Utilities must work harder

Utilities companies are failing to translate their CSR policies into responsible practice, and most businesses in the sector are neglecting even to set targets for the majority of their main impacts.

New ratings produced by the Two Tomorrows consultancy show that only Centrica, EDF and Scottish & Southern were found to have performance targets for more than a quarter of their main risk areas, and instances of performance matching policy were ‘rare’.

Further questions are raised about the sector’s preparedness for dealing with rising energy prices and any expansion into unregulated markets.

France-based EDF was named as the sector leader for ‘demonstrating responsible business practices across a large number of operating markets’ and being ‘one of the few companies in the sector that has begun to monitor supplier performance on sustainability’.

However, most of the companies have made quantified carbon reduction commitments, representing significant cuts in some cases. The principal obstacle to other progress in the sector remains the absence of clear government guidance, as a result of which, says Two Tomorrows, companies will have to be ‘brave’ to introduce CSR innovation.