The focus areas of the EnBW Sustainability Agenda
EnBW is in motion
A bright future cannot be built single-handedly. That is why we are working with society, politicians and the business and science communities on the energy world of the future.
EnBW Sustainability Agenda
A fast and consistent energy transition is the key to ensuring that we continue to get the energy supply we need in the future. In order to master this balancing act, we are completely rebuilding our energy system for Germany’s industrialized economy by 2035. As EnBW, we are responsible for bringing climate change mitigation solutions to the road and reducing carbon-intensive generation.
Making the transition from fossil fuel to climate neutrality in a little over a decade will continue to require considerable investment in the entire energy infrastructure.
As an operator of systemically relevant infrastructure, we have a particular responsibility and are required to plot the path toward climate neutrality in a manner that guarantees security of supply. We combine this with economic stability and good, secure jobs. Central to it all is the consistent and socially responsible coal phaseout. We are planning to completely phase out coal-fired power generation by 2028, provided that the framework conditions set by the German government make this possible. This will require the swift implementation of the energy transition targets set by the German government. These cover the expansion of renewable energies, the transmission and distribution grids and the gas infrastructure in Germany. As such, we want to be coal-free ten years ahead of the legal deadline. In order to guarantee the supply, we are initially switching to more climate-friendly natural gas before moving onto climate-neutral gases. In terms of our own emissions, our aim is to become climate-neutral by no later than 2035, which means that we have set ourselves an ambitious goal, including when compared to other industry players. Our climate change mitigation targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi): EnBW’s climate change mitigation targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. The reduction path for our own emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) is compatible with the 1.5-degree target.
The phaseout of nuclear power and coal stands primarily in contrast to a determination to develop climate-friendly alternatives. Renewable energies already account for over 40 percent of our generation portfolio. We want to increase the installed capacity to over 50 percent by 2025. To this end, we have invested around 17 billion euros in the energy transition since 2012. At the same time, we are committed to the protection of biodiversity at our generation sites as well as ambitious and reliable political conditions and measures to further accelerate the energy transition.
We must rethink many things to lead a climate-neutral life: how we get around, how we stay in touch with each other and how we live and work. We make this possible by creating the necessary mobility and supply services.
As Germany’s largest, multi-award-winning e-mobility provider and charging network operator, we already enable people in several European countries to drive with 100 percent green electricity.
We bring sustainability to the road by linking more and more people with renewable energy sources. To date, we have connected over two million customers and 180,000 renewable generation plants to our grids. With the expansion of the fiber-optic network in rural areas – a further 100,000 connections are set to be added by 2025 alone – we are also helping everyone to lead a flexible and climate-friendly (working) life.
We take an approach to our buildings and districts with the aim of creating high-quality, social-minded and eco-friendly living and working spaces.
Here, we are working on reducing energy consumption by 20 percent and carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030.
The standard by which we are measured
Taking a responsible approach to the environment, our fellow human beings and economic resources is non-negotiable. That is why sustainability criteria are increasingly becoming a solid, measurable part of our decision-making processes as well as our HR and financial strategy.
As a company that is largely owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, we are committed to the long-term interests of society. That is why our managers measure themselves by hard numbers – not only in financial terms, but also environmentally and socially. Their decisions must meet ever higher sustainability standards in order to be approved.
We are increasingly linking the remuneration of the members of our Board of Management and top executives to sustainability criteria and the same goes for our investments and borrowing: In the period from 2018 to 2021, we issued “green” bonds with a total volume of 2.5 billion euros to invest in climate-friendly technologies and we are expanding their share to 50 percent by 2025. Furthermore, we are keeping an eye on the long-term success of the company by actively managing climate risks and opportunities.
Ultimately, however, our success depends entirely on the people within our company. Our top priority is to create and maintain attractive jobs for them, enabling them to play their part in the sustainable development of the business. Tolerance and diversity are not mere buzzwords for us in this regard. Since 2012, we have specifically increased the proportion of women in our management positions by more than two thirds.
Our business activities inevitably have an impact on our health and the environment – but how exactly is up to us. We continue to evolve in order to avoid environmental and social costs and, wherever possible, play an active part in preserving the livelihoods of present and future generations.
By cutting our harmful emissions and using fewer resources on the one hand and increasing the use of environmentally friendly materials on the other, we leave ecosystems and raw material deposits as intact as possible.
In addition, we are committed to protecting the people who come into contact with our company – whether as residents or employees. We attach just as much importance to human rights, occupational safety and health protection in our supply chains as we do in our own company. This is assured by our certified occupational health and safety management in accordance with ISO 45001, among other things.