We believe effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) can deliver benefits for our business through:

• Reputation and business trust
• Risk performance management
• Relationships with regulators
• Staff motivation and attraction of talent
• Customer preference and loyalty
• Goodwill of local communities
• Long-term shareholder value.

In 2005, we made a major contribution to the work on CSR being undertaken by our parent company, E.ON AG. The development of the way CSR is managed in the UK is guided by this work. More information on CSR across the E.ON Group is available here.

Within E.ON in 2005, a Group-wide CSR project structure was established which is intended to allow the company to register and process concerns and criticism from external and internal stakeholders. Responsibility has to be part of everyday life in the core processes and structures of E.ON.

A CSR Council has been formed, comprising members of the Board of Management of E.ON AG and its market units (of which E.ON UK is one), the Chair of the E.ON Workers' Council, senior executives from the Corporate Centre, and the management of the market and business units. The Council is headed by two E.ON Board of Management members. The CSR Council controls E.ON's CSR activities and prepares objectives and strategies relating to social responsibility. It derives its strategy from the corporate strategy and the business strategies of the market units, as well as from analyses of social developments.

The CSR Council is supported by a CSR Project Team, which is composed of employees at the E.ON Corporate Center, market unit CSR coordinators, members of the E.ON Workers' Council, and heads of expert and implementation teams. The CSR Project Team prepares decisions for the E.ON Board of Management and the framework for implementing CSR activities in the market units. Other key tasks include developing CSR governance, communication with sustainability analysts, supporting the market units, and communicating CSR topics internally and externally.

At E.ON UK, CSR is supported by a number of policies, including our Environmental, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and Conduct of Business policies.

E.ON UK has certification to the International Standards Organisation's environmental management standard (ISO 14001). We also are a member of the Basic Services Human Rights Network, Business in the Community and the International Chamber of Commerce, where we are involved in the commissions on Energy in the Environment and Business in Society. The E.ON Group is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the UN Global Compact.