Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate & Environment
• Energy Transition
• Decarbonization
• Biodiversity and Landscape
• Resource Efficiency
• Waste Management
• Employees & Society
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Employee Development
• Employees of Tomorrow
• Community Engagements
• Ethics & Responsibility
• Responsible Supply Chains
• Ethical Business Conduct
• Reliable Energy Supply
• Growth & Innovation
• Sustainable Finance
• Green Growth
• Innovation
• Knowledge Transfer

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced CO2 emissions from own electricity consumption and vehicle fleet to zero by 2030; Net zero emissions within Axpo’s direct sphere of influence by 2040; Fully decarbonized by 2050.
• Added 113 megawatts of wind power and 202 megawatts of PV in the 2022/23 financial year.
• Launched a solar initiative in Switzerland aiming to realize around 4,200 solar projects exceeding 1.2 gigawatts installed capacity.
• Construction of largest solar plant to date (200 megawatts) in Spain.
• Expanded wind energy activities to Romania and Finland.

Social Achievements

• Implemented measures to ensure a responsible supply chain, including a supply chain policy on child labor risks and tools for assessing suppliers’ sustainability.
• Created more than 600 new jobs (around half in Switzerland).
• Increased the number of apprentices, interns, and trainees from 469 to 486.
• Share of women at Axpo rose to 23.6%.

Governance Achievements

• Revised and updated Code for Business Partners, including a chapter on the protection of personal data.
• Introduced a risk-based process to identify, assess, and minimize potential child labor risks in the supply chain.
• Published a supply chain policy on child labor.
• Supplemented Code of Conduct with detailed anti-corruption policies.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Challenges of the energy transition, including the need to speed up approval processes for renewable energy projects.
• Securing winter electricity supply in Switzerland.
• Meeting the increasing demand for electricity in Europe.
• Implementing wind power projects in Switzerland.
• Phasing out state subsidies for new renewable energy plants.

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing CHF 475 million in the expansion of renewable energies and the maintenance of power plants and grids.
• Marketing renewable energies through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
• Establishing a new unit to develop wind power plants in Switzerland.
• Joining Suisse Eole to help shape framework conditions for wind power.
• Expanding PPA offering, supplying 22.3 terawatt hours of renewable electricity to customers.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Code of Conduct
• Code for Business Partners
• Use of specialized data platforms (e.g., EcoVadis) to assess suppliers on ethical, environmental, social, and human rights criteria.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Expansion of renewable energies.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Universal Standards 2021

Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young AG

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 7, 8, 9, 11, 13

Axpo's activities contribute to these SDGs through climate-friendly electricity production, economic productivity through jobs, investment in electricity infrastructure, smart energy solutions, and decarbonization efforts.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Green hydrogen production.
• Battery storage systems.

Awards & Recognition

• AlpinSolar PV plant nominated for the Swiss Solar Prize 2023.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• climate & environment
• employees & society
• growth & innovation
• ethics & responsibility

Environmental Achievements

• Commissioned Switzerland's largest hydrogen plant
• Introduced smart electricity meters across its grid area in Switzerland, improving customer electricity efficiency
• Substantial expansion in renewable energies internationally
• Completed solar canopies over parking areas at Disneyland Paris
• Commissioned France’s largest rooftop solar power plant
• Started construction of a 20 MW ground-mounted solar plant in northern Italy
• CKW installed around 1,000 rooftop solar systems in Switzerland
• Commissioned six wind farms with 29 turbines in France
• Broke ground for a new wind farm in Germany
• Began building a wind farm in Finland
• Began technical assessments for a potential wind farm in Switzerland
• Delivered 28.2 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity to customers through PPAs
• Concluded greenfield PPAs for 1.6 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity
• Gradually converting its national distribution grid from 50 kV to 110 kV, reducing grid losses by up to 75%

Social Achievements

• Share of women in the workforce increased to 24.6%
• Training over 500 young people, a 7% increase
• Received UNI/PDR 125:2022 certification for gender equality in Italy
• Urbasolar developed a “Diversity & Inclusion” policy and signed the Charte de la Diversité in France
• Axpo is a member of Advance (Switzerland’s leading business association for gender equality) and sponsor of femella (networking association for young women)
• CKW is a member of Women in Power (Swiss network of female specialists and managers in the energy sector)
• Axpo is a member of Valore D (association supporting female managers in Italy)
• Organised a conference “Women in nuclear – from outlier to normality”

Governance Achievements

• Board of Directors approves sustainability strategy and sustainability report
• Launched a project to identify climate-related risks and opportunities, aligned with TCFD recommendations
• Working on a double materiality assessment in line with CSRD requirements
• Implemented a Group-wide policy defining roles and responsibilities in occupational health and safety
• Requires all business areas to introduce an occupational health and safety management system based on international standards (such as ISO 45001)
• Implemented a supply chain policy on child labour
• Updated anti-bribery and anti-corruption training throughout the Axpo Group

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reconciling climate and environmental protection with security of energy supply and economic viability
• Lengthy approval procedures for renewable energy projects
• Regulatory challenges and market uncertainties
• Shortage of skilled workers
• Physical risks such as heat waves, heavy rain, and flooding
• Market changes, political, regulatory, or technological developments impacting greenhouse gas emissions
• Challenges in expanding wind energy in Switzerland due to acceptance issues and objections
• Risks of human rights or environmental guideline violations in the supply chain
• Potential for not meeting targets in sustainability-linked financing
• Lengthy approval procedures, shortage of skilled workers, and turmoil on energy markets impacting renewable energy expansion

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing in the safety of its power plant portfolio and adapting to changing conditions
• Detailed planning, stakeholder involvement, and alternative measures for renewable energy projects
• Offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to attract and retain talent
• Dedicated risk management process to ensure compliance with due diligence obligations in the supply chain
• Gradual investment steps in new technologies to minimize risks
• Implementing a risk-based process for identifying, evaluating, and minimizing child labour risks
• Using EcoVadis to conduct a holistic assessment of suppliers
• Developing a responsible supply chain strategy with targets, measures, and performance indicators
• Training procurement employees on sustainability aspects in the supply chain
• Defining sustainability criteria for tenders and purchases
• Maintaining ambitious sustainability objectives despite missing expansion targets

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Approximately 18,000 suppliers underwent a risk-based preliminary audit.

Responsible Procurement

• Code of Conduct
• Code for Business Partners
• Sustainability criteria for tenders and purchases above a certain threshold (CKW)

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Heat waves
• Heavy rain
• Flooding

Transition Risks

• Market changes
• Political developments
• Regulatory developments
• Technological developments

Opportunities

• Expansion of renewable energies
• Growth potential in new markets
• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Universal Standards 2021, TCFD, CSRD

Certifications: ISO 45001, UNI/PDR 125:2022 (Italy)

Third-party Assurance: KPMG AG

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 7
• 9
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

Axpo's activities contribute to these SDGs through low-emission electricity production, economic productivity with attractive jobs, investment in electricity infrastructure, smart energy solutions, and decarbonisation efforts.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Smart energy systems
• Automated drone monitoring of high-voltage lines
• Biomethane production

Awards & Recognition

• Great Place to Work® (Switzerland, 10th place in 2024)
• Great Place to Work® (Axpo Iberia, Goldenergy, Urbasolar in 2023)