in good practices. The Alliance for Water Stewardship is in fact a global organization created with the main goal of raising public awareness on issues related to water scarcity and the proper use of water. The certification must therefore also indicate that the party in question is committed to communicating the importance of water, promoting its efficient and responsible use in the local area and sharing good management practices with other local figures. The AWS thus aims at creating local and international networks of companies actively involved in managing water resources. Potabilizzatore Val di Setta 2019-07-18 For further information Potabilizzatore Val di Setta The certification process for the Val di Setta plant, located in Sasso Marconi and serving Bologna’s main aqueduct, has been successfully completed, confirming our ongoing commitment to managing and protecting water resources /-/aws-certification-for-val-di-setta-potabilization-plant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20dhCY27OBk /-/the-world-s-first-aws-certified-drinking-water-plant-is-located-in-bologna-and-managed-by-hera Visit the AWS Certification for Val di Setta potabilization plant website area Watch the promo video about the virtual tour of the val di Setta potable water treatment plant Press release Potabilizzatore Val di Setta
28/07/2021

Hera BoD approves results for 1H 2021

Hera BoD approves results for 1H 2021 Financial highlights Revenues at 4,179.7 million euro (+22.8%) Ebitda at 617.9 million euro (+10.4%) Net profit for Shareholders at 216.1 million euro (+30.0%) Strong improvement in net financial debt, now at 2,956.7 million euro, with a further decrease in the net debt/Ebitda ratio, now at 2.5x Operating highlights Good contribution to growth comes from the Group’s main businesses, in particular the energy and waste areas Progression of results underpinned both by organic growth and M&A Solid customer base in energy sectors, coming to almost 3.4 million customers The Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated operating results for the first half of 2021, which confirm the positive trend shown by the Group, with strong growth in the main operating and financial indicators, and financial solidity confirmed by the further improvement in the net debt/Ebitda ratio, now at 2.5x. Among the main changes in the scope of consolidation, external growth occurred through a few transactions in the waste management sector, in particular the acquisition of 70% of Recycla, a Friuli-based company that manages three platforms for solid and liquid industrial waste and is headquartered in Maniago (PN), consolidated in the first half of 2021. In addition, 31% of SEA, a company operating in the Marche region with a solid facility for industrial waste, was acquired, and a further transaction will be closed in the same area within the summer. Furthermore, another acquisition will contribute to the results in second half: yesterday it was finalised the acquisition of the 90% of share capital of Ecogas, operating in Abruzzo, which will bring roughly 22,000 new customers and will lead the Group to consolidate its role as the third largest operator in that area, with roughly 90,000 customers. Revenues increase sharply, coming to roughly 4.2 billion euro In the first half of 2021, revenues amounted to 4,179.7 million, rising considerably by 777.4 million (+22.8%) compared to the 3,402.3 million seen in the same period of 2020, thanks to the contribution coming from all business areas. In particular, the waste management sector contributed to growth with an increase in waste treated and plastics sold, as did the energy areas. In this area, higher revenues came from trading, higher volumes of gas sold, the increased price of electricity and generation, as well as growth in the heat management business and value-added services. Ebitda rises to 617.9 million euro Ebitda amounted to 617.9 million, up by 58.2 million (+10.4%) over the 559.7 million seen at 30 June 2020. This growth was mainly driven by the energy area, due to higher sales and trading margins, and the waste management sector. Operating results and pre-tax profits increase Operating income rose to 343.6 million (+16.2%), compared to 295.7 million in the same period of 2020, partially due to improved financial operations, coming to 55.1 million. This result includes higher charges resulting from the sale of tax credits as part of ecobonus-related activities. Pre-tax profit rose to 288.5 million (+20.5%), up compared to the 239.5 million in the first half of 2020, for reasons including non-recurring items related to a tax exemptions, as described in further detail below. Net profits for Shareholders up, reaching 216.1 million euro Thanks to a tax rate coming to 26.7%, an improvement compared to the 27% seen in the first half of 2020, achieved thanks to the Group’s commitment investment in technological, digital and environmental transformation following Utility 4.0 trends, net profits at 30 June 2021 rose to 236.2 million (+35.1%), compared to 174.9 million in the first half of 2020. This increase is also linked to the value of special items, which contributed with 24.7 million, also due to the effects of the tax realignment concerning some goodwill recognised in the financial statements for 46.3 million. Also due to this factor, profit attributable to Group Shareholders increased sharply, coming to 216.1 million (+30.0%), as against the 166.2 million seen in the same period one year earlier. Strong increase in investments and improvement in net financial debt Net operating investments went from 195.1 million at 30 June 2020 to 237.4 million in the first half of 2021, up 21.7%, and were mainly related to works on plants, networks and infrastructures, in addition to investments for the large-scale meter replacement and the purification and sewage sector. Thanks to the positive contribution coming from operations, which allowed both higher investments and M&A transactions to be fully financed, net financial debt further improved, settling at 2,956.7 million at 30 June 2021, compared to 3,227.0 million at 31 December 2020. The Group’s financial solidity was also confirmed by the net debt/Ebitda ratio, which in the first half of 2021 dropped to 2.5x, a further improvement compared to 2.87x at the end of 2020 and 2.81x at 30 June 2020. Hera’s financial strength – also reflected in the ratings given by the main rating agencies, including Standard & Poor's recent upgrade to BBB+ with a stable outlook – goes hand in hand with the sustainable development strategy it has pursued since its establishment, along with its ability to manage risks and opportunities, as shown by S&P Global Rating’s ESG Evaluation. Statement by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano Our half-year results reflect the good performance of the Group and encourage us to look towards the future with confidence, in line with our long-standing path of growth and our focus on creating value for our shareholders and the local areas in which we operate. In particular, respecting the strategic guidelines contained in our Business Plan to 2024, we are carrying out a series of transactions aimed at external growth, which will allow us to consolidate our leadership in Italy in waste treatment and further expand our plant platform, with cutting-edge facilities and circular economy solutions for companies. In this way, we will be able to continue to extend the scope of our activity, extracting synergies and guaranteeing increasing benefits for our customers, thanks to a more pervasive presence in the areas served. The acquisitions in the waste management area alone, once completed, will create an additional contribution to the Hera Group’s Ebitda coming to approximately 20 million euro, above and beyond the value of the synergies expected from these integrations. Statement by CEO Stefano Venier The results achieved in the first half of the year show a further reinforcement of our financial solidity, based on an excellent operating performance and effective management of working capital. This balanced and solid path allows us to effectively govern the changes underway, guaranteeing further expansion in investments and continuing to implement the development strategy outlined in our Business Plan, capable of combining growth and solutions supporting the transition, as further confirmed quite recently by S&P Global Rating’s ESG Evaluation. Profit & Loss (m€) 30/06/2021 Inc. % 30/06/2020 Inc. % Ch. Ch. % Sales 4,179.7 3,402.3 +777.4 +22.8% Other operating revenues 140.2 3.4% 222.6 6.5% (82.4) (37.0%) Raw material (2,128.5) (50.9%) (1,605.1) (47.2%) +523.4 +32.6% Services costs (1,260.1) (30.1%) (1,151.0) (33.8%) +109.1 +9.5% Other operating expenses (37.9) (0.9%) (32.5) (1.0%) +5.4 +16.6% Personnel costs (301.8) (7.2%) (290.9) (8.5%) +10.9 +3.7% Capitalisations 26.3 0.6% 14.3 0.4% +12.0 +84.0% Ebitda 617.9 14.8% 559.7 16.5% +58.2 +10.4% Depreciation and provisions (274.3) (6.6%) (264.0) (7.8%) +10.3 +3.9% Ebit 343.6 8.2% 295.7 8.7% +47.9 +16.2% Financial inc./(exp.) (55.1) (1.3%) (56.2) (1.7%) (1.1) (2.0%) Pre tax profit 288.5 6.9% 239.5 7.0% +49.0 +20.5% Taxes (77.0) (1.8%) (64.6) (1.9%) +12.4 +19.2% Net profit 211.5 5.1% 174.9 5.1% +36.6 +20.9% Special items 24.7 0.6% - 0.0% +24.7 +100.0% Net profit 236.2 5.7% 174.9 5.1% +61.3 +35.1% Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 216.1 5.2% 166.2 4.9% +49.9 +30.0% Minority shareholders 20.1 0.5% 8.7 0.3% +11.4 +131.1% Balance Sheet (m€) 30/06/2021 Inc.% 31/12/2020 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 7,097.6 113.4% 6,983.6 109.4% +114.0 +1.6% Working capital (176.8) (2.8%) 53.6 0.8% (230.4) (429.9%) (Provisions) (663.4) (10.6%) (654.9) (10.2%) (8.5) +1.3% Net invested capital 6,257.4 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% (124.9) (2.0%) Net equity 3,300.7 52.7% 3,155.3 49.4% +145.4 +4.6% Long term net financial debt 3,460.6 55.3% 3,617.1 56.7% (156.5) (4.3%) Short term net financial debt (503.9) (8.0%) (390.1) (6.1%) (113.8) +29.2% Net financial debts 2,956.7 47.3% 3,227.0 50.6% (270.3) (8.4%) Net invested capital 6,257.4 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% (124.9) (2.0%) Hera BoD approves results for 1H 2021 2019-07-18 For further information Hera BoD approves results for 1H 2021 The half-year report shows significant growth in operating and financial indicators, thanks to the contribution coming from the Group’s main businesses. The pursuit of sustainable development and financial solidity are confirmed as strong points /-/hera-bod-approves-results-for-1h-2021 /group_eng/investors /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-overview Press release Visit Investor Relations website area Hera overview Hera BoD approves results for 1H 2021
21/07/2021

We are among the best utilities in the S&P Global Ratings ESG evaluations

Sede Hera We rank 5th internationally among the Utility Networks assessed by this rating agency’s Sustainable Finance analysts, thanks to our focus on sustainability and our ability to manage risks and opportunities After being included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe, in 2020, we have once again confirmed our standing as one of the companies most attentive to sustainability and ESG aspects internationally. Hera’s ESG Evaluation, carried out by the Sustainable Finance analysts of S&P Global Ratings, was indeed published. This is a cross-industry assessment of a company’s ability to effectively manage, over the medium and long term, its exposure to environmental, social and governance risks, as well as to seize opportunities arising from the changes occurring in a constantly evolving international context. We are the first company in Italy to publish its ESG Evaluation, in which we obtained an overall score of 81/100, making it one of the top fifteen companies assessed internationally by S&P Global Ratings. The score obtained (81) places us well above the international (68) and European (73) average and ranks us fifth internationally among Utility Networks (with the sector average coming to 74). In particular, in the ESG Evaluation, we are assessed by S&P Global Ratings as being strongly prepared to implement its growth and development strategy, ready to face the potential risks deriving from regulations in an economy that is moving towards the circular model, with low emissions, supporting the resilience of its well-diversified business model. S&P Ratings 2019-07-18 S&P Ratings We rank 5th internationally among the Utility Networks assessed by this rating agency’s Sustainable Finance analysts, thanks to our focus on sustainability and our ability to manage risks and opportunities /-/hera-among-the-best-utilities-in-the-s-p-global-ratings-esg-evaluations /group_eng/investors /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-stock https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/research/pdf-articles/210721-esg-evaluation-gruppo-hera-spa-100288282 Press release Visit IR website area Hera ESG rating S&P’s ESG Evaluation Sede Hera
30/06/2021

Herambiente acquires the company Recycla

Herambiente acquires the company Recycla The Hera Group, through its subsidiary Herambiente has acquired 70% of Recycla, a Friuli-based company that manages three platforms for solid and liquid industrial waste, whose central offices are in Maniago (PN). This transaction will confirm Herambiente’s position as a key operator in the sector and allow it to offer its across-the-board waste treatment solutions to new customers. Through its company Hasi (Herambiente Servizi Industriali), Herambiente has thus consolidated and expanded its facilities serving businesses, with 15 multifunctional sites dedicated to the treatment of waste produced by companies and 1.2 million tonnes of industrial waste treated each year. More specifically, the Maniago platform for solid and liquid industrial waste handles over 40,000 tonnes per year of waste produced by companies. In line with the principles of the circular economy, this waste is pre-treated to optimise its characteristics and is mainly destined for energy recovery or chemical-physical treatment. Therefore, only 3% of the waste entering the platform is disposed of in landfills. This transaction, which follows the acquisitions completed in recent years (from Waste Recycling, Teseco and Pistoia Ambiente in Tuscany and Geo Nova and Aliplast in Treviso), is a new step in Herambiente’s continuous growth in the industrial waste treatment sector. This development will be further strengthened by two agreements already signed with companies operating in the Marche and Veneto regions in the same industrial sector, which will be finalised within the summer. When fully operational, thanks to these three transactions, an additional 350,000 tonnes of industrial waste produced by 3,300 new customers will be treated each year. Herambiente acquires the company Recycla 2019-07-18 Herambiente acquires the company Recycla The Hera Group has consolidated its leadership in industrial waste treatment and extended its scope of operations in northern Italy thanks to the acquisition of this Friuli-based company /-/herambiente-acquires-the-company-recycla http://ha.gruppohera.it/?lang=2 Press release Visit Herambiente's website Herambiente acquires the company Recycla
16/06/2021

We are at the top of the 2021 Integrated Governance Index

Top10 2021 We rank 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. In addition to leading the overall ranking, we also stand out in two other dedicated rankings. For the fourth year in a row, the Group is at the top of the sustainable finance category, which analyses the links between a company and responsible investors. It 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. Sustainability at the heart of the Group’s strategies For us, uninterrupted growth in operating results goes hand in hand with increasing attention to sustainability. In 2016, we introduced shared value reporting, referring to those business activities which, in addition to generating margins, respond to the drivers for sustainable growth defined by the UN 2030 Agenda and, more generally, various national and international policies. We gave further evidence of the central role played by creating shared value when it introduced the concept of Purpose in our Articles of Association, among the first companies in Italy to do so. Last April, the Shareholders Meeting approved a paragraph explaining the Group’s corporate purpose, i.e. the objectives it aims to achieve in carrying out its business activities, thus reaffirming its commitment to sustainability. The Integrated Governance Index The Integrated Governance Index is the only model for quantitatively analysing degree to which ESG factors are integrated into corporate strategies. Developed by ETicaNews, with the academic and legal support of specialised associations and advisors, it is now in its sixth edition. This index is increasingly used as an indicator of a company’s ESG identity. Top3 Area Finanza 2019-07-18 Top3 Area Finanza We lead the overall ranking in this index, which measures the extent to which sustainability is integrated within corporate strategies /-/hera-at-the-top-of-the-2021-integrated-governance-index /group_eng/sustainability/sustainability-report/sr /group_eng/corporate-governance/corporate-governance-system/articles-of-associations /group_eng/investor-relations/debit-and-rates/bond-issuances Press release Sustainability Report 2020 Our Articles of associations Green Bonds Top10 2021
12/05/2021

Hera BoD approves 1Q 2021 results

Financial results as at 31 March 2021 Financial highlights Revenues at 2,271.8 million euro (+10.5%) Ebitda at 362.0 million euro (+3.7%) Net profit for Shareholders at 132.2 million euro (+6.3%) Net financial debt shows strong improvement, now at 3,077.6 million euro, and net debt/Ebitda ratio falls to 2.71x Operating highlights Good contribution to growth coming from the Group’s main businesses, the energy sectors and waste management in particular Solid energy customer base, now reaching almost 3.4 million Further development in initiatives for the circular economy, with aspects including state of the art plants and increasingly green services for companies and citizens The Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated results for the first quarter of 2021, with all main operating and financial indicators improving, compared to the same period in the previous year, thanks to the Group’s solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business strategy and a good operating, financial and fiscal management. The energy sectors and the waste management area made a particularly important contribution. Also note the additional improvement in financial solidity, with a strong reduction in net financial debt. At 31 March 2021, the number of energy customers reached almost 3.4 million, thanks to factors including marketing initiatives and reinforced value-added services, from “green” offers to the sale and installation of LED devices, smart boilers and thermostats, as well as energy diagnoses, contracts for energy services, systems and targeted upgrading projects. The acquisition in September 2020 of the company Wölmann, which operates in the photovoltaic panel installation sector, is also part of this context and represents the main change in scope of operations compared to the first quarter of the previous year. Revenues reach approximately 2.3 billion (+10.5%) In the first quarter of 2021, revenues amounted to 2,271.8 million, up 10.5% compared to the 2,055.8 million seen in the same period of 2020. This result was sustained in particular by the energy sectors, with higher revenues from trading, higher volumes of gas sold and an increase in the price of electricity, in addition to the heat management business and activities involving value-added services for customers. Revenues from district heating and regulated network services also increased, as did those from the waste management area, thanks to energy production and a higher amount of waste treated. Ebitda rises to 362.0 million (+3.7%) Ebitda rose from 349.2 million in the first quarter of 2020 to 362.0 million at 31 March 2021, showing a 12.8 million (+3.7%) increase. This growth is due in particular to the performance achieved in the energy areas, which grew by 12.3 million overall, mainly due to higher sales margins and trading. Positive contributions also came from the waste management area and other services, while the water cycle saw a slight fall. Operating result and pre-tax profit increase Ebit rose, amounting to 223.1 million at 31 March 2021, up from 211.7 million in the same period of 2020 (+5.4%). Financial operations were largely unchanged, at 28.8 million, with an increase in charges for tax credit sales as part of ecobonus-related activities, offset by higher income for late payment indemnities on credits in the “last resort” markets. Pre-tax profit rose to 194.3 million (+6.2%). Net profit for shareholders grows to 132.2 million (+6.3%) Thanks to an improved tax rate, coming to 27.8% compared to 28.8% in the first quarter of 2020, driven by the Group’s commitment to making investments in technological, digital and environmental transformation with an eye to Utility 4.0, net profit at 31 March 2021 reached 140.3 million, up 7.7% compared to the 130.3 million seen in the same period of 2020. Profit pertaining to Group shareholders also rose to 132.2 million, up 6.3% compared to the 124.4 million seen in the same period of 2020. Operating investments rise and net financial debt improves significantly Net operating investments were up significantly, from 91.5 million at 31 March 2020 to 112.6 million (+23.1%) in the first quarter of 2021, and were mainly related to work on plants, networks and infrastructures, with investments in gas distribution concerning the large-scale meter replacement, and in the purification and sewerage area. Thanks in particular to the positive contribution coming from operational management during the quarter, a strong improvement was also seen in net financial debt, which stood at 3,077.6 million, compared to 3,227.0 million at 31 December 2020, down by approximately 150 million. Thanks to the double leverage provided by increased Ebitda and decreased net financial debt, the net debt/Ebitda ratio further improved to 2.71x, both compared to the same quarter last year (2.93x) and to the figure seen at the end of 2020 (2.87x). This data once again confirms the Group’s financial solidity, which also appears in the opinions released by major rating agencies, in particular the recent upgrade by Standard & Poor’s to BBB+ with a stable outlook. Profit & Loss (m€) 31/03/2021 Inc. % 31/03/2020 Inc. % Ch. Ch. % Sales 2,271.8 2,055.8 +216.0 +10.5% Other operating revenues 100.7 4.4% 109.0 5.3% (8.3) (7.6%) Raw material (1,209.7) (53.2%) (1,035.4) (50.4%) +174.3 +16.8% Services costs (646.9) (28.5%) (627.2) (30.5%) +19.7 +3.1% Other operating expenses (17.1) (0.8%) (12.5) (0.6%) +4.6 +36.8% Personnel costs (150.1) (6.6%) (147.3) (7.2%) +2.8 +1.9% Capitalisations 13.3 0.6% 6.8 0.3% +6.5 +94.9% Ebitda 362.0 15.9% 349.2 17.0% +12.8 +3.7% Depreciation and provisions (138.9) (6.1%) (137.5) (6.7%) +1.4 +1.0% Ebit 223.1 9.8% 211.7 10.3% +11.4 +5.4% Financial inc./(exp.) (28.8) (1.3%) (28.7) (1.4%) +0.1 +0.3% Pre tax profit 194.3 8.6% 183.0 8.9% +11.3 +6.2% Taxes (54.0) (2.4%) (52.7) (2.6%) +1.3 +2.5% Net profit 140.3 6.2% 130.3 6.3% +10.0 +7.7% Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 132.2 5.8% 124.4 6.0% +7.8 +6.3% Minority shareholders 8.1 0.4% 5.9 0.3% +2.2 +37.2% Balance Sheet (m€) 31/03/2021 Inc.% 31/12/2020 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 6,993.3 109.6% 6,983.6 109.4% +9.7 +0.1% Working capital 44.6 0.7% 53.6 0.8% (9.0) (16.8%) (Provisions) (657.5) (10.3%) (654.9) (10.2%) (2.6) +0.4% Net invested capital 6,380.4 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% (1.9) (0.0%) Net equity 3,302.8 51.8% 3,155.3 49.4% +147.5 +4.7% Long term net financial debt 3,576.5 56.0% 3,617.1 56.7% (40.6) (1.1%) Short term net financial debt (498.9) (7.8%) (390.1) (6.1%) (108.8) +27.9% Net financial debts 3,077.6 48.2% 3,227.0 50.6% (149.4) (4.6%) Net invested capital 6,380.4 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% (1.9) (0.0%) Financial results as at 31 March 2021 2019-07-18 Financial results as at 31 March 2021 The consolidated quarterly report at 31 March shows further improvement in all main operating and financial indicators, with financial solidity confirmed as a strong point, as has also been recently highlighted by the upgraded rating given by S&P’s, now BBB+ with a stable outlook /-/hera-bod-approves-1q-2021-results-1 Press release Financial results as at 31 March 2021
06/05/2021

Over 2 billion EUR distributed locally

Sustainability report 2021 Figures allow us to better analyse processes and impacts, to activate improvement actions and to transparently report the results achieved. These are the objectives of our Sustainability Report, published online and focused on the year 2020 just ended. A document that represents the value horizon we operate in and that aims to combine industrial growth and sustainable development while striking a balance between three dimensions represented by as many keywords: planet, people and prosperity. Creating value together with the communities served: over two billion EUR distributed locally Sustainable growth also involves the economic and social fabric of the territories served. Here are some figures: the economic value distributed to workers, shareholders, suppliers, public administration and local community in 2020 was 2,118 million, of which 740 million to local suppliers (+6% compared to the previous year, 65% of the total value of supplies), generating an employment impact of over 8,800 workers and allowing the inclusion of 864 disadvantaged people through social cooperatives; 584 people were hired during the year and 96.6% of employees have permanent contracts. The gross operating margin (EBITDA) from our activities that address the priorities of the Global Agenda, in particular the sustainable development objectives of the United Nations, rose to 420 million EUR in 2020, 37% of the total (it will be 50% in 2024), divided into three areas: energy, environment, territory (and business). Energy: pursuing carbon neutrality Working on energy for us means first and foremost pursuing carbon neutrality, with actions that involve both the company and all social players, in the interest of a planet that is increasingly exposed to climate change and whose natural resources are compromised. An example is the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that we set ourselves, among the most ambitious for a company in Italy: 37% less by 2030 compared to 2019, validated according to the strictest scientific criteria by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). Overall, the actions we have taken range from promoting energy efficiency to energy transition and renewables. Internally, in 2020 energy consumption fell by 6.2% over 2013 (equal to 13,800 tons of oil equivalent) and 83% of the electricity used is derived from renewable sources. In addition, 7.8 million cubic metres of biomethane were produced through the transformation of organic waste in the plant in S. Agata Bolognese (Bo), 20% more than the previous year. Through the construction of new plants, the goal is to produce up to over 30 million cubic meters in 2030. As far as customer involvement is concerned, also in 2020 we purchased electricity from renewable sources in such a quantity as to fully cover the consumption of all household customers in the free market, and in 2030 we aim to reach 45% of subscriptions to offers that include energy efficiency services, thus supporting them in adopting virtuous behaviours with 100% green offers and consumption containment tools. Sustainability report 2021 2019-07-18 Sustainability report 2021 The creation of shared value and the benefits for the territories served are at the heart of our 2020 Sustainability Report: results achieved and future commitments to respond specifically to environmental and climate change challenges /group_eng/sustainability/sustainability-report/sr View the 2020 Sustainability report bs2020 eng.png
28/04/2021

Shareholders Meeting: 2020 financial statements approved, dividend rises to 11 cents

President_and_CEO_110 Hera’s Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting was held this morning in Bologna. The 2020 financial statements were approved, as was payment of a dividend rising to 11 cents per share (+10% compared to the last dividend paid), providing further confirmation of value creation for stakeholders and local areas. Among the various resolutions passed, the Meeting approved a number of amendments to the company’s Articles of Association, in particular introducing the concept of corporate purpose. The 2020 Sustainability Report was also presented at the Meeting. Approval of the 2020 financial statements and growth in results During the ordinary session, the Shareholders Meeting approved the 2020 financial statements, which showed improvement in the main operating and financial indicators, thanks to a solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business model and good operational, financial and fiscal management. Despite the health emergency that struck the world, Hera managed to close the year positively, guaranteeing quality and continuity in services and, at the same time, protecting its stakeholders with concrete actions, first and foremost employees, customers and suppliers. Dividend increasing to 11 cents per share approved The Shareholders Meeting then approved the Board of Directors’ proposal to pay a dividend coming to 11 cents per share, up 10% over the last dividend paid and higher than the amount foreseen by the Business Plan for the current year. The coupon date has been set at 5 July 2021, with payment starting on 7 July 2021. The Sustainability Report: shared value Ebitda rises to 420.0 million euro The Sustainability 2020 Report was also presented during the Shareholders Meeting, showing how improvement in operating and financial indicators goes hand in hand with the creation of shared value and positive effects for local areas, in the interest of the communities served. In 2020, shared value Ebitda – i.e., results from business activities that, in addition to generating margins, meet the goals for sustainable growth defined by the UN Agenda and, more generally, national and international policies – rose to € 420.0 million euro (+7.2%), equivalent to 37.4% of total Ebitda. Creating shared value now part of the Articles of Association Another important step approved by the Shareholders Meeting concerns the introduction into the Articles of Association of Hera, one of the first companies in Italy to do so, of the concept of “Purpose”, with a focus on creating shared value. In particular, an additional paragraph was included in Article 3 to explain the Group’s corporate purpose, i.e. the goals it aims to achieve in carrying out its business activities. This emphasises Hera’s commitment to sustainability, which has characterized it since its establishment. President and CEO Hera 2020-04-29 Further Information President and CEO Hera Growth in results, thanks to good operating, financial and fiscal management. Focus on creating shared value for stakeholders and local areas confirmed, reinforced by the concept of corporate purpose introduced in the Articles of Association /-/hera-shareholders-meeting-2020-financial-statements-approved-dividend-rises-to-11-cents /group_eng/corporate-governance/shareholders-meetings /group_eng/investor-relations/results-and-presentations/y2020 /group_eng/sustainability/sustainability-report/sr Press release Shareholders' Meeting Documents Find out Online Report Y2020 Find out Sustainability Report 2020 President_and_CEO_110
22/04/2021

We are going to reduce emissions by 37% within 2030

SBTi 2021 We can now boast one of the most ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions certified on a scientific basis for a company in Italy: down 37% by 2030 compared to 2019. This has been certified by the prestigious international network Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), born out of a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and the WWF, which today – World Earth Day – formalized its validation of our greenhouse gas reduction targets. We are committed in particular to the “Well below 2°C” goal, aimed at limiting the increase in global temperature to considerably below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, in line with the path set out by the Paris Climate Agreement. At the forefront in the energy transition and the fight against climate change Our focus on sustainability is fully integrated in the business strategies and goes hand in hand with creation of increasing shared value, with stakeholders and the areas in which we operate. We have long been at the forefront in the fight against climate change, taking action and making investments for the energy transition towards carbon neutrality and the transition to a circular economy, as reiterated in the 2024 Business Plan. And in order to focus our objectives even more concretely, we extend our outlook to 2030, also including the targets validated by SBTi, following the most rigorous scientific criteria. Our objective of a 37% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is all the more ambitious considering that it is not limited to the emissions produced by the Group’s own activities but also covers those of our customers, in electricity and gas sales, and our suppliers. In fact, we have introduced numerous solutions for individuals and companies to promote energy efficiency, accompanied by broader initiatives intended to increase involvement and awareness, aimed at encouraging reduced consumption. img_canvas_interna.jpg Our objective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is among the most ambitious for an Italian company, as officially communicated today, World Earth Day, by the international network Science Based Targets initiative /-/hera-to-reduce-emissions-by-37-within-2030 /documents/1514726/4185885/HERA-ITA-002-OFF+Certificate.pdf/58bf5219-2e44-4571-fc1d-4db76a3d7d0c?t=1619018057136 https://sciencebasedtargets.org/ https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/sustainability/sustainability-report Press release read the SBTi certificate Visit SBTi website Read the chapter of the sustainability report dedicated to climate change mitigation centrata SBTi 2021
24/03/2021

Hera Group approves the financial statement results

Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano e Stefano Venier The Hera Group closed the 2020 financial year positively, as well as in all quarters, even during a particularly difficult year on account of the Coronavirus emergency. The Group’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the consolidated economic results along with the Sustainability report. Thanks to its solid and efficient multi-business model, and good operating, financial and fiscal management, Hera succeeded in maintaining growth in its results while at the same time supporting its stakeholders. Even during the lockdown, indeed, Hera guaranteed continuity, safety, quality and efficiency in all services and also provided help not only for its own employees but also its customers, suppliers and local communities. This consisted first in allowing customers to pay with delays or by instalments and offering reverse factoring to small and medium businesses, and later participating in specific solidarity initiatives across the areas served. These initiatives were appreciated by customers, as appears in the recent customer satisfaction poll which, despite the difficult external context, confirmed a high customer satisfaction rate (73/100), with approval of the management and services provided during the emergency coming to 85/100. The Hera Group succeeded in continuing along the path of uninterrupted growth seen since its establishment in 2002, once again leveraging its own strategy: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and higher synergies than expected. All of this while continuously striving to create value for its stakeholders, respecting the directions set out by the new Business Plan to 2024, which aims at accompanying all areas served in a recovery that respects European strategies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. “These results indeed reflect our uninterrupted activities, in spite of the pandemic, supporting the economic fabric in which we operate. Quarter after quarter, we succeeded in meeting the challenges posed by the emergency, reacting quickly to reorganise our work and find solutions to protect our assets on the one hand, and customers on the other. In a complex context, we defined new projects and signed agreements with outstanding partners, and in the second half of 2020, gaining speed in particular towards the end of the year, we benefitted from the overall recovery seen in economic activities in the areas we serve. These positive results were reflected in all main indicators and are all the more significant in light of the difficulties caused by the health emergency: we thus confirmed our track record of 18 years of growth and further improved our financial solidity, with positive consequences for our public and private shareholders, to whom we have decided to pay, already this year, an increased dividend coming to 11 cents per share”. Executive President, Tomaso Tommasi, di Vignano went on to say at the end of the Board of Directors meeting of 24 March. Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Venier, added: “The growth achieved by the Hera Group was strongly supported by its partnership with Ascopiave, which enabled the Group to expand further in the Triveneto region. Despite the complex context, we were able to immediately extract a significant part of the expected synergies, thus giving a crucial contribution to the increase in our cash flows in 2020. The year was also dedicated to further progress in fully integrating sustainability into our business strategies: we are committed to promoting further development in this direction, with projects for circularity, carbon neutrality and technological innovation, respecting European policies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. This also includes a few collaborations recently launched, such as the one with Snam for developing hydrogen”. 2019-07-18 News_BS_870px_eng.jpg The year ended positively, despite the nationwide impact coming from the Coronavirus emergency, during which Hera stood by its stakeholders and provided support. Thanks to its solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business strategy, Hera thus continued to grow and create value for shareholders and local communities /group_eng/investor-relations/results-and-presentations/y2020 https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/sustainability/sustainability-report/sr /-/hera-bod-approves-y2020-results /documents/1514726/7351398/Bilancio+di+sostenibilit%C3%A0+2020+Highlight.pdf/773fb31e-68a1-a8b4-b487-435b139c741b?t=1618991300290 /group_eng/investors See the interactive 2020 annual report See the sustainability report 2020 Read the press release on Y2020 results 2020 Sustainability Report Highlights Find out the Investor Relations area Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano e Stefano Venier
22/03/2021

Conscious and responsible use of water starts by setting a good example

World Water Day World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness. On World Water Day 2021, dedicated to the theme 'The role of water in our society and how to defend it’, we renew our commitment to encouraging the responsible use of water. Protecting water and reducing consumption have always been of paramount importance for us, and the service we manage, according to a circular economy approach, has specific and challenging goals. Investments of more than 1 Billion Euro have been allocated to the Water Cycle in the 2024 Business Plan Our strategies to ensure quality, efficiency and resilience require major investments, in order to upgrade infrastructures, even with the use of innovative technologies. That is why, we have allocated investments of over 1 billion Euro to the water cycle in our 2024 Business Plan. Many projects are planned such as the partitioning of the networks into districts, strengthening interconnections, to reduce water loss and guarantee water supplies even in critical situations, as well as water reuse projects. Reducing consumption and efficient use of water One of the goals of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development is to substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors within 2030. We have set our internal water saving goal by 2030 as 25%, and have already reduced consumption by 5% in 2019 (with respect to consumption in 2017). Monitoring consumption to promote a conscious use of water We have provided numerous free tools to our customers to make them aware of the properties of the water they use every day. The water bill, for example, shows the water label with details (territory by territory) of the main benchmarks. This data is also provided by the report “In Good Waters”, which is published online, and contains, amongst other things, information about the quality of the water managed, which is monitored with almost 3,000 tests a day. The Acquologo (the Water Expert), on the other hand, is a free App for tablets and smartphones that is yet another communications channel with the citizens we serve. Its functions include self-reading of your own water meter or access to data about the water quality in your municipality. The App, which in 2020 alone was downloaded almost 12,000 times, sends warnings to users about the interruption to the water supply for routine maintenance and water leakages or burst pipes on land in the public domain. Our website also has a web area dedicated to water (eng.gruppohera.it/acqua), with useful information and insights. Finally, to encourage a conscious use of water, we were the first to create in Italy, a free tool called, the Consumption Diary, in which users may monitor their water consumption in order to modify the way they use water, giving a saving on water bills while ensuring positive impact on the environment. The project, in collaboration with Milan Polytechnic University, has to date involved over 145,000 domestic users and will gradually be extended to all customers who provide an email address to the company. World Water Day Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information World Water Day On World Water Day 2021, we renew our commitment to protecting this precious natural resource. Investments of over one billion Euro have been allocated to the water cycle in our 2024 Business Plan. Our priorities are an efficient use of water and reducing consumption. World Water Day
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22/02/2021

Hera and Snam will collaborate for hydrogen development

IDAR Hera and Snam have signed a Letter of Intent for a technological collaboration aimed at developing hydrogen, for their own areas of activity respectively, to test and subsequently implement a number of solutions able to respond to the decarbonisation needs of the Emilia-Romagna region in a cross-cutting manner, from production to mobility to individual citizens. The accord involves several areas of action, starting from the collaboration on power-to-gas technology. Specifically, an innovative plant is at an advanced stage of design at the Bologna Corticella multi-utility treatment plant, which will transform excess renewable electricity into “green” hydrogen to be injected into the networks by exploiting purified water and returning oxygen, biogas and sludge to the water purification process, thus obtaining a mutually beneficial “symbiosis” between the two plants, with an additional environmental benefit. Other options under study include the creation of plants to extract green hydrogen from water, using the renewable energy generated by the Hera Group’s waste-to-energy plants, with the aim of contributing to the decarbonisation of industrial sectors such as the production of fertilisers and fuels. Finally, the Letter of Intent provides for a possible joint experimentation of injecting a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen into a portion of Hera’s distribution network in Emilia-Romagna, similar to what Snam has already done on its own transmission network. At the heart of this experimentation is the gas network of Modena. IDAR IDAR 2013-08-28 For further information IDAR This agreement will also contribute to the development of renewable energies in Italy, in line with the guidelines set out by the European Union /-/snam-and-hera-kicking-off-a-technological-collaboration-for-hydrogen-development Press release IDAR IDAR
08/02/2021

Hera 2021 gold medal in S&P Global's Sustainability Award

S&P Global's Sustainability Award The Hera Group has received a worldwide gold medal for social responsibility. S&P Global, indeed, 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. 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 a sector average coming to 45/100. 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. 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. S&P Global's Sustainability Award 2013-08-28 For further information S&P Global's Sustainability Award The Group has received Gold Class status for ranking as “Industry leader” in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Hera also given special mention as “Industry mover” /group_eng/sustainability /group_eng/investors /-/hera-2021-gold-medal-in-s-p-global-s-sustainability-award null Visit "Social Reponsibility" website area Visit "Investors" website area Press release null S&P Global's Sustainability Award
27/01/2021

Hera Group part of the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

The Hera Group pays close attention to gender equality and to promoting diversity and inclusion, and stands out in particular for its transparency in providing information on these issues and its harassment prevention and sanctioning policies. The Group has indeed been included this year as well – after becoming part of it for the first time in 2020 – in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which evaluates 11,700 companies worldwide committed to promoting and creating equal and inclusive workplaces. Diversity awareness is indeed an increasingly important issue for the international financial community, with investors showing growing interest towards listed companies with outstanding policies in this area. 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. Today, diversity valorisation policies are an integral part of the Group’s strategy, and are also defined in its Business Plan to 2024. Promoting diversity, inclusion and people development is central in human resource management. At Hera, equality in access to development and professional growth is reached through meritocratic systems designed and calibrated to guarantee their own concrete application. The tools used include compensation and benefits focused on performance, the complexity of one’s role and market comparisons, regardless of gender or generation, and career paths that see an increasing percentage of women with roles of responsibility, now coming to roughly 30%. Bloomberg 2021 Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information Bloomberg 2021 /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-overview/creation-of-shared-value /-/hera-group-part-of-the-2021-bloomberg-gender-equality-index Hera Group's Diversity & Inclusion Main Parameters Press release bloomberg_2021_110.1611654387.png
25/01/2021

Hera a Top Employer for the 12th time

A company’s workers are the true key to its success. The Hera Group knows this well, and continues to dedicate resources, attention and commitment to its team of over 9,000 employees. And the results are clear to all, as is shown by Top Employer, an international certification of excellence in human resource management, awarded to Hera in 2021 as well, for the 12th consecutive year. This recognition comes from the Holland-based Top EmployerInstitute, which carries out research on the quality of human resource management, examining over 1,600 businesses. The Group also stands out for its organisational methods, which promote worker agility and digitalisation, with a smart working project launched in 2017 that created the bases to effectively face the emergency that struck our country, with no effect on service quality and efficiency, protecting at the same time the health and safety of its employees and customers. In 2020, Hera immediately introduced a range of measures that ensured it would remain close to its workers: from upgrading technological tools favouring collaboration and communication among employees, to redesigning training in order to meet new obligations concerning remote work, and setting in place a Covid-19 insurance policy for its employees, with all expenses covered by the company. 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. Hera has also confirmed its ranking among the leading Italian businesses that invest in their employees’ personal and professional development, with 26 hours of training per capita each year and a total of roughly 236,000 hours provided, thanks to investments coming to approximately 2 million euro. In this area, a fundamental role is played by HerAcademy, the Group’s corporate university that allows it to communicate with businesses and the main local institutions. Furthermore, through the Hera Educational set of initiatives, the Group constantly reinforces its role in the area served, consolidating its partnerships with various figures in the educational system. Lastly, a special focus goes to sustainability and guaranteeing equal opportunity, inclusion and diversity valorisation. This is proved by the Group’s presence in the 2020 Refinitiv “Diversity & Inclusion Index” (formerly Thomson Reuters) and its entrance in the 2020 “Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index”. In November 2020, as regards ESG factors, which also cover human resource management and development, Hera was recognised as “Industry leader” and included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe, one of the most authoritative stock market indices evaluating social responsibility, which brings together the companies showing the best sustainability performances in the world. Top employer 2021 Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information Top employer 2021 /group_eng/working-at-hera-group /-/hera-a-top-employer-for-the-12th-time Workers in Hera Press release top_employer_2021_110.1611329648.png
13/01/2021

Hera Group approves Business Plan to 2024

Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Hera Executive Chairman The reference scenario for the upcoming five years shows challenges and opportunities, which Hera has proven able to grasp in advance, by basing its strategy and its own approach to sustainability on them, well in advance. Today, with the new Business Plan, we can capitalise on the efforts made until present and increase our targets for growth to 2024. To support our goals, we have drawn up a significant investment plan which will expand our assets, at the same time making them increasingly sustainable, in line with the indications coming from international institutions. We have furthermore confirmed all of our operating-financial policies, most importantly maintaining a conservative asset profile, allowing us to finance potential investments not included in the Plan. Stefano Venier, Hera CEO Hera has always managed its activities through a sustainable approach, integrated into its business strategies. Therefore, with our new Business Plan we can promote further development, with projects dedicated to circularity, carbon neutrality and technological innovation, fully respecting the guidelines introduced by the Authority and benefiting from our past actions, in areas including premiums for service quality. We furthermore wish to report to our stakeholders, with the utmost transparency, on the Group’s commitment towards sustainability, already applying the TCFD’s recommendations to the 2020 financial year. Our future path is very clear and presents no few challenges, so much so that we have already given ourselves targets for 2030, aiming to achieve increasingly ambitious goals in sustainability. A new Plan for development and growth Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, approved the Business Plan to 2024. This new five-year strategic document reflects Hera’s renewed commitment towards development and growth, with expectations increased compared to the previous Plan, and actions planned in areas including energy transition and environmental protection, technological evolution and social cohesion. The Group’s strategies for industrial and commercial reinforcement have been set out according to sustainable business models, channelling opportunities coming from innovation and digital technology, and promoting the creation of shared value for all stakeholders. Hera furthermore intends to support local communities in a recovery compliant to European strategies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Supported by the positive preliminary results for 2020, Hera will thus proceed along the path of uninterrupted growth it has followed since its establishment in 2002, with the aim of consolidating its leadership in all main business areas. All of this thanks to the strength of a model that over the years has proven to be winning and resilient and offers, still today, a concrete guarantee of additional future development A solid foundation in the preliminary results for 2020 The Business Plan to 2024 is based on the solid fundamentals seen in the year-end projections for 2020: the preliminary results, indeed, confirm growth in the main indicators over the previous year. Ebitda is expected to have reached 1,118 million euro in 2020, increasing compared to the 1,085 million seen in 2019, while the Net debt/Ebitda ratio shows considerable improvement, settling at 2.9x, as against 3.02x at 31 December 2019. Last year, furthermore, Hera made investments coming to roughly 540 million euro, essentially unchanged with respect to 2019. In 2020, Hera thus overcame the difficulties caused by the pandemic and guaranteed continuity, efficiency and quality in the services provided, as well as offering concrete support to all stakeholders, first and foremost customers, suppliers and employees. The framework of the new Plan: resilience, green transition and digital technology, for recovery To respond to the complex scenario seen in 2020 and limit the impact of the crisis, the European Union has projected a series of extraordinary measures – including the “Next Generation EU” program – with funding going in particular to the green transition and digital technology. Alongside these measures, mention must go to the opportunities found in our country’s particular situation, which shows room for consolidation in markets that remain overly fragmentary, tenders for service concession renewal, and a further liberalisation of electricity sales with the end of the protected customer system. Three focal points of the Business Plan to 2024: the environment, socio-economic factors and innovation The Hera Group has enhanced its strategy, following European directives while at the same time maintaining its coherence towards the 2030 Agenda, which for years has guided the Group’s commitment towards sustainable development. More specifically, the new Plan revolves around three strategic focal points – the environment, socio-economic factors and innovation – according to which all of Hera’s projects will take shape. The environmental focal points include promoting a circular economy by recovering, reusing and regenerating resources, interventions aimed at increasing infrastructural resilience so as to prevent and mitigate risks. More generally, this area also includes all actions aimed at countering climate change – an area in which Hera has been a leading figure for some time – in order to reach carbon neutrality, promoting bioenergies/green gas – such as biomethane, hydrogen and green syngas – and energy efficiency. Contributing to decarbonisation and saving resources will also come about through a drop in consumption within the Group itself: by 2024, energy consumption is expected to fall by 7% (compared to 2013) and internal water consumption by 17% (compared to 2017). The socio-economic factors, instead, involve creating “shared value” for stakeholders and the areas served, making the most of the Group’s physical and commercial assets, with new services having added value for customers, collaborations with external partners and projects for listening to local and social needs, as well as finalising integration transactions or tenders for regulated service assignments. Innovation, lastly, covers the opportunities linked to technological evolution, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and data analysis, to increase efficiency and service quality, with increasingly agile employment solutions, while maintaining the correct balance between people and technology. Investments coming to approximately 3.2 billion euro, up thanks to the Group’s financial solidity The Plan to 2024 calls for increased investments, coming to roughly 3.2 billion euro, 640 million per year on average: these figures are significantly higher (by approximately +40%) than the average seen over the last five years. In particular, an increase is expected in internal development, coming to 2.9 billion, 400 million more than in the previous Plan, with a financial commitment proportionate to Hera’s presence in the areas served and the features of the various business areas. 280 million will go to M&A operations and tenders for regulated services, with a slight drop compared to the previous Plan due to delays in a few gas tenders, partially offset by higher amount dedicated to external investments. More generally, 60% of these investments will be dedicated to projects respecting European objectives. 42% will go towards activities in line with the “Green Deal”, for reducing emissions, carbon neutrality, business resilience and circular economy. The remaining 18% will be channelled into technological evolution: from increased cybersecurity to remote control, and from “smarty” bins for sorted waste to new meters. This increase in investments was made possible not only by the positive results reached in 2020, but also by Hera’s financial solidity, which leaves room to manoeuvre with additional unforeseen investments. During the period covered by the Plan, in fact, a reduction is expected in the net debt/Ebitda ratio, reaching 2.8x by 2024. Business plan to 2024 Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information Business plan to 2024 /group_eng/investor-relations/hera-strategy https://investornews.gruppohera.it/en/?n=185 /-/hera-group-approves-business-plan-to-2024-1 Strategy and Business plan Newsletter: business plan to 2024 Press release bp2024_110x150.1610525461.jpg
30/11/2020

The Hera Group ranks among the top ten in Europe and Italy in terms of online communication

Again in 2020, for the tenth year running, the Hera Group has been included among the top ten Italian companies in online communication and this year, for the first time, it also appears in the top ten European ranking. The study, published today in Corriere Economia, is conducted by Lundquist and the Swedish company Comprend, the two expert digital communication companies that annually examine the corporate websites of major Italian companies listed on the stock exchange, evaluating their communication strategies on the web ina ranking at national and European level. This year, the survey includes122 companies. In the 19th edition report, Hera placed 6th, in the category "5 Stars" in web communication, with a score of 82.2/100and ahead of large corporations such as Italgas, ERG, Mondadori and Intesa Sanpaolo. All results are available for viewing at this link. Among the strengths listed of the multi-utility company, the study names the detailed presentation of "Corporate Governance" and the "Careers" section, which are deemed particularly effective in communicating with the target audience. The Group was also recognised for its excellent performance in terms of transparencyof digital communication, which earned the Group's admission for the first time into the European ranking (Top 500), straight in at seventh place. Not only that: this edition of Webranking also included the "Palmares" ranking, which lists all the best-performing companies in the field between 2011 and 2020: here theHera Group comes in fifth with three silver and four bronzes in ten years. Regarding the question of sustainability, according to the study by Lundquist and Comprend, the Hera Group website offers "an interesting discussion dedicated to the importance of developing an Environmental, Social and Governance approach (ESG) in the financial sector, based on the results of dialogue with its stakeholders. Ample space is also given to sustainability issues within the section 'Investing in Hera', complete with links to pages for specific in-depth analysis". The health crisis triggered by the Covid-19 virus has also put corporate communication to the test, both in terms of its ability to react to the emergency itself and to recalibrate its vision of business for the future. For both these abilities, the Hera Group has been mentioned by Lundquist as ranking among the companies "to follow" with its dedicated area "Together to overcome this time of crisis", which keeps users constantly updated on all the initiatives put in place by the multi-utility company aimed at its customers and employees. Between the final phase of the lockdown and the first reopenings, the second edition of ".Trust" got well underway - Lundquist's research study which is actively focused on measuring how communication can generate trust and be an effective tool for business growth. This year, the Hera Group was mentioned (from among the 112 major Italian companies listed on the stock exchange that were analysed) in the section "Substance", which evaluates the ability to provide a unified view of the company and its purpose. Hera Group stands out in the detailed view of the company and its activities and for the completeness of the sections dedicated to sustainability. Download Whitepaper Webranking 2020-2021 Italy listed Webranking 2020 Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information Webranking 2020 In the Lundquist Webranking 2020 report on digital communication, the multiutility enters the European ranking for the first time, ranking seventh, and confirms itself among the top ten in Italy distinguishing itself for the detailed vision of the company and its activities, as well as for completeness and transparency in the communication field https://www.comprend.com/webranking/webranking-results/2020-2021/ https://lundquist.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Webranking_Italy_2020_White_paper.pdf https://www.comprend.com/webranking/webranking-results/2020-2021/italy-2020-2021/ https://www.comprend.com/webranking/webranking-results/2020-2021/europe-500-2020-2021/ https://lundquist.it/trust/trust-italy-listed-2020/ To see the full results Download Whitepaper Italy listed 2020-2021 Take a look at the Italian ranking Take a look at the European ranking Read more about ".Trust" webranking2020_110.1606808028.png
26/11/2020

Hera: new 500 million euro bond

The Hera Group has successfully placed a bond for qualified investors on the Eurobond market, with a nominal amount coming to 500 million euro and a 10-year maturity. This new issue immediately met with strong interest from investors in all main European countries. In a single day, orders were indeed received for 4 times the offer. Due to the quantity and quality of the orders received, the price was set at an excellent rate, equal to the Mid Swap Rate +60 basis points, and a coupon coming to 0.25%, the lowest amount for an Italian corporate bond with an equal length to maturity. The notes will be issued as part of the Euro Medium Term Notes Programme (updated on 24 November 2020 increasing to 3.5 billion euro the maximum principal amount of notes that may be simultaneously outstanding) and will be listed on the regulated market of the Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin) with a return set at 0.348%. The settlement is scheduled for 3 December 2020. The notes are expected to have the same rating as the Hera Group: Moody’s rating Baa2 with a stable outlook and Standard & Poor’s rating BBB with a positive outlook. The proceeds of the bond will be used to finance the Group’s investments in the waste management, water and energy sectors, which will introduce innovative interventions that follow up on the attention towards sustainability that has always characterized the Group’s activities. Sede Hera Sede Hera 2013-08-28 For further information Sede Hera Strong interest shown by investors towards a bond financing the Group’s projects, with orders amounting to over 2 billion. This positive reaction was fuelled by the Group’s solidity and its high sustainability profile, as recognised by its recent inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index /en/-/hera-new-500-million-euro-bond Press release sede_hera_110.1592478681.jpg

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