After two years, Supplier Day, the day devoted to our Group’s partners, returned as an in-person event. Not only did it celebrate the relationship with our supply chain but also the recovery of the country system. Many people gathered at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome on March 31 for the event, which could also be followed online. For Alda Paola Baldi, Head of Procurement Italy, it was “a wonderful feeling. Alongside us our partners are playing a leading role in achieving hugely important common goals that are strategic for the country.” The event, which was chaired by RAI TG1 presenter Laura Chimenti, was an important opportunity to reiterate the urgent need to focus on an increasingly sustainable supply chain.
“Cooperation with our partners is fundamental for our Group in order to achieve the target of zero emissions by 2040,” said Francesca Di Carlo, Head of Global Procurement, “but also to contribute to the culture of workplace safety and sustainability. For our part, we are careful both to listen to the suggestions and ideas of our partners and to assist them with our Supplier Development Program, an ecosystem of opportunities that opens up access to financial services, training and advice.”
“We are collaborating every day with the companies working with us to bring about the energy transition,” said Alda Paola Baldi from the stage of the Sala Sinopoli (hall). The day centered on the topic of electrification which, as Baldi emphasized, “is not an option, it is our activity. It is the basis for growth.”
The event provided an opportunity to review the statistics concerning 2021 in Italy, with more than 6 thousand suppliers involved, and to present the 2022 procurement plan, which confirms the trend for positive growth for a third consecutive year. “All of this has been made possibly by putting people and sustainability at the center,” Alda Paola Baldi went on to say.
Nicola Lanzetta, Head of Country Italy, stated that “we are proud to be a multinational, but we are also very proud to be Italian.” He touched on the current energy scenario by explaining three fundamental aspects that need to be worked on in order to reduce Italy’s dependence on fossil fuels:
- Giving up gas as quickly as possible by accelerating renewables
- Focusing for the time being on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which can allow us to diversify sources of supply
- Electrifying as many activities as possible.
Indeed, electrification and its benefits provided the basis for a panel discussion involving Augusto Raggi, Head of Enel X Italy; Aurora Viola, Head of Market Italy; Luca Solfaroli Camillocci, Head of Enel Green Power and Thermal Generation Italy, and Vincenzo Ranieri, Head of Infrastructure and Networks Italy. The discussion revealed that the consumers and their actions are the key players in the energy transition. Electrifying consumption not only accelerates the process but also stimulates the growth of a ‘Made in Italy’ renewable energy industry and creates jobs. Proof of this can be seen in our Energy for Growth program in partnership with ELIS, which aims (by 2023) to train 5,500 specialized technicians to join companies that work with us.
Elisabetta Ripa, CEO Enel X Way, gave a speech that focused on electric mobility, inviting our partners to invest in “new skills” for continuous development and went on to talk about how the market for electric cars is evolving in our country thanks to an increasingly widespread charging infrastructure.
The electrification of transport and consumption was also the subject of a speech by Professor Nicola Armaroli, Director of Research at the Pheel Unit of the ISOF Institute at the CNR (National Research Council). Outlining his own personal experience, he explained that focusing on electrification is the only option in order to escape from the “dead-end street” of fossil fuels, adding that, “we have all the technologies to do it.” Armaroli invited our partners to embrace this shift immediately and concluded his speech about renewables by making the important point that they are “a tool of peace” because the materials required to make them can be reused or repurposed through the circular economy, therefore enabling further cooperation.
This was followed by three panel discussions that were dedicated to safety (moderated by Lea Tarchioni, Head of HSE Global Infrastructure and Networks), sustainability (with Stella Di Carlo, Head of Innovability Global Procurement) and digitalization (with Giuseppe Amoroso, Head of Digital Strategy and Governance). During the discussions representatives of the businesses involved in our projects outlined how their own overall performance had improved in various sectors. They also presented their proposals for the future.
After a day that was full of inspiration and insights, Alda Paola Baldi brought proceedings to a close by reiterating the three key words: Electrification, which must become our daily reality, Sustainability, which is also an important feature of business, and Cooperation, the journey we have embarked upon together with our partners towards the ambitious goals we have set.