Local development: a priority for Eni

African doctor looks through microscope

Our approach to local development

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.

The initiatives to prevent and combat gender-based violence

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:

  • there is evidence that lack of access to education for girls is, depending on the context, a cause and/or consequence of early exposure to forms of gender-based violence, including forced marriages and early pregnancies;
  • education is a key tool for achieving economic independence. For example, in Egypt, the "Applied Technology School in Port Said" project has brought significant female participation to the predominantly male educational sector of vocational schools, guaranteeing girls protection tools such as the presence of a grievance mechanism;
  • the school is a strategic place to raise awareness among girls and boys about gender-based violence and overcome socio-cultural norms that limit women's emancipation.

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.

Our initiatives to support local communities around the world

Our interventions promote access to essential rights. We work with local and international authorities and partners to promote the right to energy, water, food, education, health, environmental protection and economic development.

Local Development Programmes in Cooperation with Countries

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.

Business-integrated sustainability

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:

  • which are our own, and are developed in cooperation with academic institutes such as the Eni Local Content Evaluation (ELCE)
  • which are shared internationally and adopted by Eni, such as the Logical Framework Approach (LFA), the results-based management approach and project cycle management.

The numerous collaborations with institutions, cooperation agencies and local stakeholders enable a useful approach, to identify key interventions to be implemented in the area.

The Mattei Formula, development starts with cooperation

The strategy developed by Enrico Mattei promotes collaboration with the territories in which we operate to foster sustainable development and meet the needs of communities.

Accessible energy

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.

Woman looking at the horizon with sunlight in her hands

Partnerships for sustainable development

We initiate projects together with civil society organisations, UN agencies, funds and programmes, national and regional cooperation organisations, financial institutions and the private sector.

All data on our sustainability performance



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