EDISON AND CSR.
METHODS AND OBJECTIVES
Edison’s 2006 Sustainability Report has been prepared by the External Relations Department, working in close collaboration with Edison’s Environmental Protection, Safety and Quality Department and with the input of other Departments that contributed to the work of collecting data, contextualizing information and revising the copy. This document was prepared in accordance with the following methodological framework:
  • The guidelines define by GBS – Social Balance Sheet Study Group, particularly with regard to the definition of value added;
  • The reporting principles and the specific disclosures required by the GRI/G3 Guidelines, 2006 edition, following a step-by-step approach. Edison, while it has achieved a high degree of compliance with these guidelines, chose not to carry out the adjustments needed to achieve full compliance with the GRI/G3 Guidelines in 2007.
The Report is published every year. It is submitted to the Board of Directors when it reviews the Annual report, generally in February or March, and is distributed at the Shareholders’ Meeting convened to approve the Annual Report, generally in March or April. Shortly thereafter, it is made available to the public on the Company website. This year’s edition is the fourth published thus far. Its scope has not changed significantly compared with the previous report.
More specifically:
  • The economic and financial data are the consolidated data of the Edison Group, computed in accordance with the IAS/IFRS international accounting principles, and include Edipower at 50%;
  • The data for social and environmental issues are those of Edison’s core businesses (electric power operations, and hydrocarbons operations). Edipower is not included because it published its own Sustainability Report.
  • The computation of value added is for Edison’s core businesses and includes Edipower consolidated at 50%.
There have been no changes in the method used to process data, except for a few instances for which specific notes have been provided. The material contained in this Report is presented in an abridged format, according to which only the most significant issues and data are presented and frequent reference are made to more exhaustive material that has been or will be published on the www.edison.it website.
In order to improve the reporting process and provide assurances to our stakeholders as to the reliability of the information provided in this Report, an external independent expert was retain to perform an audit. At the conclusion of their work, the auditors issues a certificate of conformity, which is appended to this Report.
GLOSSARY
OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Biomass: Agricultural waste or the product of specific crops that can be burned in facilities that produce thermal energy and electric power (cogeneration).
BSI OHSAS 18001: An international standard issued by the British Standards Institute that establishes the requirements of a safety management system and allows an organization to draw up a safety policy and establish objectives, taking into account legislative aspects and information on significant risks.
CDM: International cooperation mechanism created under the Kyoto Protocol to develop projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions in developing countries and, at the same time, generate credits that can be used to achieve emission reduction objectives.
CO: Carbon monoxide, a toxic gas coming from incomplete combustion of the carbon present in fossil fuels.
CO2: Carbon dioxide, a natural component of the atmosphere and a gas produced by the combustion of fossil fuels that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Cogeneration: Simultaneous production of electrical and thermal energy (in the form of steam).
Combined cycle (CCGT, Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine): A facility for the production of electrical power consisting of a gas turbine whose hot exhaust is used to produce steam, which in turn drives a steam turbine.
Corporate governance: The Green Book defines corporate governance as “the complex of relationships that exist between managers, Directors, shareholders and other company stakeholders.”
Effect on the environment: A significant consequence having a (positive or negative) qualitative or quantitative impact on the environment (emission released or avoided, waste generation, etc.).
Electric Power and Gas Authority: An independent entity that regulates and controls services in the electric power and natural gas industries.
Electromagnetic fields: Non-ionizing radiation caused by the presence of electrical currents.
EMAS: European Union Regulation 761/2001 concerning voluntary compliance by industrial companies with an EU system of ecomanagement and auditing.
Emissions trading (ET): System developed by the European Union to allow trading of greenhouse gas emission allowances. This system is the first in a series of tools that will be used to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Environment: The context in which an organization operates, including the air, water, land, natural resources, plants, animals, people, and their interrelations.
Environmental consequence: The output of any activity that may have the effect of totally or partially changing the environment, with either negative or beneficial consequences.
Environmental policy: A statement made by an organization indicating its intentions and principles in connection with its overall environmental, safety and quality performance. It provides a reference for the activity being done and for defining goals and targets with regard to the environment, safety and quality.
Environmental, safety and quality management system (SGA, SGS, SGQ): The portion of the general management system that includes the organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing and maintaining a stated environmental, safety and/or quality policy.
Environmental, safety or quality audit: A systematic and documented verification process for determining and assessing, based on objective evidence, whether the environmental, safety or quality management system implemented by an organization complies with its stated environmental, safety or quality policy.
Fuel cells: Electrochemical devices that convert energy produced by a chemical reaction directly into electric power.
Fuel oil: A mixture of products from the distillation of petroleum used as a fuel for the production of heat, categorized as HSC (high sulfur content > 2.5%), MSC (medium sulfur content > 1.3% and < 2.5%), LSC (low sulfur content > 0.5% and < 1.3%), and VLSC (very low sulfur content < 0.5%).
Gigawatt (GW): Unit of measure equal to one billion watts (one million kilowatts).
Gigawatt-hour (GWh): Unit of measure equal to one million kilowatt-hours.
Green energy: Electric power produced from renewable sources (water; geothermal, solar and wind energy, and biomass).
Greenhouse effect: A phenomenon by which the Earth’s temperature is raised due to the excessive presence of certain gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, HCFS, PCFS, SF6) that prevent radiation from escaping the Earth.
Joint implementation: International cooperation mechanism created under the Kyoto Protocol for the development of joint projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions in countries the economies of which are in a transition phase, thereby generating credits that can be transferred to or acquired by a company to help it achieve its emission reduction targets.