Sustainable finance puts environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns at the heart of the Company’s decision-making

and investment planning, focusing its resources on short- as well as medium/long-term sustainable projects.

On the strength of this conviction, the Company signed in 2019 what, at the date, was the largest Green Loan in the transportation sector worldwide. A €1.1 billion loan that marked an unprecedented breakthrough in green financing for the transportation sector.

The loan, syndicated by a group of Italian and international banks, was used to re-finance Italo’s green investments and further expand its ecofriendly fleet.

Italo has demonstrated that it is a mass transit operator with a cutting edge fleet of eco-friendly trains and a leader of environmental sustainability in the high-speed rail market by achieving the classification of “pure player,” that is a company whose revenues are generated entirely from activities that result in low CO2 emissions and is therefore able to combat climate change.

To further solidify its commitment to sustainable finance, in 2020, with the Sustainability Linked Option, the Company also tied its financing to sustainable performance targets, which are concrete and subject to measurement on an annual basis. The financing thus qualifies as “green” and “sustainable.” To date, the Company has always met the sustainable performance targets set.

In 2023, the Company completed the process of refinancing its existing capital structure, again making use of sustainable finance instruments. In fact, a new syndicated “green” bank loan worth €1.4 billion was signed for refinancing existing green investments and further expansion of the eco-friendly train fleet.