We promote Development Programmes and energy access initiatives for communities in the areas that host our activities. Ensuring access to energy means meeting the basic needs of communities, from health and education to supporting local businesses and creating job opportunities.
Our distinctive "Dual Flag" approach is based on respect for the individual and a willingness to engage in the areas in which we are present to foster development.
Alliances for Development are based on a deep respect for people, knowledge of local issues and partnerships with national and international bodies developed and consolidated over the years. Inspired also by the Paris Agreements and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, these collaborations multiply the impacts of initiatives launched in countries, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda goals. We support community-based initiatives to prevent gender-based violence, create income opportunities, access to educational and productive activities by supporting women's economic independence.
Since 2020, Eni has been a member of the United Nations campaign against violence against women and girls "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence". In line with the theme "Investing in Prevention", we carry out initiatives for the prevention of violence against women in local communities.
We invest in the involvement of women in its projects, aimed at creating income opportunities, starting with the sectors of agriculture and fisheries, as economic dependence is closely associated with gender-based violence. The Green River Project in Nigeria, for example, through crop diversification, the introduction of new inputs and technologies, and the training of women and youth, has increased agricultural productivity, job opportunities in new cooperatives, and per capita income.
We promote access to education by focusing on overcoming barriers that limit girls' school participation. These efforts are essential for the prevention of gender-based violence, as:
By focusing on access to menstrual health, not only we prevent forms of gender-based violence that spread due to the inaccessibility and/or affordability of sanitation products, but we also act on a critical barrier to school attendance. For instance, the project on access to education in Ghana, in addition to the renovation of school environments and toilets and the training of teaching staff, has included awareness-raising activities on gender-based violence and the distribution of menstrual hygiene products, reaching an attendance rate of 100%.
Through projects focusing on access to water and clean cooking, we contribute to the prevention of violence against women, as it is widely documented that the collection of water and wood exposes them to a greater risk of suffering gender-based violence, as these activities are in most cases delegated to women and take place in areas that are not always close to communities. Moreover, these projects free up time that women can spend on productive and/or educational activities, thus supporting their economic empowerment and independence.
Together with governments, we define Local Development Programmes in line with the UN 2030 Agenda and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) based on five lines of action.
We strive to ensure that our activities do not negatively impact the lives of people affected by the activities, through a risk-based model that classifies business projects.
Project development may require the acquisition and/or use of land (or water) and the subsequent economic displacement. It is therefore necessary to minimise the socio-economic impacts on their lives by limiting as much as possible the loss of assets or access to assets, which generates the loss of sources of income or livelihood resources.
Local Content is a tool that supports communication with local authorities and provides a useful assessment to guide investment decisions to promote local development. It represents the added value brought to the countries through three lines of intervention:
We track and examine all requests received from our stakeholders to implement sustainable development initiatives shared with local communities. Key elements of the process are openness to dialogue and listening, inclusiveness, understanding the views and expectations of those involved, and sharing choices.
The initiatives deployed by Eni cover six areas of intervention:
Access to off-grid energy: to promote the installation of self-sufficient, off-grid systems that allow communities access to basic services and contribute to local socio-economic development
Land preservation: to enhance and protect the local natural heritage, including with activities to support waste management in communities, and to restore the ecosystem, with remediation activities focused on recovering native vegetation
Economic diversification: to foster food safety, the development of entrepreneurial, agricultural, fishing and infrastructural activities, in a long-term perspective, facilitating the creation of new job opportunities for people and businesses, women and youth empowerment
Access to water and sanitation: to ensure the availability, the sustainable management of water and sanitation services for the local population
Education: to promote equitable and inclusive access to quality education and learning
Community Health: to promote access to health and combat the spread of diseases through prevention and treatment.
We adopt instruments in line with the main international standards (defined by IPECA, WBCSD, UN and World Bank), consistent with the SDGs. Guiding us are the following principles.
Knowledge of the country's socio-economic, environmental and cultural contexts through the application of internationally recognised tools, also applied at sub-national level, such as the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (Global MPI - Multidimensional Poverty Index) or the Country profiles on Sustainable Development Goals (defined by SDSN). We are committed to ensuring that our activities do not have a negative impact on the lives of the people affected by our operations, through a risk-based model that classifies business projects and by conducting environmental, social and health impact assessments in accordance with international standards, incorporating local standards where necessary.
The continuous and two-way relationship, with those directly or indirectly involved, means we can analyse their requests (and/or possible complaints), understand local needs and consolidate mutual trust.
The monitoring of activities to identify critical issues, opportunities and risks from a socio-economic and environmental perspective, including the respect and promotion of human rights, through the application of standardised impact assessment tools (ESHIA) for all contexts in which we have a presence, in accordance with international standards, integrating local standards where necessary.
The analysis of local needs, the definition and implementation of local development programmes (LDPs) consistent with Country Development Plans, local needs analysis, Agenda 2030 and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
We manage the evaluation and measurement of local development through the use of tools and methodologies:
The numerous collaborations with institutions, cooperation agencies and local stakeholders enable a useful approach, to identify key interventions to be implemented in the area.
We support a transition that gives everyone access to reliable and sustainable energy through secure supplies of sources and the use of technologies that support the decarbonization process.
In 2019 we signed a joint declaration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), establishing a pioneering public-private cooperation model aimed at contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Africa. The collaboration focuses on developing various initiatives to contribute to a fair energy transition. In the Republic of Congo we opened a centre of excellence for renewable energy, in Mozambique we promote youth employment in the agricultural sector, and in the Cape Verde Islands we conducted a feasibility study for the application of onshore and offshore renewables. Finally, as part of the Global partnership for hydrogen application in industry launched by UNIDO, we provide technical support to the table of experts set up to accelerate the global strategic dialogue on hydrogen in industry for developing countries.
As part of the “Access to Water” initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Eni, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), 22 water plants were built in the states of Borno and Yobo in north-east Nigeria. The public-private partnership, launched in 2018, leveraged the parties’ expertise and know-how to facilitate access to water resources for communities affected by the humanitarian crisis in the north-east of the country.
Stories and pictures from our work with FAO in Nigeria: our practical contribution to improving access to water and mitigating the climate crisis in the country.
In 2022 we completed the project initiated by Eni and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan to bring solar power and other energy efficiency measures to a secondary school in Turkistan for the benefit of 1,900 students.
In Mexico, we established our willingness to collaborate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) through a Memorandum of Understanding. The first fruits of the agreement include a feasibility, technical and socio-cultural study of the Mezcalapa-Samaria Sub-basin Water Security Plan to reduce the risk of natural disasters and activities in the area of sustainable tourism management as an opportunity for economic diversification of the host territories, in particular the rehabilitation of the La Venta Park-Museum in Villahermosa. We also work with AVSI and the Tabasco State Government to support the training and education of teachers and students. Activities include the upgrading of 13 schools, the distribution of school materials for primary schools, skills development through courses and workshops, and the involvement of local communities in educational activities.
As part of the projects for access to energy from renewable sources initiated with the Association of Volunteers for International Service (AVSI), Eni is also active in Kenya with the installation of solar panels equipped with OPV (Organic Photovoltaic Panels) technology in schools and other community facilities.
The partnership began in 2020 and continued in 2022 with the signing of an Agreement of Understanding that provides for collaboration in economic diversification, education and vocational training projects in Africa. The initiative involves the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano (UCSC) in promoting entrepreneurship (particularly female entrepreneurship) and youth employment, and encourages new businesses to expand abroad.
From 2019 we will implement a programme of technical and vocational training in collaboration with the Cabo Delgado Provincial Directorate for Science and Technology, Higher Vocational and Technical Education, Don Bosco High School and the Colleges and Institutes of Canada. The aim is to support the improvement of young people’s technical skills by providing assistance to the Industrial and Commercial Institute of Pemba (IICP). We have contributed to the training and certification of teachers and managers of the IICP, provided industrial equipment, instrumentation and built a laboratory. We also provide scholarships and professional courses.
With this university, we have developed different methodologies to measure the impacts generated on the territory, assessing the economic value brought by our presence and analysing the social benefits created. The methodologies are defined in accordance with metrics already used by international bodies and validated by research and academic institutions. The main tools that have been developed are theEni Local Content Evaluation (ELCE) Model and the Eni Impact Tool. To date, the ELCE model has been applied to the following projects: CCS Ravenna Phase 1 Congo LNG and Baleine projects in Côte d'Ivoire, OCTP in Ghana, East Hub, West Hub, Quiluma & Maboqueiro in Angola, Zohr in Egypt, Coral South in Mozambique, Area 1 in Mexico, as well as to the Italian operating sites of Ravenna, Sannazzaro de' Burgondi and Val d'Agri. The Eni Impact Tool has been applied to energy access projects in the Republic of Congo (Centrale Électrique du Congo) and in some communities in the Niger Delta.
We collaborate with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Milan on different projects and with multiple applications in the field. In the Republic of Congo, we are working to develop agro-livestock initiatives and support the activities of the Centre d'Appui Technique et Ressources Professionnelles (CATREP).
Our partnerships are the result of a shared commitment to help provide energy to the people of a growing world.