Interaction with stakeholders
Based on high-impact issues, we regularly seek to identify suitable parties for Alliander’s dialogue. Engagement, size, willingness to enter into dialogue, and expertise are crucial considerations in this respect. We aim to find a common approach to issues, create support for initiatives, build trust, and devise solutions with added value, both for the short and long term. We talk to customers about their energy requirements on a daily basis. Together with our shareholders we look at ways in which we can contribute to sustainable solutions. And together with our employees we look how we can be an employer that matters. Together with all our stakeholders, we are moving forward towards the energy supply of the future.
Anybody or any group that is affected by our actions or that has an influence on our organisation or services we consider to be stakeholders of ours. We keep a constant check on who our stakeholders are. Whether on projects or concerning certain topics, they may have a relevant contribution to make and we involve them.
The nature of a number of our relationships with stakeholders is governed by the statutory and regulatory environment (government ministries, politicians, and industry regulators) and by cooperation in the supply chain (energy sector), but also by the public nature of our service (customers, municipal authorities, media, and pressure groups). Responsibilities for stakeholder management are formalised and the Corporate & Social Affairs department coordinates the strategic stakeholder management and decides which organisations and stakeholder representatives we actively engage with.
The Alliander stakeholder model comprises three stakeholder groups. A distinction is made between:
Key stakeholders: customers, employees and shareholders & investors;
Other stakeholders: suppliers, knowledge institutions, regulators and social sector organisations, etc.
Stakeholder touchpoints
We conduct the dialogue with stakeholders on both a regular and ad hoc basis. This includes the organisation of customer panels and shareholder consultations as well as meetings with the Works Council. Supplier days, knowledge and partner meetings, and participation in network organisations are important stakeholder touchpoints. One example from 2019 is the session we organised for members of the new Provincial Councils in our service areas to engage on the impact the energy transition is having on energy infrastructure.
Contact with policymakers
Alliander maintains contact with policymakers to ensure a future-proof legislative framework that facilitates the Dutch energy infrastructure. Such contact consists primarily in liaising with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy as the body responsible for the Netherlands’ energy supply policy. In addition, we promote Alliander’s interests through contacts with other government ministries, Dutch parliament, political organisations, and interest groups. For a complete list, please see the stakeholder table.
In these contacts, Alliander is represented by its Management Board and supported by the Corporate & Social Affairs department. In 2019, CEO Ingrid Thijssen represented Alliander or Netbeheer Nederland in the lower house of Dutch parliament on several occasions, including in sessions on increasing built environment sustainability and network capacity. To garner broader support for proposals, Alliander coordinates its efforts with industry peers through the Netbeheer Nederland industry organisation. Alliander does not engage public affairs firms to represent it, and neither does Alliander donate to political parties, politicians, or government bodies.
Sponsoring
Given that Alliander is publicly funded, we pursue a very cautious sponsoring policy, sponsoring only a very limited number of activities that are directly related to Alliander’s field and ambitions, and which are based in our service area. For us to consider sponsoring an activity, it must be sustainable, safe, and politically and religiously neutral.