Dialogue and priorities

Why it is important

For us, the territory and local communities are the privileged place where the social utility of our business is realised. Maintaining a continuous and active dialogue with communities at all levels is essential to effectively implement our growth and sustainable development plans.

Stakeholder engagement activities 2020-2023

Meetings with representatives of local communities, associations and organisations; social and cultural initiatives.

Why it is important

One of our main objectives is to continuously improve the service we offer to end consumers, with whom we have direct and indirect relationships, working together with sales companies.

Stakeholder engagement activities 2020-2023

Direct, ongoing relationship with the sales personnel through dedicated dialogue channels; periodic workshops with sales companies; interactions with end customers through the customer portals; customer satisfaction surveys.

Why it is important

We consider our people to be the strength of Italgas. That’s why we take care of them and encourage them to become the voice and image of the company in their territories, bringing the group’s vision and values to customers and becoming enablers of new innovation processes.

Stakeholder engagement activities 2020-2023

Training events; periodic meetings; annual meetings to discuss career development paths; newsletters; company environment analyses; company Intranet.

Why it is important

Comprehensive and timely communication with the financial community, analysts and investors is a strategic lever of value creation.

We regularly communicate our financial and non-financial strategies and activities, focusing on our sustainability or ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance. Such information can be of added value to the financial community and to our shareholders, a significant proportion of whom are SRI (Sustainable and Responsible Investment) investors who base their investment decisions on ethical principles and the analysis of non-financial variables.

Stakeholder engagement activities 2020-2023

Periodic financial reports and conference calls about these; presentation of the business plan; shareholders’ meeting; physical and on-line meetings and conference calls with analysts and investors, also focusing specifically on SRI matters; corporate website; social networks.

Why it is important

In recent years, we have been committed to strengthening our involvement with our suppliers because we recognise the importance of building lasting and trusting relationships along our supply chain.

Stakeholder engagement activities 2020-2023

Dedicated meetings, supplier conventions; annual engagement initiatives.

Why it is important

Relations with Public Institutions and Industry associations are essential to keep up to date with the legislative and regulatory developments taking place at national and European level and, consequently, for the correct and efficient conduct and development of business. Given the high complexity of the sector, in addition to ensuring that good institutional relationships and transparency are maintained, we set specific management systems but also cultivate specific skills internally. The most important point of reference for Italgas are the Regulatory Authorities responsible for regulating the entire natural gas distribution sector, from determining and updating tariffs to preparing rules for access to infrastructure and providing related services.

For several years now, Italgas has been cooperating and dialoguing in a structured and continuous manner with the world of Consumer Associations, on the basis of an equal relationship and mutual trust, aiming both at improving the relationship with the end user and the quality of the service provided, and at increasing consumer awareness of the qualities of natural gas and how to use it.

Stakeholder engagement activities in 2020-2023

Periodic meetings; continuous dialogue and workshops for debate and discussion on an Italian and international level.

As the first operator in Italian and Greek gas distribution and the third in Europe, Italgas actively participates in the activities of various national and international associations for the protection, optimisation and development of the segment. Its participation is manifested through the active participation in working groups within the associations, which discuss and define the organisation’s position on operative and policy matters, including those related to energy transition and the decarbonization of the gas sector.Italgas’ participation as an active member in these organisations allows the Group to monitor and help define the positions taken and guarantee an alignment with the Group’s commitments and strategy on such topics, including those that impact the capacity to achieve the objectives set forth in the Paris Agreements. Italgas manages relations with authorities at various levels, trade associations, public administrations, consumers associations, following principles of transparency and fairness.

Promoting Dialogue through partnerships – management system

Italgas’ “Operating Instructions for Institutional and Regulatory Reporting” is the document that rules, among other things, lobbying activities and relations with external associations, including trade associations.

The operating instruction defines the rules and governance of such activities, establishing roles and responsibilities and covering all the jurisdictions in which Italgas operates, both at national and European level. In particular, the Institutional and Regulatory Affairs function manages the operational processes and involves, where necessary, the competent functions or the management team. The Head of the Institutional and Regulatory Affairs Function is a member of the Executive Committee and reports to the Chief Executive Officer. The 231 Model and the Code of Ethics also rule how relations with those entities should be carried over.

Alignment with the Group’s sustainability objectives and the consistency of company positions with the pursuit of the targets set in the Paris Agreements constitutes a precise commitment for Italgas, which is also guaranteed in its corporate positioning on public policies, during lobbying activities and through the membership in trade associations, as for the management system in place.

Regarding lobbying activities, the Institutional and Regulatory Affairs function, in managing and reviewing the process, ensures alignment and keeps track of activities, including the update of public registers.

With reference to Italgas’ participation as an active member of the trade associations, the Institutional and Regulatory Affairs function monitors and evaluates, at least once a year, the membership proposals. It also oversees the process through which the positions expressed by the associations are formed, to ensure alignment with Group strategy and commitments, including sustainability pledges and the ability to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

In the event of a clear misalignment of the positions of the individual Associations with respect to corporate positions and the goals of the Paris Agreements, the Group initiates a dialogue with such organizations, defining the timescales for resolving the misalignment. The Group may decide not to renew membership if the misalignment persists.

Every year – or when deemed necessary – a review of the positions taken to influence the preparation and dissemination of the position papers, the policy making activity and regulatory production is carried out, both vis-à-vis trade associations and political decision-makers.

The reporting of these activities is publicly available in the public registers, in the consultation documents and in the Annual Integrated Report. Italgas also keeps internal registers.