Performance Report 2005
Feedback
We welcome the opportunity to participate in a stakeholder engagement process on EDF Energy's 2005 Report. We commend EDF Energy on taking this step to produce a report which better addresses the concerns of stakeholders. The process of engaging stakeholders through the reporting process has been a learning experience for both sides and we have made recommendations on how future engagement could be improved. For example, the process would have benefited from wider input from social and environmental stakeholders, consultation on targets and additional opportunities to input into the creation of the report. Most of our initial comments have been taken on board and hence the report does cover the main areas of concern to stakeholders. However, the emphasis in the report does not reflect the group’s priorities, particularly on climate change.
Climate change is presently the greatest long-term challenge facing the human race and this report should reflect that. In future we would like to see the report focus on how EDF Energy can become a more sustainable business and find opportunities to lead in a carbon-constrained economy. This would require further commitments, metrics and the inclusion of forward looking targets on relevant areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, favoured technologies and numbers of green customers. We would also like to see the report highlight how EDF Energy is moving towards energy services, not just selling electricity and gas.
In general the report is clear, concise and presented in a good format. Clarification is needed on how yearly targets are developed and how they fit with the five year ambitions. We welcome that the company is aiming for a balanced and sustainable way of doing business. In future, we would like to see a greater emphasis on this goal with more specific and stretching targets and independent verification of data. We would also like to see a sustained emphasis on fuel poverty in targets moving forward.
We would welcome the opportunity to provide stakeholder input into the development of a new set of long term targets (beyond 2007), which has been beyond the remit of this process. The next report needs to talk about how these new five-year targets are being developed. We also want to see a discussion of future challenges for the industry and a clearer vision of what a sustainable energy company will look like.
The stakeholder panel comprised:
Fred Harrington and Peter Salmon, Murphy Ltd (supplier)
Paul Stack and Tony Allan, EDF Energy (members of the European Works Council)
Jenny Saunders and Maria Wardrobe, National Energy Action (NGO)
Dax Lovegrove, WWF (NGO)
Eoin Lees, EDF Energy Trust (independent charity)
Adam Scorer, energywatch (consumer watchdog – unable to attend review session).
EDF Energy asked Forum for the Future to design and facilitate a stakeholder assurance process for their 2006 Annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The aim of the process was to engage key stakeholders in the production of the report and assist EDF Energy in delivering a complete and balanced document. In addition, the stakeholders were asked to provide an unedited statement commenting on the content of the report and the responsiveness of EDF Energy during the process.
It is the view of Forum for the Future that the process was both inclusive and transparent and the final comment reflects the views of all the stakeholders involved.