A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY The 2008 Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in 2006 (G-3), integrated with the Electric Utilities Sector Supplement, 2007 Pilot version. This standard is internationally recognized as the best practice in sustainability reporting. Edison chose to follow a gradual approach in adopting the GRI Guidelines and plans to add to the Report new indicators of social and environmental performance each year. In 2008, the Group applied the B+ level of the Guidelines. Edison views its Sustainability Report as a tool to communicate how the Group manages its corporate responsibility and provide a complete and balanced presentation of its values, strategies and performance during the reporting period. The Report is also a management tool that can be used to monitor the Group’s sustainability performance and set improvement goals for the future. Edison was one of the first companies in Italy to prepare an environmental report. Since 1994, the year when it published the first document of this kind, it has been steadily expanding the scope of the report, moving from a strictly environmental focus to the coverage of health and safety issues and, starting with the first Sustainability Report in 2004, all areas of Corporate Responsibility.
Accounting Principles, and must include Edipower at 50%; 쮿 the social and environmental data must be those of Edison’s core businesses (electric power operations and hydrocarbons and natural gas operations), with Edipower consolidated at 100%, consistent with the previous year. Edison is Edipower’s majority shareholder and chooses to fully include in its report the data of Edipower’s environmental and social performance. The scope of the environmental data includes all of the industrial facilities of the electric power and hydrocarbon operations, but only the Bolzano, Sambuceto and Trofarello complexes insofar as offices are concerned. In addition, the following disclosures are being provided in the 2008 edition of the Report: 쮿 the 2008 environmental data for the seven thermoelectric power plants sold to Cofathec Servizi S.p.A. and Seci Energia are limited to the period from January 1 to March 31; 쮿 the 2008 environmental data for the hydroelectric power plants sold to Dolomiti Edison Energy S.r.l. and Hydros S.r.l. are for the entire year. Any additional reductions in scope are disclosed within the document and discussed in special notes.
The Sustainability Report is published each year and is distributed at the Shareholders’ Meeting.
In 2008, the data collection process was systematized, particularly with regard to social data, which made it possible to improve the quality of the final qualitative and quantitative information provided in this document.
The consolidation method adopted requires the following: 쮿 the operating and financial data and the data for the main performance indicators (electric power and hydrocarbon production, installed generating capacity) shown in the Report must be consistent with the consolidated data of the Edison Group, computed in accordance with the IAS/IFRS International
As was the case in previous years, the 2008 Sustainability Report was audited by Independent Auditors to certify its compliance with the Guidelines defined by the GRI - Global Reporting Initiative. This process was completed successfully with the issuance of a certification of compliance, which has been annexed to this Report (page 42).
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