Glossary | Report 2021

A
ARERA (FORMERLY AEEGSI, ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WATER AUTHORITY) Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment. ARPA Regional Environmental Protection Agency. ASPP Prevention and Protection Service Officer. ATERSIR Territorial Agency of Emilia-Romagna for Water and Waste Services.

ARERA (FORMERLY AEEGSI, ELECTRICITY, GAS AND WATER AUTHORITY)
Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment.

ARPA
Regional Environmental Protection Agency.

ASPP
Prevention and Protection Service Officer.

ATERSIR
Territorial Agency of Emilia-Romagna for Water and Waste Services.

B
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES (BAT) Best available technologies for pollution prevention and control. BIOGAS Formation of gas, by anaerobic fermentation in the presence of microorganisms bacteria, of waste or sludge from urban water treatment; the methane contained in the biogas can be used for energy production. BOD The term BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) refers to the amount of oxygen consumed during a given time, at a given temperature, to decompose organic substances in water through the action of bacteria (cellular respiration). A high biochemical oxygen demand is the index of an intense bacterial activity for organic decomposition and highlights the presence of organic pollution. This is an indirect measure of pollutant load. Its value is expressed in %.

BEST AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES (BAT)
Best available technologies for pollution prevention and control.

BIOGAS
Formation of gas, by anaerobic fermentation in the presence of microorganisms bacteria, of waste or sludge from urban water treatment; the methane contained in the biogas can be used for energy production.

BOD
The term BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) refers to the amount of oxygen consumed during a given time, at a given temperature, to decompose organic substances in water through the action of bacteria (cellular respiration). A high biochemical oxygen demand is the index of an intense bacterial activity for organic decomposition and highlights the presence of organic pollution. This is an indirect measure of pollutant load. Its value is expressed in %.

C
CLEANTECH Any process, product or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources or environmental protection activities. CO Carbon monoxide. CO₂ Carbon dioxide. COD The term COD (chemical oxygen demand) means the amount of oxygen necessary for the complete oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds present in a water sample. It is an index measuring the degree of pollution of water by oxidisable substances, mainly organic. Its value is expressed in %. CODE OF ETHICS A document that defines the principles, behaviours, commitments, and ethical responsibilities that must be complied with by directors, employees, and collaborators in all company activities. COGENERATION Simultaneous production of electrical and thermal energy. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Set of rules according to which companies are managed and controlled. CSR Corporate Social Responsibility.

CLEANTECH
Any process, product or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources or environmental protection activities.

CO
Carbon monoxide.

CO₂
Carbon dioxide.

COD
The term COD (chemical oxygen demand) means the amount of oxygen necessary for the complete oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds present in a water sample. It is an index measuring the degree of pollution of water by oxidisable substances, mainly organic. Its value is expressed in %.

CODE OF ETHICS
A document that defines the principles, behaviours, commitments, and ethical responsibilities that must be complied with by directors, employees, and collaborators in all company activities.

COGENERATION
Simultaneous production of electrical and thermal energy.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Set of rules according to which companies are managed and controlled.

CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility.

D
DISTRICT HEATING Remote transmission of heat by circulating water in two pipes, one supplying hot water and one returning colder water.

E
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment. EIB European Investment Bank, an institution of the European Union for financing investments in support of the Union’s policy objectives. E-LEARNING Learning through multimedia courses that can be used mainly remotely through online systems. ELECTRICITY SERVICES PROVIDER (GSE) Joint-Stock Company (Article 3 of Italian Legislative Decree 79/99) whose shares are held by the Ministry of the Treasury, which provides incentives for the production of electricity from renewable and similar sources and is responsible for the qualification of renewable source plants and their production. EMAS (ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT SCHEME) Environmental management and audit scheme according to Community Regulation 761/2001. EMISSIONS TRADING SYSTEM (ETS) Flexible mechanism, provided for in the Kyoto agreements, for trading emission rights between countries or Companies in relation to their respective greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. END CUSTOMER natural or legal person who purchases electricity exclusively for his/her own use. ENERGY EFFICIENCY CERTIFICATES (EEC) (ALSO KNOWN AS WHITE CERTIFICATES) Energy savings certificates for which electricity and gas distributors with a customer base of more than 50,000 are required. EECs are valid for five years and are issued by the GME (Decree of the Ministry of Productive Activities dated 20/7/04, in agreement with the Minister for the Environment and Protection of the Land). ENERGY SERVICE COMPANY (ESCO) Companies that carry out interventions aimed at improving energy efficiency, assuming the risk of the initiative and freeing the final customer from any organisational and investment burden. ETHICAL INDEXES Indexes that monitor the performance of a basket of companies according to economic, ethical, environmental and social criteria.

EIA
Environmental Impact Assessment.

EIB
European Investment Bank, an institution of the European Union for financing investments in support of the Union’s policy objectives.

E-LEARNING
Learning through multimedia courses that can be used mainly remotely through online systems.

ELECTRICITY SERVICES PROVIDER (GSE)
Joint-Stock Company (Article 3 of Italian Legislative Decree 79/99) whose shares are held by the Ministry of the Treasury, which provides incentives for the production of electricity from renewable and similar sources and is responsible for the qualification of renewable source plants and their production.

EMAS (ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT SCHEME)
Environmental management and audit scheme according to Community Regulation 761/2001.

EMISSIONS TRADING SYSTEM (ETS)
Flexible mechanism, provided for in the Kyoto agreements, for trading emission rights between countries or Companies in relation to their respective greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

END CUSTOMER
natural or legal person who purchases electricity exclusively for his/her own use.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY CERTIFICATES (EEC) (ALSO KNOWN AS WHITE CERTIFICATES)
Energy savings certificates for which electricity and gas distributors with a customer base of more than 50,000 are required. EECs are valid for five years and are issued by the GME (Decree of the Ministry of Productive Activities dated 20/7/04, in agreement with the Minister for the Environment and Protection of the Land).

ENERGY SERVICE COMPANY (ESCO)
Companies that carry out interventions aimed at improving energy efficiency, assuming the risk of the initiative and freeing the final customer from any organisational and investment burden.

ETHICAL INDEXES
Indexes that monitor the performance of a basket of companies according to economic, ethical, environmental and social criteria.

G
GIGAJOULE (GJ) Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) adopted in the international system (3.6 GJ corresponds to 1 GWh). GIGAWATT (GW) Unit of measurement of power (of any nature) equal to one million kilowatts. GIGAWATT-HOUR (GWH) Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to one million kilowatt-hours. GREEN BOND Bond instruments whose proceeds are used exclusively to finance or refinance all or part of projects/activities with a clear positive impact on the environment (Eligible Projects/Activities). GREEN CERTIFICATES Annual certificates issued by the GSE certifying the production from renewable sources of 1 MWh of energy. Since 2002 (Decree 79/99) producers and importers have been obliged to feed energy from renewable sources into the grid in quantities equal to a percentage of the total electricity from conventional sources produced or imported in the previous year (net of exports, self-consumption by power plants and cogeneration). GREENHOUSE GASES Gases that do not allow the dispersion of heat from the earth and therefore produce overheating of the atmosphere. In addition to those of natural origin, the main anthropogenic greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen oxides. GROSS PRODUCTION Electrical energy produced during the period of time considered, measured at the terminals of the electric generator. GUARANTEE OF ORIGIN (GO) Electronic certification that attests to the renewable origin of the sources used by qualified plants with Guarantee of Origin. A GO title is issued for each MWh of renewable electricity fed into the grid by these facilities.

GIGAJOULE (GJ)
Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) adopted in the international system (3.6 GJ corresponds to 1 GWh).

GIGAWATT (GW)
Unit of measurement of power (of any nature) equal to one million kilowatts.

GIGAWATT-HOUR (GWH)
Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to one million kilowatt-hours.

GREEN BOND
Bond instruments whose proceeds are used exclusively to finance or refinance all or part of projects/activities with a clear positive impact on the environment (Eligible Projects/Activities).

GREEN CERTIFICATES
Annual certificates issued by the GSE certifying the production from renewable sources of 1 MWh of energy. Since 2002 (Decree 79/99) producers and importers have been obliged to feed energy from renewable sources into the grid in quantities equal to a percentage of the total electricity from conventional sources produced or imported in the previous year (net of exports, self-consumption by power plants and cogeneration).

GREENHOUSE GASES
Gases that do not allow the dispersion of heat from the earth and therefore produce overheating of the atmosphere. In addition to those of natural origin, the main anthropogenic greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen oxides.

GROSS PRODUCTION
Electrical energy produced during the period of time considered, measured at the terminals of the electric generator.

GUARANTEE OF ORIGIN (GO)
Electronic certification that attests to the renewable origin of the sources used by qualified plants with Guarantee of Origin. A GO title is issued for each MWh of renewable electricity fed into the grid by these facilities.

H
HSR Workers’ Health and Safety Representative. HV High voltage, i.e. 132 kV, 220 kV and 380 kV. HYDROELECTRIC A system that transforms the potential energy of water into electrical energy. May be of the flowing water, basin and reservoir type.

HSR
Workers’ Health and Safety Representative.

HV
High voltage, i.e. 132 kV, 220 kV and 380 kV.

HYDROELECTRIC
A system that transforms the potential energy of water into electrical energy. May be of the flowing water, basin and reservoir type.

I
IEA Integrated Environmental Authorisation.

K
KILOCALORIE (KCAL) Unit of measurement of heat (thermal energy). One kcal is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree centigrade. KILOVOLT (KV) Unit of measurement of voltage equal to 1,000 Volts. KILOWATT (KW) Unit of measurement of power (of any kind) equal to 1,000 Watts. KILOWATT-HOUR (KWH) Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to 1,000 Watts for one hour.

KILOCALORIE (KCAL)
Unit of measurement of heat (thermal energy). One kcal is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree centigrade.

KILOVOLT (KV)
Unit of measurement of voltage equal to 1,000 Volts.

KILOWATT (KW)
Unit of measurement of power (of any kind) equal to 1,000 Watts.

KILOWATT-HOUR (KWH)
Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to 1,000 Watts for one hour.

L
LANDFILL MINING Excavation of waste deposited in landfills and its subsequent treatment for the inertisation of hazardous fractions and the separation and selection of the different components (fine material, recoverable fractions and residues), intended for sorted management. LEAD GENERATION Process for attracting the interest of potential customers and turning it into sales transactions. LV Low voltage, i.e. 220/380 V.

LANDFILL MINING
Excavation of waste deposited in landfills and its subsequent treatment for the inertisation of hazardous fractions and the separation and selection of the different components (fine material, recoverable fractions and residues), intended for sorted management.

LEAD GENERATION
Process for attracting the interest of potential customers and turning it into sales transactions.

LV
Low voltage, i.e. 220/380 V.

M
MbO Management by Objectives MEGAWATT (MW) Unit of measurement of power (of any kind) equal to one million Watts. MEGAWATT-HOUR (MWH) Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to one thousand kilowatt-hours. MV MMedium voltage, i.e. voltages between 1 and 30 kV.

MbO
Management by Objectives

MEGAWATT (MW)
Unit of measurement of power (of any kind) equal to one million Watts.

MEGAWATT-HOUR (MWH)
Unit of measurement of energy (of any kind) equal to one thousand kilowatt-hours.

MV
MMedium voltage, i.e. voltages between 1 and 30 kV.

N
NET PRODUCTION Gross production minus consumption for services required to operate the generating group. NOTCH Level in the rating measurement scale. NO_X Nitrogen oxides.

NET PRODUCTION
Gross production minus consumption for services required to operate the generating group.

NOTCH
Level in the rating measurement scale.

NO_X
Nitrogen oxides.

O
OPTIMAL TERRITORIAL AREA (ATO) The Optimal Territorial Area (Law 36794) determines the regional level of the organisation of the integrated water service; the Regional Law defines its boundaries.

P
PAI Integrated Environmental Centre. POWER EXCHANGE Virtual place where supply and demand meet for the purchase and sale of wholesale electricity. The economic management of the Power Exchange is entrusted to the GME (Article 5 of Italian Legislative Decree 79/99). PPE Personal Protective Equipment. PPS Prevention and Protection Service. PRODUCTION CAPACITY Estimated energy that can be produced by each individual producer.

PAI
Integrated Environmental Centre.

POWER EXCHANGE
Virtual place where supply and demand meet for the purchase and sale of wholesale electricity. The economic management of the Power Exchange is entrusted to the GME (Article 5 of Italian Legislative Decree 79/99).

PPE
Personal Protective Equipment.

PPS
Prevention and Protection Service.

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Estimated energy that can be produced by each individual producer.

R
RAD Risk Assessment Document. RENEWABLE ENERGY Energy sources not subject to depletion (sun, wind, water resources, geothermal resources, tides, wave motion and biomass). RENEWABLE SOURCES Non-fossil sources (wind, solar, geothermal, wave motion, tidal power, hydraulics, biomass, landfill gas, residual gas from treatment and biogas processes) pursuant to Article 2 of the RES Decree. REVAMPING Renovation of obsolete industrial plants. RSPP Prevention and Protection Service Responsible. RSU Unitary Union Representative Body.

RAD
Risk Assessment Document.

RENEWABLE ENERGY
Energy sources not subject to depletion (sun, wind, water resources, geothermal resources, tides, wave motion and biomass).

RENEWABLE SOURCES
Non-fossil sources (wind, solar, geothermal, wave motion, tidal power, hydraulics, biomass, landfill gas, residual gas from treatment and biogas processes) pursuant to Article 2 of the RES Decree.

REVAMPING
Renovation of obsolete industrial plants.

RSPP
Prevention and Protection Service Responsible.

RSU
Unitary Union Representative Body.

S
SBTi (Science Based Target initiative) Collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the goal of promoting best practices for the definition and independent verification of science-based GHG emission reduction targets. SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) 17 sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030, defined by the UN. SERVICE CHARTER A document setting out the quality standards for company services. SMART METERING Systems enabling remote reading and management of electricity, gas and water meters. SCM Standard cubic meter. SOCIAL COOPERATIVES Enterprises (Law 381/91) which have the aim of “pursuing the general interest of the community for human promotion and social integration of residents“ through the carrying out of activities aimed at the employment of disadvantaged people. SOFT SKILLS Cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills, which differ from the technical skills and abilities related to specific roles. SST She term SST (Total Suspended Solids) means the sum of suspended solids and filterable solids. It represents the total substances present in a wastewater sample after drying at 105°C. The value is expressed in %. STAKEHOLDERS Parties who interact with the company and can influence or be influenced by the company’s activities. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Long-term economic development through low environmental impact and good relations with the social community.

SBTi (Science Based Target initiative)
Collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the goal of promoting best practices for the definition and independent verification of science-based GHG emission reduction targets.

SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
17 sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030, defined by the UN.

SERVICE CHARTER
A document setting out the quality standards for company services.

SMART METERING
Systems enabling remote reading and management of electricity, gas and water meters.

SCM
Standard cubic meter.

SOCIAL COOPERATIVES
Enterprises (Law 381/91) which have the aim of “pursuing the general interest of the community for human promotion and social integration of residents“ through the carrying out of activities aimed at the employment of disadvantaged people.

SOFT SKILLS
Cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills, which differ from the technical skills and abilities related to specific roles.

SST
She term SST (Total Suspended Solids) means the sum of suspended solids and filterable solids. It represents the total substances present in a wastewater sample after drying at 105°C. The value is expressed in %.

STAKEHOLDERS
Parties who interact with the company and can influence or be influenced by the company’s activities.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Long-term economic development through low environmental impact and good relations with the social community.

T
TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) Established in 2015 by the Financial Stability Board to improve, through its recommendations, the reporting of financial information related to climaterelated risks. TERAWATT-HOUR (TWh) One billion kilowatt-hours. THERMOELECTRIC Plant for the production of electrical energy from fossil fuels. TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent) Equivalent to the primary fossil energy replaced, i.e. the amount of fuel otherwise needed to produce the same amount of energy. TOTAL POWER Sum of the electrical or thermal power of the various producers installed at the same plant.

TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)
Established in 2015 by the Financial Stability Board to improve, through its recommendations, the reporting of financial information related to climaterelated risks.

TERAWATT-HOUR (TWh)
One billion kilowatt-hours.

THERMOELECTRIC
Plant for the production of electrical energy from fossil fuels.

TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent)
Equivalent to the primary fossil energy replaced, i.e. the amount of fuel otherwise needed to produce the same amount of energy.

TOTAL POWER
Sum of the electrical or thermal power of the various producers installed at the same plant.

U
UNI EN ISO 9001 International technical standard for the certification of quality management systems. UNI EN ISO 14001 International technical standard for the certification of environmental management systems. UNI EN ISO 45001 International technical standard for the certification of occupational health and safety management systems.

UNI EN ISO 9001
International technical standard for the certification of quality management systems.

UNI EN ISO 14001
International technical standard for the certification of environmental management systems.

UNI EN ISO 45001
International technical standard for the certification of occupational health and safety management systems.

V
VOLT Unit of measurement of electrical voltage.

W
WATT Unit of measurement of electrical power.