E.ON is continually developing its annual reporting in corporate responsibility (CR). We are dedicated to evaluating feedback from various groups of users, as we did after 2007's integrated print and online reporting. Reaction to the report published in May 2008 showed that we are on the right track.

This year, we are making more systematic use of the possibilities offered by the internet and focusing on extending the CR section of the E.ON Group website. The aim is to fulfill the needs of users and meet the requirements of the highly varied stakeholder groups. This year we are publishing a CR magazine in printed form. The magazine is aimed at offering an introduction as well as references to our comprehensive web-based reporting.

Our online reporting efforts are characterized by the three different page formats: Debate/Background pages highlight the relevance of a topic, communicate E.ON's position on the matter and invite debate on possible solutions. Case studies clarify the topics with concrete examples and best practice solutions as well as the viewpoints of individuals.

 

While on the "CR Performance 2008" pages we provide a transparent summary of the results of our CR activities in the 2008 reporting year. These web pages make up E.ON AG's CR Report 2008 and they were verified by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). They therefore meet in particular the requirements of rating agencies and investors, while the remaining pages as well as the CR magazine are aimed at a wider audience.

 

In terms of topics, we have introduced Reporting and Dialog to our established sections of Management, Marketplace, Environment, Community and Workplace this year. "Reporting" encompasses all the relevant information surrounding CR reporting. This section includes the assurance report issued by PWC, the indices of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Global Compact  and IIGCC, as well as a variety of other relevant facts and information. The new "Dialog" section presents our wide-ranging activities when it comes to communicating with our stakeholders. Here we are expanding on the "CR in Dialog" section which already appeared in the previous CR Report.

New interactive elements are also aimed at enhancing the user-friendliness of our online reporting. This includes a PDF generator which allows users to produce a CR report as a PDF document with customized and individually selected content. On all pages users can also take advantage of a so-called “Tag Cloud” to gain quick access to specific content. This allows visitors a good overview of the most important topics within a short space of time.

 

Taking its cues from the online report, the CR magazine provides readers with an introduction to CR reporting at E.ON. It is also divided into the four fields of action Marketplace, Environment, Community and Workplace, offering a summary of interesting facts and milestones from 2008. Case studies are also included as are references to related content on the E.ON website.

This report, which is available in German and English, covers the 2008 financial year. The copy deadline for the report relevant CR Performance and Management pages was the 28th of February 2009. In contrast will our online reporting be updated during the year if required. The next CR report will be published in the second quarter of 2010. Primary target groups for our CR reporting are our investors, rating and ranking agencies, opinion leaders in CR such as decision makers in the fields of politics, civil society and science, as well as our employees.

 

The CR report also acts as a progress report in line with the United Nations Global Compact. This report is a group report and therefore includes E.ON AG including its direct shareholdings, the market units Central Europe, Nordic, Pan-European Gas, UK, U.S. Midwest, Energy Trading and New Markets, as well as their respective business units. Figures that deviate from these are marked accordingly.

 

The information in the report relates to all subsidiaries and power plants, in which E.ON has a majority holding and are fully consolidated in the consolidated financial statements.