Creation of value for society
As the employer of a workforce that totals 7,314 and a source of orders for more than 5,000 suppliers and service providers, as a listed company in which NÖ Landesbeteiligungsholding GmbH holds a stake of 51% and as a provider of energy and environmental services, EVN generates numerous direct and indirect positive effects for the society in its supply areas. EVN makes a direct financial contribution to the economies in which it operates through salaries, payments to suppliers, dividends and taxes. The most important contributions (excluding the multiplier effects for the entire economy) are outlined on the front cover flap of this report.
EVN also meets its responsibility to its various stakeholder groups through numerous initiatives outside the operating business. The EVN Social Fund, which has an annual endowment of EUR 100,000 supports institutions in Lower Austria that work with children and adolescents. EVN is also active outside Austria and provides support, above all, for day care centres, children’s homes and schools in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Croatia. The Social Fund again supported a number of projects during the reporting year (see Creation of value for society).
- GRI indicators: Indirect economic impacts (EC8); Directly generated and distributed economic value (EC1)
Projects to increase the awareness of children and young people for energy issues
EVN’s social responsibility is also expressed in special projects for children and young people. The focus here is on interesting facts and figures related to the broad subject of energy and its responsible use. Three examples of these regularly organised projects are shown below:
EVN day care centre project – conclusion of the theatre tour
The EVN day care centre project is intended to give children an interesting look at the subject of electricity. The focal point changes each year and covered the safe handling of energy and energy savings in 2013/14. The “Joulius, the bundle of energy” project successfully ended in April 2014 after performances at nearly 250 day care centres with a specially designed theatre tour and the play “Joulius and the Light for Emil“. More than 12,500 children were reached by these performances.
EVN school service in Austria, Bulgaria and Macedonia
“EVN Researchers‘ World – The Whole World is Energy“: Discovering the subject of electricity through experimental learning
The “EVN Researchers‘ World – The Whole World is Energy“ experiment kit was developed in cooperation with the Teachers’ Training College in Lower Austria and made available to all Lower Austrian elementary and special schools starting in autumn 2014. The kit includes materials for 25 experiments, quiz cards with assignments, solutions and examples of practical applications, a personal “researchers’ notebook“ for every boy and girl as well as information for teachers on using the package. In the EVN Researchers‘ World, children can examine mysterious electrical phenomena, build electric circuits, demonstrate the conversion of various energy sources into electricity and learn about the careful use of energy. Supplementary workshops have been offered as part of the continuing education programme at the Lower Austrian Teachers’ Training College in Baden since August 2014 to help teachers optimally use the materials in their classrooms. The EVN Researchers‘ World gives roughly 27,000 children every school year an opportunity to learn and experiment.
EVN in Bulgarian classrooms
EVN also started a school service programme in Bulgarian and Macedonia during October 2007. The programme in Bulgaria was updated in 2013/14 under the title “Ivi and Encho’s Class“ and the motto “Fascinating education on energy and environmental subjects“. The educational materials for the second and third grades were completely revised and the programme, together with the educational materials, was expanded to include the fourth grade and a larger number of schoolchildren. Forty-four partner schools worked together with EVN Bulgaria on this project in 2013/14, and roughly 11,700 children had completed the programme by the end of the school year in June 2014.
| Projects | EUR |
|---|---|
| Caritas – vacation club, play and learning days | 7,000 |
| Caritas – mobile workshop | 4,500 |
| Caritas – learning support for children and adolescents | 7,500 |
| Caritas – AusZeit 2.0 play group | 6,000 |
| Caritas – Akzept_Tanz dance programme | 5,000 |
| Caritas St. Gabriel – summer fun | 5,000 |
| Caritas – education as the motor for sustainability | 10,000 |
| Caritas – social skills training for adolescents via VIT | 10,000 |
| Caritas – school start programme | 5,000 |
| Caritas – Open bicycle workshop | 5,500 |
| Caritas – Kids 2 Future | 7,500 |
| Caritas – Young Chess Club | 5,000 |
| Diakonie – expansion of leisure time activities in the Neue Welt shared apartment | 4,800 |
| Diakonie – life support centre in Mödling | 8,000 |
| Diakonie refugee service – movement energy | 4,500 |
| Diakonie Centre Spattstrasse – sport and leisure time events, shared apartment in Strengberg | 3,300 |
| Association for the support of young people, Neunkirchen – Girls Zone coffee house | 5,000 |
| Association for social housing – social gardening | 8,000 |
| Total | 111,600 |
EVN invested EUR 1.2m (thereof 13.4 % from public funding) on innovation, development, and research projects during the reporting year. EVN receives no additional financial support from the public sector. In cases where individual laws allow for the utilisation of incentives, e.g. the Green-Electricity Act or research and development tax credits, EVN evaluates the related conditions and applies for financial support where possible.
- GRI indicator: Government financial assistance (EC4)
EVN invested EUR 396.3m in the expansion and modernisation of its infrastructure and generation plants in 2013/14 (previous year: EUR 372.9m). These investments are intended to improve supply security and are therefore in the public interest. Many of the EVN power plants are open for visits by the general public and, in this way, support local tourism and education. For example, the nonoperational nuclear power plant in Zwentendorf is available for tours and for educational and training purposes by private persons and companies. In connection with the construction of the pump storage power plant in Ottenstein, EVN also took over responsibility for the upkeep of Ottenstein Castle. EVN makes an attractive contribution to the region’s tourism offering through the operation of the castle as an event location as well as by operating the Hotel Ottenstein, a boat rental and a restaurant on the Ottenstein reservoir.
1) 1) The figures for the prior year were adjusted retrospectively according to IAS 8 (see note 2. Reporting accoding to IFRS).
- For more information on EVN’s tourism offering in Ottenstein, see www.hotelottenstein.at
Visitors to the EVN information centres
- GRI indicator: Infrastructure investments and services primarily in the public interest (EC7)
EVN for Lower Austria
EVN provides its customers with reliable energy supplies to meet their daily needs and also sees its social responsibility as an important component of the corporate culture. Many of the EVN employees not only work for the company, but also demonstrate their social responsibility by participating in charitable activities. The creation of the “EVN for Lower Austria“ programme demonstrates the company’s commitment to society and its position as a responsible employer.
“EVN for Lower Austria“ is a corporate volunteering project that is designed to encourage employees‘ involvement and support independent initiatives for charitable purposes. Assistance for the employees‘ projects is provided in the form of funding, e.g. by covering the cost of materials, and also by credits for working time. The entire programme is guided by an internal project team. Communications take place over a separate Intranet platform that shows the content and status of the individual projects and invites interested employees to participate.
Nearly 300 employees have worked on more than 40 charitable projects up to now. In addition to excursions and concerts for retirees, the activities included for example also sporting events for young refugees. The EVN employees also used their manual skills, for example by painting the rooms in social service facilities or renovating outside areas such as playgrounds or gardens. Toys, clothing, books, CDs, DVDs and various gadgets were collected for a flea market that was held during a summer festival in Maria Enzersdorf, with the net proceeds donated to a children’s protection centre in Lower Austria.
With this project, EVN and its employees underscore their shared social responsibility in Lower Austria and also establish contacts with people in need of support in the region.
