Duke Energy Releases Updated Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting Template for Investors

CHARLOTTE, N.C., August 28, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- Duke Energy, a recognized leader in transparent environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, is participating in an innovative industrywide approach to better communicate progress on ESG and sustainability issues.

The current template, available here, includes updated data about Duke Energy and incorporates feedback from company investors.

As part of an ongoing initiative by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and its member companies, a reporting template was developed in 2017 to help provide investors with more uniformity and better consistency for ESG/sustainability metrics. Duke Energy helped pilot the initiative and was among the first companies to utilize the template for disclosure in December 2017.

"We're committed to transparency and engagement with investors, customers and other stakeholders," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's vice president of investor relations. "Our investors are increasingly focused on ESG and sustainability matters. We're providing them with the information needed to better incorporate ESG into their investing strategies."

Duke Energy is executing a strategy to deliver a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for customers. The company's ESG/sustainability efforts earned it a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index for the 12th consecutive year in 2017. Highlights of Duke Energy's efforts include:

• Since 2005, Duke Energy's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by 31 percent, sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions decreased by 96 percent and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions decreased by 75 percent.
• By 2030, the company plans to reduce CO2 emissions 40 percent from 2005 levels.
• Since 2007, Duke Energy has grown its renewable generation portfolio and now has more than 6,400 megawatts of wind, solar and biomass capacity – owned or under contract.
• The company is teaming up with customers to reduce customer energy consumption by 15,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020, which is equivalent to the annual usage of 1.25 million homes.
• Electric customers continue to benefit from rates below the national average in all customer classes and all service areas.
• The company met its goal to recycle 80 percent of its solid waste a year earlier than planned.

Duke Energy's ESG/sustainability template with updated information is also available at duke-energy.com/investors. Duke Energy also publishes an annual Sustainability Report that summarizes its efforts to advance energy efficiency, develop renewable energy, reduce emissions and more. The 2017 report is available online at sustainabilityreport.duke-energy.com.

More information about the EEI initiative is provided here.

Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.

The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.

A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list.

More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: 
Candice Knezevic 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853