Interaction with our environment

Being 'in touch with our environment' is an increasingly important part of our task and our day-to-day work. At all levels. Listening and engaging in dialogue with our stakeholders is an indispensable step towards 'doing the right things right', having a shared understanding of the challenges we face in the energy transition and being and remaining in touch with what the environment asks and demands of us. Our mission is 'Working together to create an environment filled with new energy'. We do this actively on our three strategic spearheads and on the material topics prioritised by us and our stakeholders.

The importance of these material topics is also reflected in the ancillary positions held by members of our Board of Management. For example, CEO Marc van der Linden served as chair of Netbeheer Nederland in 2020. Also see Biographical details of members of the Board of Management of Stedin Group.

Our stakeholders

Our stakeholders are the people, groups or authorities that have an influence on Stedin Group and vice versa. Contacts with our stakeholders partly take place in a structured form, but they can also take place on an ad hoc basis, depending on the topic. The public and regulated nature of Stedin Group to a large extent determines the categorisation below into stakeholder groups.

• Internal: employees
• External: private and business customers, shareholders, investors and rating agencies, government, politics, regulators, energy supply chain, public organisations, local environment, NGOs and civil-society organisations, suppliers, media, memberships, interest groups and industry organisations, knowledge institutions and partners.

Policymakers and policy frameworks

Stedin Group aims to play a linking role in the transition to a new energy system to ensure that this remains safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable. Our core tasks as grid manager are impacted by the transition, and existing policy frameworks must be adapted to make the necessary changes possible. Owing to our public function, Stedin's interests in this regard are social interests. We engage in constructive dialogue with the stakeholders in the societal arena, and we contribute our experience and expertise. We mostly do this in cooperation with Netbeheer Nederland. These talks are always conducted by employees of Stedin Group. We do not engage a Public Affairs consultancy firm on a permanent basis. Nor does Stedin Group donate funds to politicians, political parties or government institutions.

Environment management

The energy transition will require numerous and sometimes major adjustments that also necessitate spatial adjustments. Strategic environment management is necessary to ensure this is supported by society. In order to create a shared position and support, we involve other organisations and stakeholders as early as possible to ensure effective coordination of plans. We do so in several ways – for example, by making data on our grids publicly accessible and by concluding covenants as well as agreements for long-term cooperation with municipalities and other parties. A new Environmental and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) will come into force in 2021 under which participation will be required, whereas at present it is voluntary.

Corporate social responsibility

We make active and broad-based efforts to promote an inclusive society.

Given our societal role, we are relatively reticent in engaging in sponsorship activities. Accordingly, we base our choice for sponsoring or a financial contribution on initiatives that are closely related to our core tasks such as stimulating the energy transition, knowledge about the energy transition and 'energy for everyone'. Our most important initiative in 2020 (and before) concerns supporting the Energy Bank in Rotterdam and The Hague. In 2020, this enabled us to assist 60 households to achieve energy savings. Our aim for 2020 was to assist 200 households. We were unable to achieve this target due to COVID-19.

The purpose of the Energy Bank is to ensure energy remains available as a primary necessity of life for households that do not have enough money to pay their energy bill. Stedin's assistance is provided through people as well as funds. Two Stedin employees provide advice as energy coaches to reduce energy costs. The contract also provides for an annual donation of €8,000. In 2020, the Energy Bank was again the charitable cause as part of the annual end-of-year gift. Stedin employees were able to opt for a personal gift or a financial contribution to the Energy Bank. As a result, we were able to hand over €2,500 to the Energy Bank in Rotterdam and The Hague.

Stedin's total sponsorship budget in 2020 was €36,000 (2019: €120,000; 2018 €225,000), part of which was also used for community initiatives and good causes in which individual Stedin employees played an active role.

In the table below, we provide insight into the numerous contacts we have with our principal stakeholders.