Corporate Responsibility
The way we act in and for our communities is a matter extremely close to our hearts. We believe we all have an ethical duty to be the very best corporate citizens we can be.
This isn’t just lip service: we see corporate responsibility as a key part of our brand. It’s tied up in our ambitions, and it’s something we’ll measure our success on in the future. We’ve even established high profile partnerships based on promoting sustainability – with the Mayor of London and as the first Sustainability Partner of the 2012 Olympics.
There’s a whole raft of initiatives that we are (and you could be) involved in. Below is just a selection.
Climate Change
Undeniably, climate change is one of the largest and most pressing challenges facing the world today. And it’s one nobody can afford to ignore any longer. This is why we’re taking swift and decisive action – and have been for many years. It’s not an exaggeration to say we’re leading the industry in this area.
Our parent organisation, EDF Group, is the lowest carbon dioxide emitter of all the large energy groups. In the UK, however, much of our power has traditionally come from coal and gas stations. This will present both a challenge and an opportunity: we need to make major changes, but at the same time, we have the chance to make a big difference to the UK’s carbon footprint.
So, we are currently undertaking a five-year, £40 million investment programme to improve our efficiency and reduce emissions. We also partnered with the Climate Change Agency to form an energy services company that will help develop low-carbon energy projects in the capital and reduce CO2 emissions by one million tonnes in the next decade.
Throughout our company, we’re rising to the challenge of climate change. Everyone here is encouraged and indeed asked to offer new ideas on how we can make a difference. You will be too. In fact, every year, our graduates compete in our Sustainable Futures Trophy to find new and innovative ways we can help the environment and the societies we live in.
Our customers
Whilst we need to invest in the future of energy, we also need to ensure that it remains affordable for everyone in society. Indeed, we have made a pledge to keep our prices competitive until 2012 – and have gone far beyond regulatory obligations to support our customers. For ‘fuel poor’ customers – in other words, a household that spends more than 10% of its available income in order to get adequate heating – we’ve launched a range of initiatives. We install energy efficiency measures in their homes for free. We offer them advice and help with managing debts. Through the EDF Energy Trust, we even offer grants to help subsidise the cost of electricity for those in need.
It’s not all about cost, either. We’ve pledged to make sure our supplying of energy is reliable and, where power cuts do occur, that we give prompt assistance to those who need it. We’ve even won awards for our work in this area.
Volunteering
Great things happen when people unite behind a cause. That’s why you’ll see thousands of our people here getting involved in community projects – like painting murals for schools, reading to underprivileged children, or helping to make the communities we work in better places. Last year, nearly 3,000 employees took part in our Helping Hands volunteering programme. We’re also encouraging every employee to take more than two days a year of paid time off work to get involved in community and environmental projects. Indeed, this is something we’ve made a formal component of the graduate programme: so expect to be involved in a team initiative as part of your development.
The community
We’re supporting the London 2012 education programme for schools, colleges, universities and other education providers to help make real and practical changes. Not only will we help teach young people about the issues around climate change; through our Green Fund, we’re also transforming schools and communities by supporting renewable energy projects.
Promoting Engineering
The shortage of engineering talent has long been in the headlines. However, if we’re to meet the growing challenges that the future of energy will throw our way, talent is exactly what we need. That’s why we have a close link with the Power Academy , an Engineering Scholarship Fund for students who would like to study Electrical Engineering at Cardiff, Imperial College London, Strathclyde, Manchester, Southampton or Queens University, Belfast.
