What we have achieved so far
Since 2012, we have increased the share of women in management positions by
to 18.1%.
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.
Sustainability forms the basis of all our decisions
Sustainability means putting the long-term interests of society before one’s own short-term successes. This is exactly what we do at EnBW, particularly since we have two main public shareholders in the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Zweckverband Oberschwäbische Elektrizitätswerke (OEW).
Since we are well aware that sustainability is critical to our success, we manage our company in line with corresponding principles. For instance, we are increasingly linking the remuneration of our executives as well as corporate financing, the assessment of investment projects and our risk management activities to environmental and social criteria.
Measures 8 to 11 of the EnBW Sustainability Agenda
How we are steering EnBW on course
Thomas Kusterer, Chief Financial Officer
Setting a corporate group on course for sustainability does not lie in the power of a single person. Instead, it is important to give decision-makers across all management levels the right guidance. We wish to do this at EnBW by fundamentally revising our strategic and financial guidelines.
This change of direction in the way the company is managed is already bearing fruit: We are issuing more and more “green” corporate bonds; in the period from 2018 to 2021, we raised 2.5 billion euros in capital linked to sustainable investments. We are continuing on our transformative path to embed sustainability in all areas of the company as the basis of our actions.
Room to grow
A company’s social responsibility starts with its employees. That is why we invest a large part of our resources in creating and maintaining attractive jobs for as many people as possible – in Baden-Württemberg and beyond.
In addition to the good rates of pay for our employees, we attach great importance to giving them and their ideas room to grow. By doing so, we promote the diversity of our workforce and enable our employees to play their part in sustainably shaping our company. We equip all employees with modern, ergonomic work materials and offer them further training in order to help them achieve professional success.
Thanks to our commitment to our employees, we have become one of the most popular employers in the country. And we are continuously working to get even better.
The pillars of our sustainable HR strategy.
Diversity
A diverse workforce is expressly desired at EnBW as part of a healthy corporate culture. That is why we actively promote the recruitment and training of candidates whose ethnicity, gender or cultural background has so far been underrepresented at EnBW.
Integration
As an employer, EnBW can help migrants to gain a foothold in their new home. We play our part with initiatives such as our career integration program for refugees, which gives a bit of security back to people from war zones.
Employee commitment
Big change often starts with small steps – and this is especially the case when it comes to sustainability. That is why we enable our employees to contribute their ideas for a more sustainable EnBW to the company and engage in charitable activities with a sense of fun.
Decentralization
Having the ability to work in any location is becoming increasingly important in order to retain employees and run the company in a manner that saves resources. We remain fit for the future as an employer with modern arrangements for working from home and on the move.
Further training
With our further training opportunities, we help our employees to develop in ways that ensure they remain employable beyond their time at EnBW. At the same time, we keep them at the company for as long as possible, where they continue to drive our commitment to sustainability with their specialist knowledge.
Health
The health of our employees is a basic requirement for making sure that they feel comfortable at EnBW in the long term. Our preventive health management program and the best possible occupational safety help to ensure that they remain healthy.
A community without borders
Over the years, EnBW’s close connection to the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg has resulted in a large number of charitable projects. Together with our project partners, we are committed to ensuring that our region remains a great place to live and open to everyone.
Besides environmental protection and social projects, this also includes our political commitment to climate change mitigation. This ranges from local to EU level – after all, climate change does not stop at any border.
EnBW’s commitment to society
Political commitment
Together with politicians, NGOs and civil society, we are committed to climate change mitigation in Brussels, Berlin, Stuttgart and at local level in Baden-Württemberg. We work on market-based solutions such as the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) as well as regulatory measures such as stricter threshold values for vehicles and buildings. Our activities are transparent and can be traced via the lobby registers of the EU, the German Federal Parliament and Baden-Württemberg State Parliament.
Corporate commitment
Our social and environmental commitment in Baden-Württemberg is regulated by Group-wide guidelines. Besides our own initiatives such as the EnBW “Making it happen” bus and the Energy & Climate Protection Foundation, we support the activities of charitable organizations with financial donations and donated items worth around three million euros annually (as of 2020). Included here are the 125 measures of our amphibian and reptile protection program as well as around 250 educational, cultural, sports and environmental protection projects sponsored by EnBW.