- The promotion of human rights, diversity and inclusion are part of Endesa's strategic lines, focussing on integral sustainability and a commitment to action for a fairer, more equitable society.
- Within this framework, Endesa participated in Inclusive Business As a Shared Value Opportunity, a conference organised in Rome by its parent company, Enel, in which different companies and entrepreneurs shared experiences and projects in the area of inclusive business. Franceso Starace, CEO of ENEL opened the sessions.
- Furthermore, and before the celebration on 3 December of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the company reaffirmed its commitment to the inclusion of this group by participating in The Valuable 500 network.
New technologies and digitalisation and, specifically, blockchain, is the basis for the CONFIA project, an initiative contributed by Endesa, in a presentation made by José Mínguez, responsible for the project, to this conference dedicated to so-called Inclusive Business. It features providing inclusive goods and services to groups in vulnerable situations and which are also commercially viable, making them part of the value chain of companies. The goal is to meet social demands while creating profitable solutions and business opportunities for everyone.
The CONFIA initiative seeks to use blockchain to streamline the management of vulnerable customers by municipalities. This is an attempt to avoid power cuts due to non-payment, as well as to improve connection and provide the same information to all the agents involved: Retailers, autonomous communities, municipalities, social services, intervention and CNMC. The pioneering project in Europe was presented in public for the first time in May and is the result of the collaboration between Endesa itself, the City Council and the University of Málaga and Alastria, with funding from the Technical Corporation of Andalusia. "Blockchain can streamline procedures reliably, transparently, securely and in a decentralised manner, so that vulnerable people are not subject to power cuts," explained José Mínguez, head of commercial innovation at Endesa. Thanks to CONFIA, the administration can detect users who are in a situation of vulnerability more quickly, so that social services can manage the aid provided for in current legislation.
Currently, the management of consumers who cannot cope with the payment of the electricity bill is a decentralised and non-automated process, so management is very slow and inefficient. Until now, a centralised system that globally manages the process was not feasible, since the information that is handled is extremely sensitive and there is no party in the process that is in possession of all the information.
Labour and social inclusion for people with disabilities: The Valuable 500 project
Endesa, in line with the Enel Group, is working to replace boundaries and obstacles with new opportunities leveraging on the unique mix of talents contributed by all employees. A result of this strategic framework is that both are now members of Valuable 500, a network of companies from around the world that make public their commitment to action with the improvement and expansion of measures relating to digital accessibility, autonomy, mobility, development and employability of people with disabilities.
Endesa has been a member of The Valuable 500 group since September last year, when it became the first Spanish electricity company to become a member of this disability integration initiative. José Bogas, Chief Executive Officer of Endesa, with regard to membership of this initiative, underline that "Valuable 500 shows us that, by opening doors to people with disabilities, companies obtain a series of advantages including a higher level of innovation, an increase to the customer base and improvement in productivity".
As a company included in The Valuable 500, Endesa is committed to supporting people with disabilities in a number of areas, from spreading the culture of disability inclusion in society to developing solutions tailored to these people, supporting employees with disabilities so that they can fully develop their professional life and reducing barriers when recruiting them. An example of these real actions is Javier Crespo Aldama. He has a hip prosthesis as a result of medical negligence when he was a child, which led to a disability of the osteoarticular system.
After becoming unemployed and spending months going from interview in interview, he now works in Complaints Management, in the Client Infrastructure Commitment and E-Distribution department, the electricity distributor for Endesa. "It was very complicated for a few months. That was until I heard about a long-term replacement position at Endesa, with the same conditions as an employee, in the Regulation department. There they did not care at all about my disability, but about my years of experience and what I could contribute to the department, "said Javier, who today has a fixed contract thanks to his excellent work.
"As a result of The Valuable 500 project, Endesa has undertaken numerous actions, such as the review of all the company's protocols, as well as improvements in accessibility and in the integration of people with disabilities," said Javier.
Javier's own experience with disability is especially valuable to the company. "As we are members of The Value 500 project, I can give my point of view on possible improvements within the company. Many of our contributions have been of enormous significance. In fact, they have been approved and included in the roadmap for the project in Endesa", he highlighted.
The initiatives launched by the company, together with the development of the Pedius customer service system that provides easy access to this service for people with disabilities, include a number of courses and awareness activities, as well as amongst its suppliers, and the adaptation of jobs according to the circumstances.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end business from generation to marketing and through Endesa X also offers value-added services aimed at the decarbonisation of energy uses in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and therefore strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. We have a workforce of 9,600 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.