Commitment

Progress

Status

Planet and Society

Develop plans to construct a new IGCC coalfired power station in Lincolnshire to capture and store CO2.

This has been discontinued following the Government's decision to support a post-combustion solution to CCS as opposed to the IGCC pre-combustion route.

Not achieved due to
Government Policy

Invest over £3 billion in renewable and cleaner, gas-fired energy generation, gas storage and in modernising our electricity network over the next three years.

We've continued to progress our investment programme through projects like the Drakelow and Grain CCGT power plants, the Holford Gas storage facility and Humber Gateway offshore wind farm; we've also broadened our investment to include our plans for cleaner coal-fired units at Kingsnorth in Kent.

Ongoing

Complete one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations, at Steven's Croft, Lockerbie, by the end of 2007.

This power station was completed and began generating in
December 2007.

Achieved

Build a strong relationship with local landowners and to engage the local community at an early stage of any project.

Through events such as public exhibitions, open days, site visits, media events and press releases, we give local people the opportunity to become informed about the project and to get involved in the consultation process.

Please see

Ongoing

Establish an environmental management system (EMS) in our Retail and Generation businesses.

This has been achieved for our restructured Generation business and is now happening in Retail, where we anticipate ISO 14001 certification by the end of 2008.

Ongoing

Establish a businesswide EMS framework in our Energy Wholesale business

Following the restructure of Energy Wholesale, the Asset Management EMS performs this function on behalf of our new Generation business.

Achieved

Maintain ISO14001 standard EMS in Energy Services

Achieved

Maintain ISO14001 standard (EMS) in Central Networks

Achieved

Renew ISO14001 certification to 2004 standard for EON.UK

Achieved

Set a target to reduce the carbon intensity of our generation, starting with a reduction of 10% by 2012 compared with our 2005 levels.

We've gone further than this and now committed to a 50% reduction by 2030 against our 1990 levels.

Ongoing

Engage our employees in our ongoing programme to become low carbon.

We recruited over 300 volunteer environmental 'champions' who, from early 2007, were involved in auditing the environmental performance of our locations and working practices, to help us reduce our environmental footprint. This increased beyond 350 by the end of 2007 covering all of our locations.

Achieved

Carry out water efficiency audits over the next couple of years as part of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) improvement programme.

Water audits were initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. These are now scheduled to occur through the second half of 2008 and into 2009 at all affected sites.

Ongoing

Launch of revised and strengthened Environmental Policy.

We revised our Policy in July 2007 and it has now been rolled out across our business.

Achieved

Rationalise the programm of ISO 14001 at our Facilities-managed sites

The facilities ISO14001 now covers 70% of the sites managed by our facilities management function, but there is no overall system. The 2007 surveillance audits have been completed. Our facilities management team is working towards harmonising the current certification system to minimise duplications across sites and business units.

Ongoing

Develop and implement a strategic biodiversity action plan within our Central Networks business.

We have developed a Biodiversity Strategy during 2007, which looks at a two-phased approach to formulating a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). This is based on research and recommendations carried out through our Power Technology Centre. The development of a BAP for Central Networks is planned for implementation by the third quarter of 2008.

Ongoing

Provide training for environmental volunteers to perform site audits and communicate ideas.

In 2007, 260 more Environmental Champions were trained. Further training for new volunteers plus some refresher training for existing champions is planned for May and June 2008.

Achieved

Run activities and communications to promote business focus on changing energy.

All our internal communications channels are used to ensure that the message is regularly and consistently spread and that updates are regularly given to employees.

Ongoing

Viewings of the Al Gore film, 'An Inconvenient Truth' made available to employees.

A copy of the DVD An Inconvenient Truth was sent to all managers, so they could talk about it with their teams. Copies were made available for people to borrow and return and also shown at a local level with the Environmental Champions. Our response to the film was voiced to 1,500 team leaders at our Changing Energy in Action day.

Achieved

Roll out our energy audit programme to sites not already covered.

All of our major office locations have now undergone an energy audit.

Achieved

Further analysis of site and transport energy usage.

More detailed energy use and transport data is now being produced. Management information is being broken down to business unit and lower levels to allow us to use the management information effectively. Our office and transport data are produced monthly and water and waste data will be published quarterly from 2008.

Ongoing

Launch carbon footprint database/calculator.

Our customer carbon footprint calculator has been superseded by our Interactive House. Please click here for further information.

Achieved

Work to improve data capture techniques.

Data capture systems for our non-operational carbon dioxide emissions have been refined and a new IT based system is under development to work alongside our new SAP based HR system.

Ongoing

Include operational activities to establish a comprehensive carbon footprint.

We've now established an overall carbon footprint for E.ON UK, apart from our supply chain and waste management activities.

Achieved

Extend infrared thermal imaging to remaining key sites.

Further thermal imaging has been carried out at our biggest locations, with further smaller sites to follow.

Ongoing

Continue to develop microgeneration options.

Research into this area is ongoing both internally external analysis of the market to see if new innovation could be appropriate for us.

Ongoing

Extension of green travel plan.

Through partnerships with CarShare Online and TRL, we developed a new car sharing tool which was launched towards the end of 2007. The tool allowed colleagues to find journey matches for commuting by car, cycle or on foot. By the end of 2007, almost 2,000 colleagues had signed up to receive Green Travel incentives for commuting in a sustainable way.

Achieved

Support the UK Biodiversity Action Plan through site surveys and a register of biodiversity assets

This is ongoing. Those sites with BAPs or land management plans in place carry out periodic site surveys and hold records of the biodiversity recorded on, or near, their site.

Ongoing

Protect and, where possible, enhance, the ecological value of our sites, in particular the habitats and species identified as priorities in the UK BAP

Sites with established BAPs and those with BAPs under development frequently cross-reference their plans with the UK and Regional BAPs. This ensures that any sensitive habitats or species are recorded, protected and enhanced where possible.

Ongoing

Implement site-specific BAPs on our larger sites and ensure they are regularly reviewed

Kingsnorth, Ratcliffe and Ironbridge power stations already have BAPs. Connah's Quay has a BAP under development but it already has a sound land management plan and works with local naturalist society. A further plan is due to be developed for Rheidol and will be in place by summer 2008, whilst Killingholme is due to be developing the basis of its plan in 2008.

Ongoing

Consult with local and national conservation agencies

We're working to achieve the Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark at three of our sites in 2008. We also consult and work with Natural England, The Countryside Council for Wales, the Deeside Naturalists, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and a number of other organisations, both locally and nationally.

Ongoing

Educate our employees and contractors in the importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity

Wildlife and Biodiversity are specifically included in our site inductions for those sites with BAPs. Further information is made available locally for employees. We're currently developing a biodiversity knowledge hub on our intranet portal to store information and share biodiversity best practice.

Ongoing

Contribute to the work of external conservation bodies, for example through providing employee volunteers, giving support to projects and contributing biological information of particular importance.

Contribute to the work of external conservation bodies.
Number of volunteers participating in community team challenges with the National Trust: 839
Number of volunteers participating in community team challenges (total including National Trust volunteers): 1380

Achieved

Maintain existing BAPs to a high standard. Monitor for significant impacts.

Our existing BAPs have been successfully maintained. We have applied for the Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark for our three existing BAP-covered sites and are now awaiting their audit schedule.

Ongoing

Maintain and improve biodiversity strategy

We've completed a biodiversity strategy for our distribution business and this will be rolled out during 2008.

Ongoing

Develop improved knowledge base and training through research projects

This is part of our three-year biodiversity research and development support project. The planned web-based knowledge hub is due to go live in 2008.

Ongoing

Achieve a 9% reduction in CO2 from non-operational
activities in 2007 against the 2006
baseline with a long-term reduction target of
14% by 2009.

We surpassed this target, with a 12% figure for 2007.

Achieved

Customers

Invest in our distribution networks in four key areas:
-   introduce new rural and urban remote control schemes to restore supplies as quickly as possible
-   introduce automatic circuit breakers to limit the number of customers who experience faults
-   put select sections of cable underground to reduce the number of faults.
– re-configure 'rogue' circuits to reduce the number of customers experiencing faults and enabling supplies to be restored more quickly.

These key areas of remote control and automation are included in our investment programmes up to 2015.

Ongoing

Install up to 38,000 smart meters.

We installed around 6,000 smart meters by the end of 2007 and the programme is ongoing.

Not achieved

Develop a new project with our partner Age Concern to help older people make best use of their energy.

We launched EnergyRight, which involves trained volunteers carrying out home visits with the elderly to provide practical help and suggest improvements. We now have 129 trained volunteers, who carried out 861 home energy checks during 2007.

Achieved

Improve the accuracy of the customer's first bill, bill all new customers within three to four months of the supply start date and all old customers within 30 working days of the supply end date.

We've continued to make progress towards this long-term goal and by December 2007, nearly 45% of new customers received their first bill within 120 days and 81% of customers changing supplier received a final bill within 30 days.

Ongoing

Develop further renewable energy tariffs.

We launched our Go Green tariff for residential customers and EasyGreen for the business sector.

Achieved

Our People

Achieve a 15% reduction in our Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF), from 2.92 to 2.5.

Our LTIF ended the year at 3.96.

Not achieved

Offer managers the opportunity to develop their leadership capability. During 2006, 133 managers successfully took part and we’re planning a further roll out for 2007.

We've used flagship programmes from the E.ON Academy (corporate university) during 2007 to offer strategic and personal leadership development, supported by one-to-one executive coaching.

Our revised Challenge of Leadership programme will take a new form during 2008 and will be offered to potential senior managers as part of our development of key talent.

By the close of 2007, 255 E.ON middle managers had participated in our leadership development programme, A Call to Arms. This programme focuses on the next layer of leadership across our organization.

Achieved

Provide access to professional development for employees in key areas.

We've developed functional academies which offer professional development to skills including procurement, human resources and IS. Others, finance and SHE (safety, health and environment) will be released in 2008.

Ongoing

Implement a diversity action plan.

Our Diversity Leadership Group launched new policies covering diversity & inclusion, and bullying & harassment, along with a companywide communication programme.

Achieved

Launch a flexible benefits scheme
companywide.

We made our 'My Choice' flexible benefits scheme available to 600 employees during 2007 and this will increase to 13,000 during 2008 and to remaining employees by 2009.

Ongoing

Offer opportunities for new and existing employees to join a company pension scheme.

The Company opened a window of opportunity in March 2007, giving all employees not in a pension scheme the chance to join the E.ON UK Retirement Balance Plan. Just under 1,200 employees elected to join the scheme, thereby increasing the pension participation rate to approximately 65% of employees in the UK.

We're now looking to improve the participation rate for new employees joining the business. A project team is looking to simplify the whole process. These solutions are currently being approved for implementation during 2008.

Achieved

Reduce our sickness absence rate which impacts negatively on our performance and costs us around £15 million each year.

It is disappointing to note that our efforts in this area have not improved our attendance rates. Last year was a period of significant change for many parts of the organisation and this may have had an effect. However, we’ve continued to build on the introduction of our attendance management policy by reflecting best practice approaches to occupational health. Examples of this are our active case management, proactive interventions to address common reasons for absence during 2008, trials of specialist first contact interventions and the development of an occupational health toolkit.

Not achieved

Implement a new approach to Health and Safety (H&S) performance improvement which is action based, using leading and lagging indicators to measure improvement.

Implement a new approach to Health and Safety (H&S) performance improvement which is action based, using leading and lagging indicators to measure improvement. Leadership teams within the business have undertaken a safety toolkit session where there perceptions and attitudes are challenged. The teams are required to develop a safety plan and specifically agree lagging indicators and targets (based on accident and incident rates) and leading (for example number of safety observations undertaken, speed at which accident investigations are completed). These are reported each month and discussed not only at the business management team level, but also at the E.ON UL Executive board meetings.

Achieved

Offer further recruitment opportunities to German colleagues throughout 2007.

In 2007 we recruited a further 12 apprentices from Germany.

Achieved

Achieve the following targets:

• Zero fatalities
• Safety Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) 0.5 (revised)

During 2007, there were three fatalities, and our TRIR was 0.55 against a revised target of 0.5.

Not achieved

Achieve an average sickness absence per employee of nine days or fewer.

Our average sickness absence per employee was 12.8 days.

Not Achieved

Community

Extend our Employee Involvement Programme to 3,250 employees;

3,269 employees participated in E.ON's community relations programmes in 2007.

Achieved

Increase knowledge of energy issues amongst younger people by expanding our 'Energy Experience' educational initiative to more than 10,000 schools.

Energy Experience has now reached 19,000 classrooms nationwide.

Achieved

Invest in local community projects across Central England through our Safer Environment fund

In 2007, £52,738.24 was shared from this scheme between 28 successful funding applications. Winners included projects to build a sensory garden at a school and the resurfacing of a children's playground.

Achieved

Increase funding and support for community renewable energy projects.

We launched SOURCE, which provides grants for community groups carrying out sustainability projects. We gave just under £232,000 to support 17 such projects.

Achieved

Continue to help older people through our association with Age Concern.

In 2007, for the ninth consecutive year, we offered an electric blanket testing and replacement service free of charge to older people in conjunction with Age Concern. Testing sessions were held in 25 locations across the East Midlands and North West England in October and November 2007. Those that fail are replaced free of charge on a like for like basis. In 2007, a total of 2,632 blankets were tested, of which 1,717 were deemed unsafe and destroyed.

Achieved