Discover the Acea Group online 2020 Sustainability Report
Relations with the environment
Environmental sustainability and primary challenges
The primary challenges for environmental sustainability are identified in the Green Deal, the European Union growth strategy and the tool to launch the “Next Generation EU”. The European post-COVID plan sets the goal of climate neutrality by 2050, through progressive transformation of the economy, with largescale investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport with low environmental impacts and upgrading of buildings, in the context of a circular economy, with inclusivity and innovation as universal foundations.
As 2020 was struck by the health emergency, the European guidelines remained unchanged and also represent the reference framework for Companies like Acea, which continues its path of growth in a circular-economy context, and has taken up the challenge of combating climate change through:
- increased use of renewables,
- increased use of green energy in internal consumption,
- increased resilience of electrical and water infrastructure,
- a focus on safeguarding water resources
- technological innovation applied to infrastructure management.
Acea has undertaken a process of alignment with the Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and has already assessed climate risks since 2019, distinguishing them into physical and transitional ones.
RELATIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT
- Energy segment
- Environment segment
- Water segment
- Use of materials
- Emissions
Scope
The chapter Energy Segment includes Acea Produzione, the PV Companies under Acea Sun Capital, Areti, the Acea Ambiente and Ecogena energy production plants (Ecogena is only included for data on energy produced and Energy Efficiency Certificates). Waste-to-energy activities are also described in the chapter Environment Segment – waste management.
Scope
The chapter includes Acea Elabori, for the project “Smart Comp”; the activities of the waste treatment hub, waste-to-energy plants and compost production plants, all within Acea Ambiente; and the activities of Aquaser and Acque Industriali.
Scope
The scope includes the Companies Acea Ato 2, Acea Ato 5, AdF, Gori and Gesesa. Acque, Publiacqua and Umbra Acque, water Companies not included in the scope of the Consolidated Non-Financial Disclosure (pursuant to Legislative Decree no. 254/2016). They have been included only in the water graphs, with evidence of their contribution, and in a few other global data (water fed into the system and analytical calculations).
Scope
The main materials used in production processes differ according to the business sector:
- for the Companies in the Environment segment, the most important resources are incoming waste for production of compost and electricity,
- thermoelectric plants, managed by Acea Produzione, use fossil fuels (natural gas and gas oil) for the production of electricity,
- for the electricity distribution process, managed by Areti, a primary component is sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) used in medium and high-voltage plants for its high insulating capacity, which allows use of less space,
- Companies in the water segment use significant quantities of chemical products, which are essential for the management of processes,
- Acea Energia and the water Companies responsible for the management of commercial aspects use paper for billing customers.
Scope
Atmospheric emissions from Acea plants are constantly monitored. Plants are managed according to the UNI EN ISO 14001 and UNI EN ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001:2007 standards. Waste-to-energy plants are also registered under the European EMAS III scheme, extended until 2021.
