There cannot be true innovation without sustainability, which is why, at Enel,we not only dedicate to the development of technological solutions that are increasingly efficient, , but we also constantly work to develop industrial and operational models capable of progressively reducing the environmental impact of our entire corporate supply chain.
This mission focuses on leveraging the power of digital technology to enhance processes, boost efficiency, and minimize waste in our infrastructure and corporate operations. By doing so, we aim to create value across multiple dimensions, including productivity, economics, and environmental sustainability.
In the year 2022 alone, thanks to the use of digital tools such as the Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) platforms and Cloud infrastructure, our group prevented the emission of 642,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This achievement is the reward of the profound transformation we have carried out across all the business lines within our network, beginning in 2015, with the goal of becoming the first utility company in the world with an integrated digital strategy.
“Sustainability is increasingly at the center of our digital strategy,” stresses Carlo Bozzoli, Head of Global Digital Solutions. “Digital technology represents one of the key strategic levers on the ecological transition, contributing to the reduction in emissions and supporting us by accelerating the decarbonization process. Digitalization is an integral part of business, but it is also a key factor for social inclusion and for developing solutions to support a just transition that leaves no one behind.”
To give a specific example, by encouraging the use of UCC platforms our colleagues had access to smarter, more efficient and more sustainable ways of working. The reduction in travel for daily work commitments, work trips and in-person meetings meant a drastic cut in the number of emissions generated by transportation, with a positive impact on public health for all citizens. Last year alone, we used UCC platforms to host more than 7.3 million virtual meetings around the world. Just this choice resulted in avoiding the release of approximately 639,000 tons of CO2, proving to be a key factor that is capable of contributing to the process of decarbonization and supporting new methods of social and work inclusion.
Similarly, technological innovation continues to provide an ever-widening range of opportunities, with countless operational advantages capable of driving the sustainable growth of our entire Group. Already in 2019, this strategic lever allowed us to become the first major Italian company to complete our migration to the Cloud. In 2022, thanks to the extensive use of informational, infrastructural and application resources, we were able to share a huge amount of data and information in real-time and with complete safety. This was all done while reducing consumption related to resources that were not used, a practice that last year generated energy savings equivalent to about 3000 tons of CO2.
“Today digital innovation makes an essential contribution in protecting the environment and combating climate change, as well as being a decisive asset for business competitiveness”, asserts Andrea Scognamiglio, Head of Innovability® Global Digital Solutions. “Thanks to the use of digital platforms, which make our daily activities more sustainable, we avoided more than 642,000 tons of emissions, equivalent to planting about 640,000 new trees”.
These achievements demonstrate how digital innovation can contribute in a fundamental way to protecting the environment and combating climate change as well as to the creation of organizations and companies that are dynamic on an operational level and competitive in the marketplace. Thanks to tech platforms, we can design and implement increasingly efficient, sustainable and inclusive ways of working that will support an energy transition capable of sparking transversal benefits for all of society.