| External stakeholders |
Each department in the Company maintains close relations with institutional stakeholders that fall within the scope of its business and/or geographical area. Relations with external stakeholders are especially important with respect to the Group’s projects, |
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| Internal stakeholders |
Relations with employee representatives fall within the scope of social dialogue and are dealt with in section 3.5.3 “Social dialogue”. |
| Principles |
EDF engages in a societal approach based on identifying stakeholders (with special attention paid to indigenous communities), the principles of “Avoid, Mitigate, Offset”, and seeking to manage the positive and negative impacts of its activities. The project process is based on the Equator Principles. (1) |
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| Due diligence |
The impacts of each project are assessed on the basis of reasonable environmental and social due diligence. E&S (2) impact studies encompass human rights aspects and stakeholder identification. Dialogue and consultation begin as early as possible, with special attention being paid to groups that are typically marginalised. A public claims mechanism is set up at a very early stage of the project. Public reporting is provided. |
| Detailed doctrine |
Details of EDF doctrine with respect to dialogue, consultation, and stakeholder relations are to be found in a collection of practical guides (“Stakeholder dialogue”) (3). |
EDF has set up a Regional Action and Territories Department (Direction des territoires et de l’action régionale, DTAR to organise more specific dialogue and stakeholder relations locally. In addition to its role in cross-cutting dialogue and internal coordination, DTAR engages in dialogue with the local stakeholders closest to Group projects and operational activities, and more generally, with all bodies and stakeholders concerned with the French government’s ‘Recovery Plan’.
EDF R&D has 15 years’ worth of cutting-edge expertise in the local acceptability of structures, and devotes part of its research work to this aspect. For instance, in 2021, the expert team worked on EPR2 and the socio-economic acceptability of various energy scenarios.
Identifying and understanding stakeholder circumstances and expectations, taking the related decisions, and implementing appropriate action plans requires professional upskilling for managers and all other stakeholders.
| A full-scope training offering | Since 2008, EDF group has provided a training offering to develop stakeholder knowledge, nurture understanding of issues, and improve the management of dialogue and consultation practices. Open to all EDF group departments and subsidiaries in France, it is directed more particularly at project managers, managers, communications officers, and the members of regional delegations, in liaison with stakeholders. |
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EDF systematically implements tools that promote listening, dialogue, and understanding of its environment using a wide range of instruments, from opinion barometers to forums for listening to stakeholders and employees implemented in the form of ongoing surveys or organised in connection with institutionalised dialogues.
| Parlons Énergies: outward- facing since 2021 |
For the first time in 2021, Parlons Énergies (“Let’s talk about energy”) became outward-facing. 3,500 interviews with private individuals and 52 participatory workshops were organised across France, led by 700 employees trained in interview techniques and overseen by a supervisory Committee made up of academics, company leaders, and think tanks. Discussions related to perceptions and expectations in respect of modes of production and consumption, global warming, and EDF in general. |
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The lessons learned were published in late 2021 (5) in the form of a “grassroots handbook”. The expectation of those consulted was that EDF should be engaged in a French low-carbon production strategy. They were keen to see the Company innovate, establish partnerships to hasten the energy transition, and create closer ties with its customers. |
(1) Identify the stakeholders; launch consultation as far upstream as possible; provide transparent and clear information to stakeholders on the project; gather stakeholder opinions on the project and address them; set up a system for dealing with suggestions and complaints; ensure that local populations are able to participate in the consultation process; ensure that consultations are publicly reported.
(2) E&S: environment and social.
(3) This covers consultation with elected officials, public debate, public inquiries, energy transition in rural areas, the circular economy, and consultation evaluation.
(4) Parlons Énergies is the working name of the Collective Intelligence Programme Department (Direction des programmes d’Intelligence Collective). Established in 2018, the department launches, coordinates, and analyses major debates across EDF to enrich strategy and generate new actions engaging employees in the transformation of the Company. As of the end of 2021, over 25,000 employees had taken part in Parlons Énergies initiatives, including one to develop the Company’s raison d’être, published in 2020 after its adoption at the General Meeting. All related interviews and dialogue sessions were carried out by some 200 volunteer employees trained in interviews. In 2021, Parlons Énergies continued its work with a score of internal operations, including a major dialogue spanning all nuclear power plants about how to optimise the maintenance of nuclear reactors. This work contributed to the Start 2025 plan, which has altered maintenance practices to reduce the lead times in question. Other actions were organised to support departmental strategic plans in practice.
