To implement the actions that follow on from our sustainability principles, we have developed a management model that enables us to rationally manage the process through several phases: Planning, Management, Control and Communication. This is a process which, beginning with the policy of sustainability and the corporate strategic plan, defines the improvement objectives, identifies the key performance indicators, monitors the objectives, and draws up the accounting. The model, in addition to designing the process, also enables us to precisely identify areas of responsibility and competence for its implementation. The model is not a closed and unalterable process as such, but necessitates improvements and adaptations in line with the organisational changes. This is why work continued on its implementation in 2009. In this regard the new “Sustainability” unit was set up within the Department of Public Affairs and Communication to create better economies of scope and scale and to implement the integration of the newly-acquired companies into the sustainability processes.
In 2009, the sustainability management model became part of the corporate management system for the first time. This means that the processes of planning, monitoring and control of sustainability will, beginning next year, allow the involvement of all company functions in the planning and implementation of sustainability objectives.
In the planning phase we defined the sustainability Improvement Areas in order to identify initiatives and projects to put into the Corporate Plan. Subsequently, we drafted the Section on sustainability of the Corporate Plan, confirming the company’s willingness to present its financial data together with its non-financial data.
THE MODEL OF SNAM RETE GAS
Consequently, after approval by the company management, these programmes/projects, which included investments among other initiatives, were monitored for the first year through the standard corporate control channels.
In addition, control and systematic analysis of the set of key performance indicators published in the 2009 Sustainability Report proceeded on a quarterly basis.
We have developed initiatives to support clear and transparent communication to the stakeholders, particularly for the acquisition process, by means of information campaigns in the newspapers, website communications, and meetings. For the first time the interactive version of Sustainability Report has been published on the internet website. Actions continued on initiatives such as Open Days and public meetings, to give a proper overall representation of the activities carried out by the Group. Dialogue and debate have also been achieved through a series of meetings with the several different categories of stakeholder. These events are organised for the various areas of responsibility by the appropriate departments in the company.
These activities were regulated by a new procedure which defined the roles and responsibilities in terms of sustainability.