Sustainability

Ranking in 35th place ERG, for the second consecutive year, confirms its position among the world's TOP 50 companies in the "Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index", also maintaining its CDP-Climate Change "B" rating Genoa, 22 January 2020 - ERG S.p.A. has been promoted to an "AA" rating, compared to the "A" assigned in 2018, by MSCI ESG Research Ltd. ("MSCI"), one of the leading research companies measuring companies' performance on the grounds of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.

The double "A" assigned to ERG by MSCI reflects above all the Group's significant growth in the renewable energy sector, which has taken the company to become one of the top ten private European RES-E operators with more than 3GW of installed capacity, and its commitment to achieve, by the end of 2022, a 15% reduction in the carbon index of its output compared to 2018.

Alongside this important recognition is the 35th place achieved in the "Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index", published by the Canadian company Corporate Knights. In the ranking, which considers 7,395 listed companies with a turnover of more than one billion dollars, ERG for the second year running was placed among the Top 50.

The rating initially analyses four parameters (sustainability reporting, financial soundness, category of products sold and financial sanctions incurred) and, subsequently, a further 21 indicators, specific to each industry, pertaining to the management of natural resources, personnel, clean revenues and supplier performance. The analysis, which has now reached its 16th edition, shows that sustainable businesses tend to have a longer life and offer investors better services with respect to counterpart companies.

Lastly, the CDP - Climate Change rating, promoted by the Carbon Disclosure Project, which assesses both quantitative and qualitative information and data on the strategies adopted in combatting climate change, confirmed ERG's "B" rating. Luca Bettonte, Chief Executive Officer of ERG, commented: "The ratings received recognise our constant commitment to pursuing the ESG objectives defined in the Business Plan, with special reference to the fight against climate change. They also reward the validity of our strategy which has always considered sustainability to be a key factor for the Group's value creation."

The results of the ".Future – Italia Top 100 2019" (previously the "CSR On line Awards") study, which considers the digital sustainability communications of 80 listed companies with the highest market capitalisation and 20 leading unlisted companies, have been published.

The subject of the assessment is the content of the communications and the ability of the companies to engage via their Italian-language websites and the Twitter and Facebook channels. The analysis is "rooted in the real requirements of stakeholders" in terms of communication and "evaluates the ability to convey a concrete, structured and credible commitment to sustainability."

ERG was one of the 20 virtuous companies identified by the study and claimed a podium finish as part of the "Bronze Class" category together with ENEL, Autogrill, Luxottica, Intesa San Paolo, Mondadori, Moncler, Italgas, Sisal, CNH Industrial and STMicroelectronics. ENI and SNAM made up the "Gold Class" while the businesses in the "Silver Class" were A2A, Hera Group, Terna, Generali, Prysmian and TIM.