Care for the environment and biodiversity at Eni

Eni's commitment to the environment and biodiversity is a cornerstone of our mission. We are committed to pursuing an energy transition that is fair to society and protects the planet.

Our commitment to the planet

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 have based our actions on the principles of sustainability and circularity, and with an increasing focus on investing in renewable and low-impact sources with the target of zero emissions by 2050. The way we manage the air, land and biodiversity is based on criteria of prevention, protection, information and participation.

Eni's activities to safeguard biodiversity

Eni is constantly working to safeguard biodiversity, one of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Goal 14 on life below water, aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Goal 15, on the other hand, deals with life on land and aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of the planet's ecosystem by sustainably managing forests, combatting desertification, halting and reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss.

In 2020, Eni updated its biodiversity risk exposure assessment for its operating sites and adhered to the “Together with Nature” principles, undertaking efforts guided by the recognition of the close link between climate change and biodiversity loss, to minimise risks and maximise efforts to protect and conserve existing ecosystems through the application of Nature-based Solutions, based on rigorous ecological principles.

A special on biodiversity according to Eni

The regulatory framework and our policies, scientific definitions and projects in the field.

We have brought everything we are doing to protect ecosystems together in a special feature.

Biodiversity according to Eni

What is the “mitigation hierarchy” and why is it important?

The mitigation hierarchy is the tool we use to mitigate the potential impact of our activity on the natural environment. The mitigation structure sets out a preferential sequence of actions. At the top are preventive rather than corrective measures for potential impact. Where it is not possible to avoid this impact, our actions aim to reduce it to a minimum or get rid of its effects. If serious environmental impact remains, it is compensated for – more stringently if its value of biodiversity is high (for example critical and natural habitats) – so as to avoid as much as possible a net loss of biodiversity, or to guarantee a net positive impact.

Our commitment to Unesco World Heritage Sites

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.

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Integrated management of health, safety and the environment

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's positioning with regards to Green Sourcing

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
Water resources consumption and management
Waste reduction, reuse and recycling (circular economy)

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.

Water protection

The projects

Commitment to water conservation is an integral part of our strategy to combat climate change.

We promote water risk reduction initiatives in vulnerable areas and access to water in the Countries where we operate.

Stories

Recognising the vital importance of water

The projects

Protecting air

An energy company like Eni produces emissions throughout its industrial process that have an impact on the atmosphere. 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. The results confirm how committed we are. Overall, direct GHG emissions from Eni's operations in 2020 amounted to 37.8 million tonnes CO2_eq., down 8% compared to 2019, mainly due to the decrease in activities in the upstream, power and refining sectors as a result of the health emergency. NOx emissions fell by 0.6% compared to 2019.

Oil spill management

Eni is involved in the daily management of risks deriving from oil spills both in Italy and abroad, through increasingly integrated activities across all stages, from administrative to technical prevention, control and quality/speed/effectiveness. Total barrels spilled following operational oil spills fell by 7% compared to 2019. In 2020, operational oil spill figures were impacted by an operational spill of 300 barrels, almost all recovered, caused by a malfunction during a crude oil transfer at the Brass terminal in Nigeria. At the same time, 37% of oil spills due to sabotage and 66% of operational oil spills were recovered in 2020, broadly in line with the volumes recovered in 2019.

Circular economy and waste

The transition towards a circular economy is a response to current environmental challenges, replacing the classic linear economy model with a regenerative approach based on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recyle). Starting in 2017, Eni began carrying out circularity analyses with a measurement model developed on the basis of internationally recognised principles and validated by the third-party body Certiquality, which made use of the collaboration of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa This model, through the monitoring of specific indicators, including HSE indicators, makes it possible to measure both the current state of circularity and the effect of the improvement opportunities identified, while at the same time anticipating the setting of future national and international regulations on the subject. This model has been applied in 2020 to different contexts within the company including operational sites, processes and business units and a study has been launched to integrate it with environmental redevelopment projects in order to help increase their overall level of circularity.

Virtuous activities identified in circularity analyses:

Multi-company site in Brindisi: a floating photovoltaic system for energy production is being designed; the use of TAF (Groundwater treatment) is also envisaged at the new membrane technology plant to produce demineralised water, allowing a further reduction in the levels of sea water used until now.
Bolgiano offices: energy saving technologies such as Smart Windows and Organic Solar Panels are in use in the offices.
Rho depot: possibility to collect rainwater to be reused in the fire protection systems, thereby replacing the groundwater taken from the well.
Taranto Refinery: opportunity to optimise the Water Reuse plant to further reduce well water withdrawals and the discharge of process water into the sea, as well as to allocate separated mud to waste water treatment, for recovery instead of disposal.

Waste management

Waste generated by Eni from production operations in 2020 decreased by 19% compared to 2019, due to the decline in both non-hazardous waste (76% of the total), and hazardous waste. The decrease in non-hazardous waste is mainly related to the E&P sector, where more than 350,000 tonnes less were generated compared to 2019 due to the slowdown of activities following the COVID-19 emergency and as a result of the cessation of Construction activities in Zohr. Nearly all of Eni waste in Italy is managed by Eni Rewind, which in 2020, launched a digitalization project for the efficiency and monitoring of its waste management process and implemented solutions to ensure its traceability up to its correct disposal/final recovery.

Reclamation activities

Protecting the countries in which we operate is an absolute priority for Eni, in line with our corporate mission's objective to preserve our planet. That is why, over the years, we have put in place ever more effective techniques and practices of reclamation. Total expenditure on remediation in 2020 amounted to over €411 million, an increase on previous years. More than 50% of the expenditure on remediation is generated by Eni Rewind, a company dedicated to the remediation of disused contaminated sites, and this increased to more than €208 million in 2020 (€197 million in 2019). In 2020, a total of 4.2 million tonnes of waste from remediation activities were generated (of which 3.9 million tonnes from Eni Rewind), 73% of which was groundwater treated by GT plants, partly reused and partly returned to the environment. In line with previous years, are supervised at every stage of the process, from design to execution of works and rehabilitation and valorisation of resources (soil, water, waste).

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