The Tandem of the Energy Management Expert EGE UNI 11339 (formerly Energy Manager) and the Mobility Manager MM UNI 11977
Finding myself in the situation of having the EGE UNI-CEI 11339 certification since 2015 and wanting to pursue the new certification for Mobility Manager UNI-CEI 11977, I felt the need to write this article.
The experience of this decade with the EGE figure after the transposition of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency with D.lgs. 102/14 in the energy sector, I hope can serve as an example for the mobility sector, given the evident affinities and synergies between energy management and sustainable mobility management. There is certainly a sharing of objectives, in terms of environmental sustainability and improving the quality of life of people, in companies and in the cities where we live.
Who is the EGE
Initially, there was the technical responsible for the conservation and rational use of energy, a figure introduced in Italy by law 10/91, to promote consumption control and the spread of good energy efficiency practices, among public and private entities characterized by significant consumption, but poorly defined in terms of professional characteristics and competencies. The technical responsible for the conservation and rational use of energy is often identified with the “Energy Manager”, a professional figure today well defined and certified according to UNI standards.
Until 2014, the role of the energy manager remained limited and unattractive within companies. Only after the transposition in Italy of the aforementioned Directive and with the introduction of the obligation for Large Companies and Energy-Intensive Companies to draft every four years an Energy Audit certified by an EGE, before being sent to ENEA, the body responsible for controlling these corporate obligations, the EGE has established itself as a central figure in the energy transition. Subsequently, the more or less consolidated practice of requiring an energy audit drafted by certified EGE or ESCO to access tenders and funding for energy efficiency.
The EGE – Energy Management Expert is the professional figure that manages energy use efficiently, combining knowledge in the energy field with management, economic-financial, and communication competencies, continuously and constantly keeping updated on the evolution of technologies, methodologies, and energy-environmental regulations. The EGE aims to improve the level of energy efficiency and reduce primary energy consumption and climate-altering gas emissions related to energy use.
In Italy, the number of certified Energy Management Experts stands at around 2,800, according to recent data. This number includes professionals certified by third-party and independent bodies under accreditation (ACCREDIA). The requirements to apply for certification, in addition to those related to the degree, are linked to demonstrating, with formal evidence, having dealt with the activities regulated for certification. Some of these activities are mandatory, such as having drafted Energy Audits.
In summary, the EGE landscape in Italy is growing, with a significant number of professionals committed to promoting energy efficiency and sustainability in our country. Recently, the opportunity to involve the EGE in so-called 5.0 activities, the digital innovation of companies, has also been included.
Who is the Mobility Manager
The Mobility Manager is a strategic professional figure within the organization, introduced with the interministerial decree “Sustainable mobility in urban areas” of March 27, 1998 (Ronchi Decree), deputed to manage employees’ home-to-work commutes, optimizing costs for travel, in line with the territory’s sustainable mobility policies, so as to limit traffic congestion and atmospheric emissions. Article 3 of the cited Decree limited the appointment obligation to public entities and companies with more than 300 employees per “local unit” or, overall, with over 800 employees operating in multiple local offices in municipalities classified as at risk of atmospheric pollution. This threshold was lowered in 2000, extending the obligation to entities and companies with more than 100 employees.
The Legislative Decree of May 19, 2020, n. 34 (Relaunch Decree) provides, in art. 229 titled “Measures to incentivize sustainable mobility”, that companies and public administrations with more than 100 employees in a single local unit and located in a regional capital, in a metropolitan city, in a provincial capital, or in a municipality with a population exceeding 50,000 inhabitants, are required to adopt, by December 31 of each year, a Home-to-Work Travel Plan (PSCL). This Plan must be aimed at reducing the use of individual private transport, providing for the appointment of the Mobility Manager with functions of continuous professional support to decision-making, planning, programming, management, and promotion activities of optimal sustainable mobility solutions.
The mobility decree published in GU n.124 of May 26, 2021 implements art. 229, paragraph 4 of decree-law 19.05.2020 n. 34 converted with modifications by Law July 17, 2020, n. 77, and confirms in nine articles the importance of promoting sustainable mobility, the figure of the Mobility Manager, and the Home-to-Work Travel Plan. The Decree defined the ‘Guidelines for the drafting and implementation of home-to-work travel plans (PSCL)’ published with DD MIMS of 4/8/2021 that define the structure, minimum contents, and provide the Methodology for evaluating environmental benefits.
As of April 10, 2025, the new UNI-CEI 11977 standard has introduced the possibility of certification as professional figures also in the mobility sector.
The standard defines competencies, skills, and responsibilities of these professional figures certified by third-party and independent bodies under accreditation (ACCREDIA):
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Fleet Manager: manages the company fleet.
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Mobility Manager: optimizes employees’ systematic home-to-work commutes and drafts Home-to-Work Travel Plans (PSCL).
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Travel Manager: organizes corporate travel focusing on efficiency, sustainability, and safety.
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Chief Fleet Mobility and Travel Officer: the transversal figure that unites and coordinates all the activities listed above.
Sources
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Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, General Directorate for Local Public Transport, DIV. 3, 2nd “Report on the activities of Area Mobility Managers in Italy” Cities involved by Mobility Management regulations 2025.
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Technical table Mobility Management Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, General Directorate for Local Public Transport, DIV. 3, “Study day of the Area Mobility Manager” by ASSTRA. Survey on MMAz 2024.
Analogies and differences between the two roles
Both professional figures share the objective of improving environmental sustainability and quality of life, but present significant differences in their regulatory structure and institutional recognition. The following table highlights the main points of comparison:
| Aspect | EGE (UNI-CEI 11339) | Mobility Manager (UNI-CEI 11977) |
|---|---|---|
| European regulatory framework | European Directives transposed (e.g., 2012/27/EU) | Lack of European coordination |
| Certification obligation | Yes - The Energy Audit (mandatory for Large Companies and Energy-Intensive Companies) must be certified by a certified EGE | No - The PSCL can be drafted by Mobility Managers “with high and recognized professional competence and/or proven experience in the sustainable mobility, transport, or environmental protection sector” |
| Reference and control body | ENEA - controls and measures results, manages the submission of Energy Audits | Absent - no body responsible for controlling compliance with regulations |
| Market recognition | High - possibility to use the title as a career tool in companies and as freelancers | Limited - figure still poorly recognized |
| Sector presence | Approximately 2,800 certified professionals | Figure in development phase (the reference UNI standard was published in April 2025) |
| Role valorization | Remuneration provided for professional activities | Expense reimbursement provided for Area Mobility Managers (DM 2022/271) |
The main difference lies in the fact that for the energy sector the main reference figure, the EGE, has been defined and organized more completely, with a cascading path that starts from European Directives, passes through national regulations, uses ENEA as controller and measurer of results, and reaches the company level with clear recognition in the labor market.
For the mobility sector, instead, there is a lack of European coordination, formal certification by third parties of documents produced for the programming and planning of corporate mobility, and suffers from professional recognition that is still marginal. We still have the opportunity to affirm the role of the Mobility Manager as well, which could follow a professional valorization path similar to that of the EGE.
Conclusions and final reflections
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel: we can take inspiration from a good practice that is succeeding with objective evidence, in terms of results on environmental sustainability, innovation, and employment growth.
One could think of entrusting - also for this sector - the control of regulatory compliance to a reference body with a role as a technical facilitator, controller, and mediator between professional figures and the Ministry, following the model of what happens with ENEA for the energy sector.
Sustainable mobility represents a fundamental theme for the present and future of urban centers and companies and directly impacts the quality of life of people. It is therefore desirable that the mobility sector can benefit from a more solid regulatory and institutional structure, following the positive example of the energy sector.
Fabio Spinelli is a certified EGE (Energy Management Expert) according to UNI-CEI 11339 since 2015. He combines expertise in energy management with sustainable mobility.