ENAV is awarded 2019 BBS Prize for sustainability initiatives

ENAV, the Italian air navigation service provider, has been awarded the BBS Prize – Biblioteca Bilancio Sociale (Social Responsibility Library) – for having implemented a virtuous path to sustainability and having introduced specific initiatives aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions.

Among these is the Free Route initiative, an innovative procedure that allows all aircraft to follow a direct route thus saving fuel and reducing CO₂ emissions. In 2019 alone airlines flying through Italian airspace saved 53 million kg of fuel while at the same time lowering CO₂ emissions by 167 million kg. The BBS Prize aims at promoting the companies’ positioning and vision on sustainability.

The aviation sector is going through one of the most critical periods in its history. However, in times like these, a company should not waiver on its responsibilities and values. In order to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, ENAV has developed a contingency plan to protect its operational staff’s health without impacting on service continuity by implementing rotating and interchangeable shifts, which are managed in complete safety. For its administrative staff, ENAV promptly enacted smart working practices and online communities in order to foster the human relationships among colleagues. At the same time, ENAV has maintained the full salary for 100% of its personnel.

The pandemic emergency has not derailed the sustainability program and the initiatives in the ESG area carried out by the ENAV Group. In the past few years, the Group has not only focused on the development of advanced technology projects resulting in lower CO₂ emissions for all airlines, but also on initiatives aiming at minimising direct emissions (the Company has set an objective to achieve carbon neutrality within 2022), eliminating disposable plastics, implementing the use of electric vehicles, as well as on welfare projects aimed at enhancing employees’ work-life balance.

Furthermore, in order to provide a meaningful contribution to the fight against the Covid-19 virus, ENAV has donated funds to support the Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive (National Institute of Contagious Diseases) Lazzaro Spallanzani and the Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Department of Civil Protection): the initiatives were accompanied by a dedicated claim, #torneremoavolare (we will fly again). 

The Biblioteca del Bilancio Sociale, BBS, is the national database that promotes corporate social responsibility, environmental and sustainability reports issued by Italian companies, which it makes available for consultation. This project is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Unioncamere, Confindustria, Luiss Business School, Federdistribuzione, and Fondazione Symbola. It is a unique project whose main aim is to circulate data and news published in the reports to the widest possible audience. Together with its sponsors, BBS plans awareness-raising initiatives, promotes information campaigns, organises regular meetings with institutions for the implementation of the EU directive, organises “global view” events, and organizes the yearly BBS Prize.