Fighting climate change; Producing and providing sustainable energy for all; Twinning it with sustainable models of consumption; Encouraging sustainable use of the world's ecosystem.
These are just some of the goals that 150 world leaders agreed at the UN in 2015, when they signed the 2030 Agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals. They are the same goals we have embraced as a global energy company and champion to guide our actions, thoughts and investments.
In compliance with national and international agreements and standards – and national regulations and policies – we base our actions on principles of sustainability and circularity. We are investing more and more in renewable energy sources with a low environmental impact. The way we manage the air, land and biodiversity is based on criteria of prevention, protection, information and participation.

We use the most advanced technologies and technical standards for health, safety and the environment (HSE) in all of our work. We invest in research and technical innovation to create products and processes that are as compatible as possible with HSE goals, and pursue collaborations for developing new technologies. HSE management is governed by an integrated model that clearly defines roles and responsibilities at the various organisational levels, governs HSE activities and how they interact with company processes, and provides common methods and criteria. The coordination of HSE topics is carried out by the HSE Coordination Committee, overseen by Eni’s head of HSE and made up of heads of HSE functions at different units.

Eni does not explore for or develop hydrocarbons within the boundaries of natural sites on the Unesco World Heritage List (as specified at 31 May 2019).

When we carry out exploration, development or production work in key areas for biodiversity, we are committed to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), which is why we adopted a management model in line with our BES policy. In joint ventures where we are not operators, we are committed to developing and adopting good management practices in line with our BES policy, alongside our partners.

The mitigation hierarchy is the tool we use to control the potential impact of our activity on the natural environment. The mitigation structure sets out an optimal sequence of actions. At the top are preventive rather than corrective measures. Where it is not possible to avoid such impact, our actions aim to reduce it to a minimum or negate its effects. If serious environmental consequences remain, they are compensated for according to the value of the biodiversity (for example in critical natural habitats) as far as possible to avoid a net loss or to guarantee a net positive impact.

Today it is clear that we are facing a radical and irreversible change in the energy sector. The circular economy is a production model that reduces unusable waste to a minimum and makes the most of all kinds of rubbish, giving them a new useful life. The circular economy is one of the pillars of our company mission and we are committed to turning waste into biofuel every day, converting refineries into bio-refineries (read bio-refinery) and reclaiming existing disused assets. To support this course of action, we have launched many research projects and increased investment.

In accordance with the principles set out in Eni's Mission, Code of Ethics and Sustainability Policy, the Company has developed a long-term integrated strategy that reconciles financial soundness with social and environmental sustainability. Likewise, Eni acts in compliance with an operating model that prevents and reduces risks as well as social and environmental impacts associated with its core business. Eni is aware of the importance of mitigating the environmental impact of its activities, including through the application of solutions with lower environmental impact, in order to make an active contribution to sustainable development both locally and globally. In this context, aware that the purchase of goods and services can be a strategic opportunity to spread and share its principles with the market, Eni will also work jointly with its Supply Chain to drive and encourage the adoption of Green Sourcing principles in order to reach the goals of the optimization of:

• energy use
• use of natural resources
• land management (reduction, contamination and impoverishment)
• emissions in the atmosphere
• the consumption and impact on water resources
• waste reduction, reuse and recycling (circular economy)

In the next few years, Eni will launch initiatives aimed at:

• spreading and strengthening the company culture so that Eni people develop an increasingly greater awareness of the value chain Green Sourcing principles
• identify commodity classes from a Green Sourcing perspective that are likely to be subject to actions aimed at mitigating their impact on the different matrices and the related consumption
• develop assessment and selection criteria for products and services which encourage turning to solutions that have been designed, produced and implemented in accordance with the Circular Economy
• measure Eni's Green Sourcing performance

This programme will be implemented through both specific internal operating guidelines aimed at managing the requirements of “energy-intensive” goods, and through the launch of an awareness-raising campaign for vendors in these areas so that they in turn integrate the principles of Green Sourcing in their own operating and procurement models.

In line with UN Development Goals 2 (defeating hunger in the world) and 6 (guaranteeing access to drinking water and medical services), we are committed to reducing water use – especially fresh water – in all our work. Every year, Eni maps and monitors water risks and drought scenarios to define long-term actions for preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Fresh water consumption by Eni has fallen consistently, partly because about 90 per cent of the water we use for cooling down our industrial plants is sea water. Specifically, our "water mix" in 2018 was 92 per cent sea water and about 7 per cent fresh water. The remaining 1 per cent was brine.

In 2018, Eni publicly responded to CDP Water, part of the global environmental disclosure system, achieving a B- rating, above the sector average of C. This is in line with our policies of responsibility and transparency and meets our stakeholders' expectations. In April 2019, ahead of any other oil and gas company, Eni signed up to the CEO Water Mandate, which identifies and reduces water-resourcing risks to businesses, unequivocally showing the importance it places on water security. In 2019, Eni is among the only three Oil & Gas companies considered leaders in water management according to the CDP questionnaire on Water Security, with an A- score. Such result has been achieved thanks to its policies based on responsibility and transparency.

Throughout their industrial processes, energy companies such as Eni use materials that impact the atmosphere and the very air we breathe. That is why we use the best available techniques (BATs) and the highest procedural standards to reduce emissions and assess the main pollutants in the atmosphere. Results confirm our commitment, especially in light of the decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions, which have fallen by 4.5 per cent since 2017.    

Eni's strategy for preventing oil spills aims to reduce spillages of hydrocarbons, in whatever form, through joint and collective action (administrative or technical) on prevention, auditing and quality/speed of intervention. We also take part in a range of international initiatives. In the past few years, the volume of oil from spills has fallen, especially in the Exploration & Production segment. In 2018, oil spills from operations totalled 2,665 barrels, down 20 per cent compared with 2017.

We manage the waste we produce as the result of our activities through monitoring processes that are traceable all along the chain. In recent years we have been especially committed to investing in research and new technology to reuse as much waste as possible, basing our production cycle on a circular economy paradigm.

In 2018, although the overall amount of waste produced by Eni increased, we saw a significant decrease in hazardous waste. The amount of hazardous waste recovered or recycled more than doubled since 2017 (16.4 per cent from 6.7 per cent), while for non-hazardous waste that total almost quadrupled (42.3 per cent from 10.8 per cent). Overall, this represented 40 per cent of the total waste disposed of.

Caring for the local areas where we work is a top priority for Eni and part of the company's mission to preserve our planet (SDG 15, life on land). That is why we have put in place increasingly effective techniques and practices of reclamation. The trend in our investments also proves our commitment in this area; our overall spending on reclamation in 2018 has grown by 44 per cent since 2017, reaching a total of €375.53 million. Furthermore, we have reduced the waste we produce by 10.4 per cent since 2017, demonstrating our commitment to circular production.