Focus on strongly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving workplace safety and increasing the presence of women, while also substantially investing in innovation

In early 2024, Webuild defined the new ESG Plan, defined on the basis of the materiality assessment in line with the Group’s Strategic Plan. 

The new ESG Plan starts from the results obtained and the full achievement of the objectives of the first ESG Plan for the three-year period 2021-2023 and continues with greater ambition to respond to the growing needs of stakeholders and global challenges in an increasingly tangible way.

Webuild's priorities in the ESG field concern fighting against climate change and promoting a circular economy (Environmental), protecting and enhancing its people (Social), and innovation, as a strategic lever for sustainability and for improving business efficiency. All while ensuring high governance, integrity, transparency and stakeholder engagement standards (Governance).

In particular, the ESG Plan is focused on the three strategic areas - Green, Safety & Inclusion, Innovation - in which Webuild has invested significant resources and achieved significant results over the years. On these priority areas, the cd. Sustainability “construction sites", the Group aims at achieving a series of specific objectives: a 10% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (from fossil fuels and electricity) in 2025, compared to 2022 values; a continuous decrease in accidents, reaching a 6% reduction in the LTIFR accident rate (i.e. those marked by days of absence) in 2025, compared to 2022; a 20% increase in women managers of the Group in 2025 (compared to 2023); and finally €430 million in additional investments for innovative and cleantech projects in 2025 (compared to 2023).

At work to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 10%

For construction sites, the new ESG Plan provides for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 10%, by 2025, compared to 2022, includes implementing green solutions in start-up projects: Green TBMs (the so-called mechanical moles); high efficiency prefabrication; electrical efficiency and predictive maintenance systems; renewable energies (photovoltaic, mini-hydro, storage systems, hybrid generators); low-emission vehicles and charging stations; eco-sustainable logistic fields; remote control systems for water and other water efficiency improvements.

At corporate level, the Plan includes an environmental promotion campaign (2024-2026), the development of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodologies for the assessment of the Carbon/Energy footprint and the related test on a sample of new business initiatives (2026). 

Health and Safety in the workplace: reducing accidents, our absolute priority

To meet the Group's health and safety objectives and achieving in 2025 a LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate: Accidents with days of absence occurred per million hours worked) 6% lower than in 2022. Webuild plans to continue risk monitoring and evaluation of related control measures, strengthen training provided for direct employees and as part of the Safety Builders programme, and to step up its operating monitoring activities, with on-site security assessments and audits. and staff awareness campaigns. Research and trialling of innovative technological solutions will be carried out.

More women in key roles, and greater attention to diversity

The new ESG plan is designed to increase the number of women managers within the Group by 20%, and it involves a range of Diversity and Inclusion activities, such as dedicated training, female mentoring, coaching for senior managers, and training on cultural diversity. As regards development and leadership activities, the ESG Plan foresees the extension of performance management, development programs, assessment of key resources and periodic succession planning.

Webuild, with regard to Diversity and Gender Inclusion, for equal pay matters, can already record a substantial absence of significant gaps for corporate resources. A greater presence of women is also expected in the pipeline of possible successors in key roles.

I as in Innovation. D as in Digitilization

Webuild considers innovation essential for its long-term sustainable growth in an era of technological and environmental challenges. Innovation is key to be competitive in terms of:

• core and staff process efficiency for improved performance efficiencies (timing and costs);
• social and environmental performance and quality construction services;
• reduction of construction lead times;
• expansion into new business sectors.

The Company’s sector is known for the highly customised processing, techniques and technologies deployed depending on the nature of the works to be performed. Each project is unique and requires the development of bespoke solutions designed thanks to highly specialist know-how. The Group’s work sites are real hives of innovation and advanced research.

R&D activities are carried out at project and corporate level.

The new ESG Plan provides for additional investments in innovative and cleantech projects of € 430 million by 2025. The investments will cover different areas of intervention: through the Innovation Center are planned investments in the two-year period for about 20 million; robotic factory environmentally friendly and safe factory to produce tunnel segments for the railway lines under construction, and the investment in intelligent innovative system to monitor and manage work sites’ water resources. In the period 2024-2025 is also expected the arrival of additional Green TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine with reduced energy and water consumption.