EDF Energy retains Platinum Plus in Business in the Community’s 9th Corporate Responsibility Index
EDF Energy, the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, has successfully retained the highest ranking of ‘Platinum Plus’ status for a further two years in Business in the Community’s 2011 Corporate Responsibility Index (CRI), the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility. This follows the transformation of the company since the coming together with British Energy in 2009.
The CR Index is a unique, robust assessment process designed to help companies integrate and improve responsibility throughout their entire operations. It provides a systematic approach to measure and report on responsibility - enabling companies that are ranked to track their progress and achievements and continually improve their impact on society.
This year almost 150 companies participated in the CR Index process, with the highest performing companies ranked in Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze bands. Three years ago, the Platinum Plus standard was introduced to challenge the CR Index’s highest performing companies and evaluate the extent to which their business strategy is underpinned by their thinking around long-term sustainability.
Achieving Platinum Plus demonstrates how sustainability lies at the heart of EDF Energy’s commercial strategy and has influenced the business model. Index Assessors particularly commended EDF Energy for influencing behaviour change via campaigns such as Team Green Britain and for its compelling central philosophy of a low carbon vision for Britain. Assessors were also impressed by the company’s work in developing the skills necessary to secure a sustainable energy future and its support for vulnerable and elderly customers, which went beyond financial assistance to address the root causes of household debt.
In addition, EDF Energy has received a five ‘Big Ticks’ in the Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for: Environmental Leadership, Workwell, Ways2Work, Rural Action, and Skills in the Workplace. The company has also been short-listed in three categories for Awards for Excellence and for the highest accolade of Company of the Year, to be announced on 5 July.
Vincent de Rivaz, Chief Executive of EDF Energy, said: "We are absolutely delighted that EDF Energy has achieved the highest ranking of Platinum Plus. We’ve had an outstanding overall result at the BITC Awards this year in recognition of the great work being carried out by our people across our company. Sustainability is truly at the heart of EDF Energy as we aim to decarbonise Britain’s energy infrastructure. Sustainability is not only about decarbonisation. It encompasses much more. It is a societal, as well as being an environmental concept.
“This recognition comes a year after we have launched ‘Our Sustainability Commitments’, the scale of which goes beyond anything seen in the industry. We knew that in setting out these plans to change our business that we were setting ourselves challenging targets. But we also knew that our people would rise to the challenge and the progress that we are already starting to see in many areas would not be possible without them.”
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community added: “I congratulate EDF Energy on achieving Platinum Plus in the 2011 BITC Corporate Responsibility Index. It is a challenging time, but the results of this year’s Index demonstrate that companies are still focused on transforming their businesses in order to have a positive impact on society. All the companies who participated this year are at different stages in their responsible business journey, but they are all taking these issues seriously and are prepared to lead by example.”