ENEL JOINS THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT PROGRAMME

In line with its own programme of social responsibility, Enel furthers its commitment to the respect of human and worker rights, and sustainable development

Rome, 27 April 2004 – Enel has been admitted to the United Nations Global Compact – a programme proposed by UN secretary general Kofi Annan in 2000 – which calls for corporations to officially commit themselves to the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the principles and fundamental workers’ rights established by the International Workers’ Organization and those contained in the Rio declaration for the Environment and Development.
Although a relatively recent initiative, the Global Compact already counts 1,333 companies and organizations as members. Through its membership, Enel has extended its commitment to the respect of human rights in all its activities and guarantees that it will never be party to any violations of these rights, not even indirectly.
With regard to the rights of workers, Enel is committed to guarantee workers’ freedom of association and their right to collective bargaining. Enel also guarantees that it will never use forced or obligatory labour, nor employ minors. It will also eliminate all forms of discrimination in its staffing policies in the countries where it operates.
The Compact also calls for a preventive approach to environmental challenges, the promotion of greater environmental responsibility, and the promotion, development and dissemination of environmentally friendly technologies.
Enel’s decision to adhere to the Global Compact fits with the company’s existing Social Responsibility programme, a programme which led to the publication of Enel’s first, award winning, Sustainability Report  in May 2003. For 2004, the sustainability report has been fully incorporated in the group’s five-year industrial and strategy plan.
As a consequence of this commitment and the results achieved to date, Enel was admitted in 2003 to the sustainability indices of the Financial Times (for the third consecutive time), Dow Jones (where it is classified as “first in line for selection”), Capital Partners, Vigeo, and Core Ratings. These rankings are the principal reference points for ethical investment funds, an investment sector which is showing consistent growth. Of the 254 qualifying institutional investors, 33 have invested in Enel to date. Their presence is significant, amounting to 7.1% of all outstanding shares in the Enel Group and 16.2% of total capital held by institutional investors.