The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a golbal action plan for people, planet and prosperity signed in September 2015 by the governments of the 193 UN member countries.
It incorporates 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into a large action plan with a total of 169 specific targets.
Alperia has embraced these goals and taken up the call to action, putting research, technology and expertise at the service of the Sustainable Development Agenda for recovery and resilience without leaving anyone behind.
Being aware of the essential role that energy can play in addressing these global environmental challenges, we are committed to making our contribution to the implementation of some of the UN’s 17 SDGs.
Commitments and goals
SDG 3 – ENSURING HEALTH AND WELLBEING
We promote a healthy and safe working environment and, through our products and services, we strive to reduce pollution
Actions:
- Target 3.6: Reduce road injuries and fatalities → We have adopted a plan to encourage green and smart mobility of our employees through the use of public transport and/or bicycles and scooters. With the HSE department, we monitor accidents and injuries that may occur in our plants, including road accidents. We conduct both off-road and on-road driving courses every three to four years at Edyna S.r.l., which is the company with the largest car fleet within the Alperia Group.
- Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage by extending access to good quality health services and medicines → We provide supplementary health insurance to our people and provide specific activities and services in the Welfare package. With Care4u, a company in which we have part ownership, we have developed a service and technology for the nursing care of patients in RSAs and clinics, and we have also launched a service at home.
- Target 3.9: By 2030, reduce the number of deaths and illnesses due to pollution and contamination of air, water and soil → We are working to reduce emissions, reduce CO2 and greenhouse gases, produce clean heat with district heating and reduce energy waste, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the achievement of Net Zero.
SDG 5 – ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY
We are committed to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment
Actions:
- Target 5.4: Recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the family unit, in accordance with national characteristics → We are a family-friendly company, certified with the ‘Family and Work Audit’ awarded by the Family Agency of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and its Chamber of Commerce. Among the tools we adopt are: reduced and flexible working hours, reconciliation measures, promotion of parental leave, especially voluntary leave, and smart working. We carry out awareness-raising campaigns on fatherhood, combating gender violence and improving gender equality.
- Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal leadership opportunities at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life → We are working to attract more women into technical professions and to increase the proportion of female managers. Since 2019, the Chairwoman of our Management Board has been a woman, and the board itself is 33% female. We have also started to develop leadership plans specifically for women. Today, the percentage of women among Alperia employees is 28%, with a growth from 2019 of 5 percentage points, and the gender pay gap is 9% for female employees.
SDG 6 – ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CLEAN WATER FOR ALL
We optimise water management, reduce the impact of our activities and work to protect the aquatic environment
Actions:
- Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water management at all levels, including through cross-border cooperation as appropriate → We work to modernise our water infrastructure and ensure that our facilities are always reliable and safe. An example of this is the Smart Land project, which aims to use IoT technology in agriculture to have more efficient water consumption in the irrigation process. We make our water resources available for agricultural irrigation and as an anti-freeze. We actively involve farmers in empowering them with regard to water management, both inside and outside South Tyrol.
- Target 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes → We want to minimise the impact of our hydropower plants on nature and the environment and actively protect the biological diversity of watercourses. To this end, we operate in full compliance with the legal provisions concerning the Minimum Vital Flow, build new fish runs, implement compensation measures, and engage in renaturation and sustainable sediment management.
SDG 7 – CLEAN AND ACCESSIBLE ENERGY
We ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy systems
Actions:
- Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services → We want to ensure a secure and efficient energy supply, which is why we invest in developing sustainable energy solutions and modernising our plants and networks to make them more resilient and reliable, even in the event of emergencies or disruptions.
- Target 7.2: By 2030, significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix → We aim to produce our energy primarily from renewable sources (already 93% today), also involving our supplier(s). We want to increase this percentage through: targeted investments; adoption of new business models, services and products such as Green Gas and Alperia MyHome; monitoring and reporting on the amount of energy produced, purchased and consumed by source; and development of green hydrogen. We are also a partner for the energy transition of our stakeholders.
- Target 7.3: By 2030, double the overall rate of improvement in energy efficiency → We want to make our energy consumption more efficient, which is why we are taking steps to reduce the energy consumption of our buildings and facilities through targeted initiatives (among them, ISO 50001 ‘Energy Management Systems’ certification for the Ponte Gardena hydroelectric power plant, the Bolzano district heating plant, the Dodiciville site and the Sesto district heating plant, and Edyna’s certification with ISO 14067, the first distributor to hold such a certification). We are developing new technologies and new services that will improve energy efficiency and reduce energy demand, and we are developing new products, services and business models that will help our customers reduce energy demand and improve efficiency, also thanks to Alperia Greenpower’s know-how. Finally, with Edyna, the operator of our network, we are continuing to replace the meters of more than 200,000 customers with next-generation Smart Meters that will enable a more efficient management of energy resources, and with Alperia Green Future we are also promoting more sustainable consumption through Sybil’s artificial intelligence.
SDG 8 – DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
We foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent, secure employment
Actions:
- Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people and people with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value → We have harmonised the Alperia Group’s trade union agreements and HR policies with the aim of achieving uniform and fair framework conditions for all our employees. We have a Diversity Policy and have initiated a series of actions with the Diversity Manager to enhance diversity and promote inclusion.
- Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of unemployed young people not in education or training → We promote internal training and career development activities and develop leadership programmes. We hired 59 ‘under 30’ (39% of hires) and 43 ‘31–40’ (28% of hires) in 2023. We support their development and training with special programmes.
- Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote a safe and secure working environment for all workers, including migrant workers, especially migrant women, and those in precarious employment → We actively promote the health of our employees, ensuring the highest level of occupational safety to protect staff, the population and the surrounding areas. We take measures to monitor and maintain facilities and promote wellness initiatives at each of our locations. We have installed 30 semi-automatic defibrillators from the Red Cross and White Cross, which will be operational both inside and outside Alperia premises and some customer offices.
SDG 9 – INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
We build and maintain safe and resilient infrastructure, foster innovation and support equitable, responsible and sustainable development
Actions:
- Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and cross-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on equitable access for all // Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and modernise industries to make them sustainable, with greater efficiency of resources to be used and increased adoption of clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes, so that all countries take action in accordance with their respective capabilities → We ensure secure and efficient energy supply with modern, well maintained and efficient distribution networks. We are continuing to decommission unreliable MV and LV lines and use fibre optics for more reliable control of installations. We will continue to work on network resilience to increase the quality and continuity of the electricity service.
- Target 9.5: Strengthen scientific research, promote the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, particularly in developing countries, including by encouraging innovation by 2030 and substantially increasing the number of R&D workers and public and private R&D expenditure → We want to actively contribute to the energy future and develop new technological solutions with innovative research projects. We cooperate with many institutes internationally to promote research and innovation in the energy sector.
SDG 11 – SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
We want to make cities more inclusive, safe and energy-efficient
Actions:
- Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the per capita negative environmental impact of cities, also paying special attention to air quality and urban and other waste management → With Smart Region, Alperia is dedicated to creating a sustainable, integrated and efficient community. All investments are oriented towards the implementation of high-tech initiatives for cities and citizens, such as the efficiency of buildings, the development of domestic photovoltaics, facility management for PA, and the development of sustainable mobility with the consequent infrastructure of the territory. Also continuing: the sustainable expansion of district heating networks; the Smart Land project; investments in Green Mobility developed with Neogy; energy communities and sustainable mobility initiatives for Alperia employees.
SDG 12 – RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
We promote sustainable models of production and consumption
Actions:
- Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information in their regular reports → We have anchored environmental, social and economic sustainability in our governance and management processes. We have a Sustainability Plan, a Sustainability Policy and a CSR procedure, we have integrated at least one Sustainability Goal into the Management by Objectives (MBOs) of the Group’s managers, and we have put sustainability at the heart of our Business Plan 2023–2027 and Vision 2031. We draw up the Non-Financial Statement reporting everything we do from a social and environmental perspective. As part of this, we submit EMAS declarations every year and develop the Environmental Plans agreed with the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the local municipalities. With Alperia Green Future, we promote more efficient and sustainable consumption with consultancy and ad-hoc measures. Through targeted marketing measures and information campaigns, we also aim to make our customers aware of more sustainable consumption patterns and implement our portfolio with green products and services.
- Target 12.7: Promote sustainable procurement practices in accordance with national policies and priorities → We want to make our procurement as local and ecologically and socially sustainable as possible. Through the supplier selection process, we ensure that all suppliers maintain sustainability standards and that purchased products also meet these standards.
SDG 13 – COMBAT CLIMATE ACTION
We take specific measures to combat climate change and its consequences
Actions:
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related risks and natural disasters in all countries // Target 13.2: Integrate climate change mitigation measures into national policies, strategies and plans // Target 13.3: Enhance education, awareness and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning → The Alperia Group has offset all emissions in 2020 against operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and is accelerating its path to Net Zero. We have signed the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an initiative that promotes greenhouse gas reductions based on scientifically calculated targets. In the 2023–2027 Business Plan and Vision 2031, we set a target to reduce our CO2e (Scope 1,2 and 3) emissions by 46% by 2027, compared to 2021, with the ultimate goal of reaching Net Zero by 2040. We assess and update our risks according to climate change (water scarcity, storms, extreme events, regulation, etc.), invest in the production and use of products with lower greenhouse gas emissions and foster the development of internal and external e-mobility solutions. Alperia Smart Region has the fight against climate change at its core. We develop slope monitoring initiatives, we make sworn affidavits on penstocks, we certify SF6 gas management personnel, and we carry out exercises with the Civil Defence. We have equipped ourselves with a video surveillance system for hydraulic works and technologies that allow early warnings and immediate management of emergencies. We strive to increase awareness of environmental issues among our citizens and stakeholders.
SDG 15 – LIFE ON LAND
We ensure the conservation of ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity also through the use of innovative technologies
Actions:
- Target–15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements // Target–15.4: By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development // Target–15.5: Take urgent and significant measures to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of endangered species // Target–15.6: Promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and promote adequate access to these resources, as agreed internationally → We work to protect the environment and its biodiversity and to comply with the compensation measures envisaged by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. We have initiated two Community Investment projects in this direction: one dedicated to the promotion of biodiversity and one to reforestation with the collaboration of the Climate Network. We implement various measures to consolidate fish stocks, build fish ladders to the intake structures, carry out improvements to watercourses and monitor and manage the MVF (Minimum Vital Flow). We also implement measures to promote sustainable water use, in cooperation with local farmers and municipalities.