Opinion of the Alliander stakeholder panel

Dear reader of the report,

The stakeholder panel is delighted with Alliander's invitation to give feedback on the Annual Report 2016. This summary of our feedback is aimed at encouraging Alliander to bring the report even better into line with the needs of its stakeholders. We acknowledge that Alliander's annual report is eminently readable and has a clear structure. It is also extremely instructive in setting out the activities that Alliander is undertaking. The transparency provided is more than sufficient and the report gives a clear account of the policy pursued and the results achieved.

Materiality analysis

The annual report has been prepared on the basis of the materiality analysis. We recognise the selected subjects, and also see that these are extensively discussed in the accountability document, which forms part of the various stakeholder chapters. One aspect that should be made clearer in the report is where the dividing line lies between the most material subjects for stakeholders and how this selection was made. To this end, Alliander has included a comprehensive overview in the appendix to the report.

More ambition

Alliander plays an important role in our daily energy supply and the transition to a sustainable energy system. It was special to hear that the Management Board is making a tour of all municipalities in the company's service area to highlight the challenges arising from the energy transition. In our eyes, the company could show even more ambition regarding the envisaged route and also provide more insight into the steps needed to progress towards a sustainable future. From our talks with Alliander, we understand that this poses a dilemma. Alliander is keen to commit to the ambition, but is constrained by the regulated nature of its tasks and laws and regulations that are lagging behind society in this field.

Impact measurement

We also see that Alliander wants to make further steps in the field of impact measurement. In recent years, there has been growing attention for the quantification of impacts, i.e. the effects that society experiences as a result of an organisation's operations. We value Alliander's ambitions in this area and also appreciate the insights already provided in the accountability information. At the same time, this is a complex subject that is fittingly described as a journey in the report. As this journey progresses in the coming years, we advise Alliander to put the impact areas into sharper focus and to link them more closely to the company's strategy so that impact can also be used for operational control purposes.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

For the first time, Alliander has also provided insight into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new goals identified by the United Nations member states as being key to promoting sustainable development and ending all forms of poverty by 2030. Alliander has made an initial selection of the goals based on their relevance to the company's operations. Our advice is to link the selected SDGs even more closely to the company's material subjects, as well as its risks and long-term objectives.

Finally, we would like to praise Alliander for its openness towards the stakeholders. We particularly appreciate the chance to give substantive feedback on draft versions of the annual report and to discuss specific issues with the management.

Jan Bijker - Chairman of the Underground Networks and Groundwater Management Section of Bouwend Nederland.

Giuseppe van der Helm - former Director of the Association of Investors for Sustainable Development in the Netherlands & member of the Panel of Experts of the Transparency benchmark.

Karen Maas - Scientific Director of the Executive CSR courses of ESAA, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Richard Liebrechts - Former partner at Ecorys and owner of Ripple-A

Rob van Tilburg - Royal Haskoning DHV

Brechtje Spoorenberg - KPN - Corporate Social Responsibility

The stakeholder panel that assists us with the annual report forms part of our structural stakeholder dialogue. We shared a draft version of the Annual Report 2016 with the panel members. They responded to this in writing and their input was discussed in further detail during a lunch meeting at our new circular building at Duiven on 25 January 2017. This meeting was also attended by our CFO Mark van Lieshout. The feedback was used to improve this report, and will also serve to further enhance the quality of our report. The stakeholder panel is independent. Perhaps you too would like to talk with us about the annual report or the themes confronting Alliander. We are open to dialogue and also regularly organise roundtable sessions with our stakeholders. Please contact us at communicatie@alliander.com.