NRG Energy 2021 Sustainability Report: A Business Structure for Sustainability Success
NRG Energy: Our journey to a greener tomorrow
Originally published on NRG Energy Sustainability
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
We are proud that our Board of Directors is among the most diverse of Fortune 500 energy companies. The differences in experience and expertise allow the Board to hear various perspectives from its members, leading to better outcomes and a more thoughtful decision-making process.
In addition to ten of our eleven directors being independent, our Board has a diversity of tenure, age, gender, and ethnicity, providing a complementary mix of experience and perspective among multiple dimensions of leadership. Further explanation of the skills we seek in our Board directors can be found in our proxy statement.
We continually evaluate the need for additional Board members whose skills and experiences will enable them to make meaningful contributions to our business, in line with our evolving strategy.
Transparency and reporting
We are committed to leading our sector in sustainability transparency and disclosure, and we follow the leading globally accepted frameworks and standards to provide key information to all our stakeholders.
Sustainable Development Goals
Launched in 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global set of goals, targets, and indicators developed by the United Nations to guide countries, communities, and organizations in their work to create a sustainable world by 2030. While NRG recognizes that making progress on all 17 SDGs is vital to creating a sustainable economy, the company strives to focus its resources on the SDGs that are most closely tied to our business: 3, 5, 7, and 13.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Empowered Employees
- Power Up My Life: Engagement program offers wellness benefits
- Non-tobacco user insurance discount
- Support for mental well-being and work/life balance
- Power Up Nutrition: Offers free membership to three different weight management programs
SDG SUB-TARGET ALIGNMENT
- 3.8 Access to quality healthcare
- 3.a Tobacco control
Goal 5: Gender Equality
Power Values
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion one of NRG's values
- Internal program "Women in Power" trains female employees for leadership roles
- Equal pay study found no evidence of gender-or racial-based discrimination
- CEO Action Pledge
- Unconscious bias training
- Signing U.N. Women's Empowerment Principles
Governance
- Seven of the 11 members of NRG’s Board are gender and/or ethnically diverse
- Four members of NRG’s Board are women (40% of independent directors)
- NRG has a minority CEO
SDG SUB-TARGET ALIGNMENT
- 5.1 End discrimination
- 5.5 Equal leadership opportunities
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Empowered Customers
- State-of-the-art retail brands and offerings
- Plans and solutions for all needs and budgets
- Advocate for competitive markets and champion of customer choice
Sustainable Solutions
- Energy storage
- 100% renewable plans offered in all of NRG’s retail markets, including plans tailored for electric vehicle charging and rooftop solar
- Demand response
- Carbon offsets
- Sustainable energy consulting
SDG SUB-TARGET ALIGNMENT
- 7.1 Access to affordable and reliable energy services
- 7.2 Increase share of renewable energy
Goal 13: Climate Action
Company Actions
- GHG goals are science-based and 1.5 degree Celsius-aligned
- Carbon capture innovation
- Active engagement with climatetech ecosystem, academic, industry, and non-government organizations to identify decarbonization pathways
- Commitment to supply chain engagement
SDG SUB-TARGET ALIGNMENT
- 13.2 Climate change measures
- 13.3 Improve education, awareness, and capacity on climate change
