Comprehensive Overall Environmental Protection Strategy
Whether we're generating, transporting or distributing energy - corporate responsibility for environmental protection must always be our highest priority. We are committed to a consistent environmental management and pursue a comprehensive and overarching strategy. Of central importance to us here are measures to improve air quality, avoiding and recycling waste, more secure interim and final storage of radioactive waste, as well as resource and material efficiency. Conserving biodiversity and ensuring more sustainable use of water as a natural resource are also key areas of our environmental strategy. See our Performance Report 2010 for a detailed report on the further progress we have made in these areas.
Establishing Group-wide Environmental Management Systems
Our Group-wide environmental protection activities don't just raise our energy and cost efficiency, they also simplify construction and approval processes and help us secure operating licenses for our power plants. Furthermore, they help us implement our Group-wide CR Strategy. Our Environmental Management Group Policy, which came into effect in 2008, sets out the framework for our environmental protection measures. As part of this, one of our central aims is to integrate environmental management systems across the entire E.ON Group which either meet the EN ISO 14001 or the European EMAS II standard.
Establishing Group-wide Environmental Management Systems
Our Group-wide environmental protection activities don't just raise our energy and cost efficiency, they also simplify construction and approval processes and help us secure operating licenses for our power plants. Furthermore, they help us implement our Group-wide CR Strategy. Our Environmental Management Group Policy, which came into effect in 2008, sets out the framework for our environmental protection measures. As part of this, one of our central aims is to integrate environmental management systems across the entire E.ON Group which either meet the EN ISO 14001 or the European EMAS II standard.
"In 2010 we integrated our environmental management systems for all relevant sites that have a significant environmental impact. In doing so we achieved a key milestone in our Group-wide environmental protection strategy."
Matthias Hansch, Vice President Health, Safety and Environment
Matthias Hansch, Vice President Health, Safety and Environment
Environmental Protection at all Levels
At E.ON, responsibility for environmental protection rests with the highest management level. Since 2010, the Health, Safety and Environment Governance Council reports directly to the Board of Management. The Council, which besides Board of Management member Prof. Klaus-Dieter Maubach also comprises members of the Boards of Management of global and regional units, provides leadership in all health, safety and Group-wide environment-related areas. By implementing environmental management standards and exchanging knowledge and experience across the Group, we ensure that detailed measuring and targeted steering of environment-related processes is carried out across the Group. This allows us to identify all the risks and effects of our actions and manage them accordingly. When it comes to plant planning, we take into consideration all relevant environmental considerations, from current operations right through to decommissioning the plant. The same applies to our downstream processes such as administration, sales and distribution.
Sustainable Use of Water as a Key Issue
Our various stakeholders ask us many questions on environmental topics. Among these the sustainable use of water is growing in importance. Besides CO2, water is already one of the most important environmental topics for us today, which is why we set up a more extensive water-management system for the entire Group. Our aim is to further improve our water management and consumption performance, as well as our internal and external reporting system in relation to this. With new and more detailed information, we intend to report to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure in 2011 (see link in the right-hand margin).
Integrating Environmental Responsibility in our Group's DNA
Environmental responsibility is part of our corporate culture, and for our employees it's often why they identify with E.ON as a responsible employer. Through our Environmental Champions Program we have been encouraging environmental protection in the workplace since 2008. With our new Policy for company cars for our executives and board members in Germany, we're also working to create incentives to reduce CO2 emissions. We're also helping to raise awareness among children on how to use natural resources and energy in a responsible way. For this purpose, in Germany the non-profit organization Leuchtpol was founded in 2009 in cooperation with the National Working Group for Nature and Environmental Education (ANU) with E.ON providing the funding for the organization. Leuchtpol holds seminars for educators as well as experience days at kindergartens in Germany. By the end of 2010, over 1,500 educators had participated in Leuchtpol training courses. The training project has received awards from UNESCO and the Council for Sustainable Development which advises the German government.
At E.ON, responsibility for environmental protection rests with the highest management level. Since 2010, the Health, Safety and Environment Governance Council reports directly to the Board of Management. The Council, which besides Board of Management member Prof. Klaus-Dieter Maubach also comprises members of the Boards of Management of global and regional units, provides leadership in all health, safety and Group-wide environment-related areas. By implementing environmental management standards and exchanging knowledge and experience across the Group, we ensure that detailed measuring and targeted steering of environment-related processes is carried out across the Group. This allows us to identify all the risks and effects of our actions and manage them accordingly. When it comes to plant planning, we take into consideration all relevant environmental considerations, from current operations right through to decommissioning the plant. The same applies to our downstream processes such as administration, sales and distribution.
Sustainable Use of Water as a Key Issue
Our various stakeholders ask us many questions on environmental topics. Among these the sustainable use of water is growing in importance. Besides CO2, water is already one of the most important environmental topics for us today, which is why we set up a more extensive water-management system for the entire Group. Our aim is to further improve our water management and consumption performance, as well as our internal and external reporting system in relation to this. With new and more detailed information, we intend to report to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure in 2011 (see link in the right-hand margin).
Integrating Environmental Responsibility in our Group's DNA
Environmental responsibility is part of our corporate culture, and for our employees it's often why they identify with E.ON as a responsible employer. Through our Environmental Champions Program we have been encouraging environmental protection in the workplace since 2008. With our new Policy for company cars for our executives and board members in Germany, we're also working to create incentives to reduce CO2 emissions. We're also helping to raise awareness among children on how to use natural resources and energy in a responsible way. For this purpose, in Germany the non-profit organization Leuchtpol was founded in 2009 in cooperation with the National Working Group for Nature and Environmental Education (ANU) with E.ON providing the funding for the organization. Leuchtpol holds seminars for educators as well as experience days at kindergartens in Germany. By the end of 2010, over 1,500 educators had participated in Leuchtpol training courses. The training project has received awards from UNESCO and the Council for Sustainable Development which advises the German government.
