The Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) – institution that set global scientific criteria to guide companies toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change – has validated the ERG Group's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets, in line with the threshold necessary to maintain the global temperature increase within 1.5°C.

ERG's commitment aims to achieve Net Zero by 2040 by enhancing specific action in the near term by 2027 (near-term target) and Net Zero in the long-term (long-term target) by 2040.

In the near-term ERG commits to:

- reduce direct GHG emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from energy consumption (Scope 2) of 72% per MWh by 2027 from a 2020 base year;
- increase active sourcing of renewable electricity from 94% in 2020 to 100% in 2030;
- reduce direct GHG emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from fuel and energy related activities covering all sold electricity (Scope 3) of 70.4% per MWh by 2027 from a 2020 base year.

In the long-term ERG commits to:

- reduce direct GHG emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from energy consumption (Scope 2) from power generation of 94.8% per MWh by 2040 from a 2020 base year;
- reduce direct GHG emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from fuel and energy related activities covering all sold electricity (Scope 3) of 95.3% per MWh within the same timeframe;
- reduce all other indirect GHG emissions (Scope 3) of 97% per MWhe within the same timeframe.

ERG ranks among the top 15 companies worldwide and among the top 2 in Italy in the Electric Utilities and Independent Power Producers sector to have obtained certification of its decarbonization targets from the SBTi.

Paolo Merli, CEO of ERG, commented: “We are very satisfied and proud that the ‘Science Based Target initiative’ has approved our ‘Net Zero’ targets, confirming ERG’s commitment in playing a leading role in tackling climate change. The recent agreement to sell the Priolo Gargallo thermoelectric plant represents a crucial step for the Group in achieving the ‘Net Zero’ target we set as part of the Business Plan".