Environmental Policy of EnBW
Environmental and climate protection are integral parts of the Group strategy and the EnBW Board of Management resolutely defines targets and implements measures to pursue these objectives. We believe that comprehensive environmental and climate protection encompasses the following themes: a commitment to decarbonization, the rigorous application of our environmental management system, forward-looking management of climate risks, reducing pollutants, resource-saving waste and water management and the protection of biodiversity.
Our environmental principles described below define our strategic approach in these areas.
- For us, sustainable management consists of the simultaneous perception of economic, ecological and social responsibility.
- As a company, we share responsibility for our environment and nature conservation. We not only consider the potential negative impacts of our activities on the climate and environment but also focus on the future-oriented and sustainable use of all natural resources.
- With our energy mix, we aim to achieve supply security while protecting the environment and ensuring appropriate economic efficiency.
- We take precautionary measures to ensure the safe operation of our plants and protection of the environment by managing our impacts, risks and opportunities.
- We engage in open dialog with politicians, authorities, the world of science, the general public and social groups on environmental matters and develop and maintain partnerships.
- The environmentally responsible behaviour of our suppliers and contractors is important to us.
- Our employees act in an environmentally conscious manner and are constantly improving their qualifications.
- Within our value-added processes, we are committed to complying with the legal requirements. In addition, we voluntarily comply with other, more far-reaching standards for sustainable corporate management.
- We provide our customers with innovative products and services for the efficient use of energy and are always improving them.
- We are resolutely committed and dedicated to the continuous improvement of our environmental performance, insofar as this is economically viable. To this end, we define ambitious environmental targets and publish our environmental data.
EnBW AG and other subsidiaries have an environmental management system certified according to DIN EN ISO 14001 or validated according to EMAS. We have thus created the prerequisites for ensuring that environmental requirements are systematically and continuously taken into account. It is used to manage guidelines and regulations, define and monitor environmental targets and establish the necessary testing processes.
Environmental targets
Our strategy is based on a holistic approach to stakeholders. It defines specific financial and non-financial targets in the dimensions finance, strategy, customers and society, environment and employees. This enables us to dovetail the financial and non-financial aspects of our business activities. We use meaningful performance indicators to measure the degree to which we have achieved our targets.
We strive to credibly reconcile corporate, political and social objectives in the environmental field. Derived from our EnBW strategy, our environmental aspects and the requirements of the energy revolution, in environmental protection, we focus on the following fields of action:
- Expand renewable energies
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduction of pollutant emissions and water consumption
Performance indicators
We use the following performance indicators to measure our performance in the individual fields of action by means of clear and binding targets. The three indicators installed renewable energies capacity, share of installed renewable energies capacity and CO₂ intensity are defined as top performance indicators of the environmental dimension for the implementation of the EnBW Strategy.
The installed output of renewable energies (RE) and the share of the generation capacity accounted for by RE measure the expansion of renewable energies. They refer to the installed output of the power plants and not to their weather-dependent contribution to electricity generation.
The calculation of the emissions and water indicators is based on the emissions of CO₂, SO₂, NOx, and dust, as well as the amounts of water withdrawal and the wastewater discharged. The intensity indicators are calculated as the ratio between the emissions or the amounts of water and the electricity generated by the Group. Thus, they describe the specific emissions released per kilowatt-hour, as well as the specific amounts of water extracted and discharged per kilowatt-hour.
In addition, EnBW has set itself the target of reducing its waste and making a significant contribution to various aspects of waste management through its policy commitment to manage waste responsibly and sustainably. This is measured on the basis of the absolut amount of directly generation-dependent waste from heat and electricity generation and the waste recovery rate.
|
Objective
|
Performance indicator
|
2025
|
2024
|
2025 Target
|
2030 Target
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Objective
Expand renewable energies (RE)
|
Performance indicator
TOP installed RE capacity in GW and share of RE in generation capacity in % 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).
|
2025
7.4 / 65.6
|
2024
6.6 / 58.7
|
2025 Target
6.5 to 7.5 / > 50
|
2030 Target
10.0 to 11.5 / 75 to 80
|
|
Objective
Implement climate protection / reduction potential of greenhouse gases
|
Performance indicator
TOP CO₂-intensity in g/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).0The amount of CO₂ emissions from controllable electricity generation included in the performance indicator is 8,992 thousand t (previous year: 6,338 thousand t).
|
2025
353
|
2024
272
|
2025 Target
|
2030 Target
90 to 110
|
|
Objective
Reduction of pollutant emissions
|
Performance indicator
SO₂-intensity in mg/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).
NOx-intensity in mg/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh). Dust intensity in mg/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).0No target value for 2025 developed. |
2025
112
205 4.0 |
2024
119
169 2.8 |
2025 Target
- |
2030 Target
2 to 5
40 to 60 ≤ 0,5 |
|
Objective
Reduction of water withdrawal / waste water
|
Performance indicator
Waste water intensity in l/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).0Waste water is the total of the amounts of cooling and waste water that are discharged into surface water.
Water withdrawal intensity in l/kWh 0The calculation for this performance indicator includes the generation from fossil and renewable sources. It does not include the share of positive redispatch that cannot be controlled by EnBW. In 2025, this performance indicator includes generation volumes of 25,665 GWh (previous year: 23,307 GWh).0No target value for 2025 developed.0Water withdrawal includes surface/river water, well water/groundwater and drinking water. |
2025
25.3
25.8 |
2024
22.8
23.2 |
2025 Target
22 to 25
- |
2030 Target
10 to 15
10 to 15 |
|
Objective
Maintaining a highest waste recovery rate
|
Performance indicator
Waste recovery rate in %0No target value for 2025 developed.0The waste recovery rate ist the quotient of the waste for recovery and the total waste.
|
2025
97
|
2024
97
|
2025 Target
-
|
2030 Target
≥ 95
|
|
Objective
Reduction of directly generation-dependent waste
|
Performance indicator
Directly generation-dependent waste in Tsd. t0No target value for 2025 developed.0Waste water from power an heat generation plants with a thermal output greater than 50 MW whose disposal code begins with 10 01 or 19 01, excludung waste from redispatch and reserve power plant operations.
|
2025
448
|
2024
425
|
2025 Target
-
|
2030 Target
270
|
Environmental measures
Environmental data
On a regular basis we publish environmental data on CO₂ footprint, air pollutants, resource use, water use, etc. These figures supplement the environmental data published in the Annual Report to meet the reporting requirements of the CSR Directive and the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
For some environmental indicators, extrapolations and estimates of consumption have been made where primary data are not available for the whole reporting period. If we notice in subsequent years that estimates have not been made correctly, we complete our data gaps with primary data, also retrospectively. We also take into account more recent findings on emission factors retroactively, if necessary. Significant deviations from the reported values are corrected as a matter of principle. You can download the data here.