Our sustainability management defines the standards, processes, and responsibilities for sustainability at EnBW. They constitute the organizational framework for our sustainability activities and initiatives such as the EnBW Sustainability Agenda. Our management approach is guided by our and our stakeholders’ material topics as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our stakeholders
We engage in continuous dialog with our internal and external stakeholders to make decisions in line with their needs and expectations. To this end, we offer appropriate dialog formats such as the events of our Energy and Climate Protection Foundation. Dealing with critical opinions is particularly important to us in order to identify material ESG-related topics and risks at an early stage.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In addition to the material topics, our sustainability management is targeted at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our contribution focuses on four central SDGs:
Our activities also contribute to five further SDGs: Quality education (4.), Gender equality (5.), Clean water and sanitation (6.), Decent work and economic growth (8.), Responsible consumption and production (12.).
Environment
We address environmental and climate protection as one of the major challenges for the entire Group, a challenge we aim to meet with coherent targets and action plans.
EnBW is aware of its shared responsibility for the environment. In our business decisions, we take into account climate protection, conservation of biodiversity and the most conservative use of natural resources possible – for example through clear climate protection goals, biodiversity programs at our locations and measures for resource efficiency and circular economy.
Governance
In the area of sustainable corporate governance, we integrate matters such as sustainability in the investment approval process, compliance and climate risks into our management and control processes.
In implementing the TCFD recommendations at governance level in recent years, we further integrated environmental and climate targets and indicators alongside social sustainability criteria into the Group-wide investment approval process. This work was based on a revision of the Group investment policy that already took place in 2018. From financial year 2021 onwards, a sustainability assessment is an integral part of and an additional relevant information element for approval by the EnBW Investment Committee.
Our climate protection targets – net zero emissions in the company (Scopes 1 and 2) by 2040 and in the supply chain (Scope 3) by 2050 at the latest – will guide future decisions of the investment committee and for board remuneration. In this way, we want to systematically anchor our contribution to climate protection throughout the Group. Details on our targets, milestones, actions, assumptions as well as information on progress measurement and external audit can be found here.
We have also been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2010 and are committed to complying with the 10 principles:
Human Rights
- 1. Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
- 2. make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour
- 3. Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
- 4. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
- 5. the effective abolition of child labour; and
- 6. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environment
- 7. Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
- 8. undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
- 9. encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Anti-Corruption
- 10. Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Social
In the area of social responsibility, we work with clear standards and measures to promote responsibility towards our employees and in our supply chain.