Goal
- Protect and strengthen the core business in the short term
- Support the evolution of the business in the long term
- Promote a culture of innovation
- Generate positive impacts in the reference territories
We are committed to ESG initiatives that concretely enhance the well-being of communities and pave the way for a more sustainable future
The environmental, economic, and social challenges we face require a path of growth and transformation grounded in ESG principles.
We actively engage in promoting innovation by investing in enabling technologies for the ecological transition.
- CVC Programme
- Energy Bank
- Strengthening Electric Grids
Corporate venture capital
The Corporate Venture Capital programme in support of the circular economy and the energy transition
In 2019 A2A launched a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) programme, in partnership with 360 Capital - relevant player in the European Venture Capital business, with the aim to promote innovation through investments in strategic businesses such as Energy Transition and Circular Economy, in line with the Group Industrial Plan.
The synergic model adopted, included in a wider Open Innovation Strategy, entails the identification of innovative solutions through scouting of start-ups and SMEs, experimental projects, idea challenges and activities of corporate entrepreneurship.
The mission of the CVC program is to target technological solutions that can strengthen A2A core businesses, promoting the growth path of startups with digital benefits and procedures.
Target
Startup seed e early stage
CVC Programme
55
Startups portfolio
across all 5 funds
1,526
Total employees
of which 852 are in Italy
Dedicated A+360 fund focus
8
Startups portfolio
of which 3 are in Italy
264
Total employees
of which 45 are in Italy
Energy Bank Foundation
The problem of energy poverty
The ONU 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addresses the issue of energy poverty (SDG No. 7), highlighting that 840 million people worldwide lack access to electricity.
In Italy, the latest report from OIPE (Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty) estimates that 2.2 million people, nearly 9% of the population, do not have the ability to meet their primary energy needs (proper heating of homes and use of electrical devices).
The Covid-19 emergency has underscored the conditions of economic hardship and social vulnerability in our country. The recent increase in commodity prices and the resulting rise in energy costs are compounded by the prospective cost of ecological transition. If not adequately supported, the objectives of this transition risk exacerbating the issue.
Our Response to Energy Poverty
Energy Bank was established in 2016 through the A2A Listening Forums to assist individuals facing economic and social challenges by implementing projects aimed at combating energy poverty. These projects include support for bill payments with any energy provider, education on conscious energy usage, and the promotion of infrastructural interventions and energy efficiency.
Promoted by A2A and its foundations AEM, ASM, and LGH, it began its operations in Lombardy and later expanded nationwide.
In December 2021, it launched the "Together to Combat Energy Poverty" Manifesto, an active network on the subject that now involves over 70 signatories, including companies, foundations, third-sector associations, and research institutes.
In October 2022, following the reform of the third sector and the implementation of the National Register of Third Sector Entities (RUNTS), it transformed from a non-profit committee to a Philanthropic Entity Foundation, extending its governance to other companies.
Currently, the Foundation's Board of Directors includes:
Roberto Tasca - President, Laura Colombo – Secretary General and counselor, Alberto Martinelli - Counselor, Giorgio Bontempi - Counselor, Luca Dal Fabbro - Counselor, Renato Mazzoncini – Counselor, Nicola Monti – Counselor, Paola Osto - Counselor and Felice Scalvini - Counselor.
Intervention Model and Impacts on Communities
For the first time in Italy, the bill becomes a means to donate.
A2A Energia's residential customers can set up an ongoing donation on their bill equivalent to two weeks' worth of light or one week of warmth.
As a Group, we have committed to doubling all donations made by these customers, aiming to amplify the value of everyone's contribution.
For other stakeholders (suppliers, employees, and other companies), traditional donation channels are also available. In particular, for its employees, A2A offers innovative donation methods such as purchasing self-produced goods.
Energy Bank’s project areas are developed through four intervention models:
Support
For bill payments for any energy provider for vulnerable families, through selected third-sector organizations in local areas.
Renewable and solidary energy communities
Implementing models of renewable energy communities that aim to involve vulnerable families in the process, as well as pooling incentives obtained from self-consumption for sustainability projects in local areas.
Energy efficiency
Within third-sector entities' facilities, with the goal of reducing consumption and environmental impact. These interventions enable entities to "free up" financial resources to assist those in need.
Training
All Energy Bank project areas are complemented by energy-saving education programs delivered by "Household Energy Tutors – TED," professional figures trained through Rete Assist, targeting both project beneficiaries and the broader public.
Results
10€M
Raised and distributed
70
Projects funded
13,000
Families helped
Sustainable Credit Line in Support of the Energy Bank Foundation
Energy Bank also benefits from the contribution derived from the sustainability-linked credit line, subscribed by the A2A Group in July 2021.
This revolving credit line of €500 million, with a duration of 5 years, is tied to the achievement of two sustainability objectives outlined in the 2021-2030 Industrial Plan and included in the Sustainable Finance Framework:
- Energy transition: growth of installed capacity from renewable sources
- target of 2.2 GW by 2024
- Circular economy: increase in material recovery from treated waste
- target of 1.4 million tons by 2024
The credit line includes a margin adjustment mechanism both if A2A achieves the predetermined targets (step down) and in the event that the Group does not meet these sustainability objectives (step up). Measurement and adjustments will occur on an annual basis until the credit line's expiration.
The savings resulting from target achievement or potential penalties due to non-achievement will benefit communities and be donated to the Energy Bank non-profit organization.
The "Energy in the Outskirts" Model, a support project to aid families in need
"Energy in the Outskirts" is an initiative promoted to provide assistance to energetically vulnerable families residing in the outskirts of cities. The project's format encompasses direct aid to the participating families through utility bill payments, as well as a significant journey of education and awareness about energy usage, enabling beneficiaries to better understand and manage their consumption.
Furthermore, the project includes a monitoring phase, conducted through an anonymous questionnaire, aimed at portraying the social fabric within which the intervention takes place and assessing its impact.
Beneficiary families of the project receive indirect aid through fund disbursements via non-profit third-sector organizations active in the territory, selected based on reliability and established experience. The Bank offers beneficiary families the opportunity to participate in energy awareness training sessions conducted by TED professionals - Household Energy Tutors.
Below are the territorial areas where the "Energy in the Outskirts" projects have been initiated or continued: in Lombardy, in Milan's Quarto Oggiaro, the southern outskirts, and Cremona; in Emilia Romagna, in Piacenza; in Lazio, in Rome's Torpignattara; in Calabria, in Reggio Calabria; in Umbria, in Gualdo Tadino and Gubbio; in Sicily, in Palermo; in Piedmont, in Turin; in Campania, in Naples;
In addition to support and energy efficiency projects, Energy Bank collaborates in the establishment of SECs (Solidarity Energy Communities) with the aim of promoting energy generated from renewable sources, ensuring equitable access to energy, and fostering social cohesion in local areas, while educating about urban sustainability.
Strengthening Electric Grids
Electric grids are at the heart of the energy transition: the development of A2A Group's grids will enable greater electrification of consumption, which is fundamental to real decarbonization across all sectors
Through its companies Unareti and LD Reti, the A2A Group is responsible for managing the electric grid in various territories within the Lombardy region, providing electricity distribution services in the metropolitan area of Milan, the city of Brescia, the city of Cremona, and other areas and provinces of Lombardy.
Strategies and Approaches for Strengthening the Electric Grid
Electric grids are subjected to significant stress due to the continuous increase in connections and rapid climate changes.
To support the growing demand for electricity, the A2A Group has planned significant investments to develop and renew the grids. By ensuring the efficiency of the distribution service, the risks arising from the accelerated electrification of consumption are mitigated, minimizing potential negative reputational impacts caused by possible disruptions.
We established a multi-year investment plan that not only ensures the development of new loads but also enhances resilience to heatwaves, floods, and all those atmospheric events that have shifted from occasional to persistent. In particular, investments in the electric grids exceeded €120 million in 2022, affecting all sections of the electric network, with substantial investments also in primary substations.
Furthermore, a collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano is underway to experiment with the use of machine learning algorithms to enhance intervention effectiveness and identify the optimal mix for optimizing network responses to increased demands and resilience needs – pioneering the application of this technology in Italy.
Key Data
2
New Primary Substations in 2022
180km
Installed MT Network in 2022
175€M
Investment Plan for Electric Grids
From 2023 to 2030, the A2A Group has a plan in place that involves approximately 2 billion euros of investments in electric grids, including 14 new primary substations, 1,000 new secondary substations, 2,000 km of new electric network, and increased digitalization of existing SCADA systems.
This will reduce the stress on the electric grid, enhance its mesh structure to significantly reduce customer re-feeding times, and digitize information and signals to automate issue forecasting and fault localization.
In the coming years, Unareti will also be engaged in implementing projects outlined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). In 2022, it secured the "Smart Grid Reinforcement" tender, which entails investments of approximately €160 million for the upgrade of electric networks in Milan and Brescia.
We also investing in the development of Artificial Intelligence to bolster the electric grid and be prepared for entry into new local service markets. In June, Unareti introduced the MindFlex project, which, alongside other Italian DSOs, will establish the foundation for future electric grid management.
The long-term objective of these interventions is to achieve structural benefits and mitigate the impact and likelihood of accidental interruptions in the electricity distribution service.
Investments in the electric grid will result in tangible improvements in the quality of service provided to citizens, as well as the reduction of potential penalties stipulated by ARERA. The quality of service targets set by ARERA are increasingly demanding, and these investments will enable an increase in connectable renewable energy capacity on the grid (enhanced hosting capacity) while simultaneously achieving these objectives.
Useful resources
Services
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