Italgas invests in the territories in which it operates, promoting social, cultural and environmental interventions based on criteria of transparency, correctness and impartiality. The company promotes the development and cohesion of the communities in which it works, acknowledging the central role played by stakeholders and their needs, to create social value that goes beyond the economic value.
This is why, consistently with the principles of sustainable development and its growth plans, the Company is constantly committed to assuring direct, continuous dialogue with the communities in which it works and has equipped itself some time ago with a structure specifically dedicated to this end.
Italgas strengthens its business citizenship in the territories in which it works, collaborating, in Italy and abroad, with entities, associations and foundations, non-profit organisations and other subjects with which it pursues projects and initiatives aimed at protecting the environment, promoting culture and social development and safeguarding the environment and territory.
To manage relations with the territory and its activities of dialoguing with and listening to stakeholders, in 2020, the Group formally adopted its “Corporate Citizenship Policy”. As part of the framework defined by the general principles set out in the Group’s Code of Ethics, of transparency, honesty, fairness and good faith, the Policy assigns clear responsibilities for managing donations, sponsorships and local projects in partnership with bodies, associations and foundations, non-profit organisations and other entities in the territory set up to support the local communities (“Corporate Citizenship” activities).
Through this Policy, the Group has confirmed and formalised its commitment to the following areas of intervention:
- Sensitisation towards topics relating to the energy segment and responsible use of resources;
- Preparation of training and education initiatives;
- Artistic-cultural support;
- Inclusion and health lifestyles through sport;
With the launch of Corporate Citizenship initiatives, Italgas aims to help meet specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), constituting the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.
In 2020, the Coronavirus emergency had a major impact on our country. As the months passed, since the start of the pandemic, the impact on the territories became more significant every day, putting the whole country system severely to the test and striking the everyday lives of residents in an unprecedented manner. The economic business, the training system and the healthcare facilities, even the best equipped and most advanced, are still today subjected to huge levels of managerial and organisational stress.
Since the emergency arose, Italgas has put in place measures and provisions to protect the health and safety of its personnel, at the same time ensuring continuity of one of the public services deemed essential for the community. Through its 3,985 people spread throughout Italy, the company has never stopped staying close to the territories and communities in which it operates, making a concrete contribution in two ways: doing what it does every day, namely guaranteeing the network service and safety and striving to proactively support the communities by launching solidarity initiatives and aid in support of the various hospitals and Civil Protection. In particular, in 2020, the company made donations to: Luigi Sacco (Milan), Amedeo di Savoia-ASL (Turin), Guglielmo da Saliceto (Piacenza), Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova (Padua), Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia), Spallanzani (Rome) and Cotugno (Naples) hospitals. The amounts donated were used to buy machinery, equipment and functional devices (such as personal protection equipment for the healthcare facilities, beds and technical equipment) and helped fit out new areas to meet the needs deriving from the emergency and guarantee a hospital service. In support of Civil Protection action, the solidarity campaign “Insieme per l’Italia, dona una tua giornata alla lotta contro il Coronavirus” [Together for Italy, donate your day to the fight against Coronavirus] was also launched, thanks to which Group employees were able to allocate the economic equivalent of approximately 7,000 working hours or € 145 thousand. The proceeds have been doubled by the Italgas Group and donated to the Civil Protection Authority.
In 2020, donations were made of € 2,028.9k, of which 14% for “Culture” and the remaining 86% for “Health”.
In addition to that disbursed in the favour of hospitals and the Civil Protection, 2020 donations mainly went to art and culture: in particular to the Fondazione Teatro Regio di Torino and the Council for the enhancement of artistic and cultural heritage of Turin, both have always been a cultural point of reference for Piedmont, respectively for concerts, opera and ballet, the first (Teatro Regio) and for the contribution towards the enhancement of the historic-artistic heritage of Turin and consequent opening and possible use, the second (Council of Turin). In Tuscany too, through the company Toscana Energia, donations mainly went to cultural entities like the Fondazione Teatro Pisa, the Fondazione del Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Associazione Teatrale Pistoiese.
For some years now, Italgas has also been supporting the Fondazione Giorgio Cini of Venice, a cultural institution recognised internationally, whose activities include research, conservation and the optimisation of archives. In 2020, Italgas launched a partnership with the Foundation, whose specific focus regard the new Italgas Heritage Lab.
In 2020, Italgas started various sponsorship initiatives, for an amount of € 1,086.4 k, intended mainly for art and culture, sport, gas advocacy initiatives, education and awareness-raising on topics relating to the energy sector and the responsible use of resources.
Due to the COVID-19 emergency, support to the initiatives in terms of education on energy, usually envisaged with the physical involvement of participants, has slowed. In the Group, Toscana Energia has managed to complete the first phase of the ninth edition of the educational campaign “Energia in Rete” (Energy in the Network): the initiative dedicated to secondary schools, with the aim of making a contribution towards the energy literacy of the students, through a teaching course that starts out from an in-depth analysis of natural gas and moves on to discuss various topics like technology, science, history and geography, ending with a competition called “La sostenibilità in un click!”, in which students are asked to reproduce a place they believe to be an expression of sustainability in their territory.
