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 activities 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 relating to stakeholder management are assigned, specifically to business units and staff who then maintain the relevant relationships. The Corporate & Social Affairs department coordinates 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:

Core stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders and investors, and local and regional authorities in our service area.
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. A draft version of our annual report is shared and discussed with a panel of external stakeholder and transparency experts; the feedback on the draft 2020 Annual Report has been shared directly with the Management Board.

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. 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.

Stakeholder table

Stakeholder	Organisation or platform	Items for discussion	Type of interaction	Material issues
Customers Consumers	Customer contact web panel Customer survey Customer ombudsman Customer panels Consumer organisations	Collaboration, relationship management, dialogue, improved service	Digital panel Quantitative research Complaints and mediation (per case) Qualitative research (various) Dialogue (e.g. Consumers’ Association [Consumentenbond], Association of Homeowners [Vereniging Eigen Huis])	Reliability of supply, Facilitating renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Satisfied customers, Future-proof network, Data security, privacy and cybersecurity, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Customers Business Customers	Trade associations Energy cooperatives	Collaboration, dialogue, improved service	Dialogue and relationship management (e.g. VEMW, Uneto VNI, Bouwend Nederland, VNO NCW)	Reliability of supply, Facilitating renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Satisfied customers, Future-proof network, Data security, privacy and cybersecurity, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Employees	Employee participation Young people’s network Tension Lianne women’s network Pride GBLT network Wij zijn Nexus cultural network Staff association Foundation Trade unions	Participation, dialogue, employee engagement and initiatives, formal negotiations (on pay and employment conditions)	Formal consultations Dialogue, workshops, meetings Employee association Employee volunteering Periodic negotiations on pay and employment conditions	Safe working practices and safe infrastructure, Attracting and developing talent, Company’s adaptability
Shareholders and Investors	Stakeholder Provinces and Municipalities	Formal/informal consultations, knowledge and insight activities	General Meeting of Shareholders Meeting of Major Shareholders Company visits, consultative meetings, individual contact Two-yearly reputation survey Regular newsletter	All material issues
	Financiers, investors, and credit rating agencies	Accountability and notes	Regular consultations and reporting on financial results	All material issues
Local and regional authorities	Provinces, Municipalities, Local and regional authorities, Umbrella organisations (VNG, IPO) and the National Programme on Regional Energy Strategies	Coordination of climate and energy plans and projects	Consultation, collaboration, projects	Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Future-proof network, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Government bodies	National government and European Union	Interest expression and active/proactive dialogue	Consultation, having a say, views	Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Future-proof network, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Politicians	Lower and Upper House of Dutch Parliament, States General, government ministries	Keeping them informed on a general level and on specific, topical issues	Relationship management, working visits, proactive and reactive updates Qualitative research	Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Future-proof network, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Industry regulators	Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets Dutch Data Protection Authority Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate State Supervision of Mines EU Industry Regulators Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate	Informing, information sharing, and explanation	Regular meetings on topical subjects and issues Standard and ad hoc information requests	Reliability of supply, Safe working practices and safe infrastructure, Data security, privacy and cybersecurity
Energy sector	Cedec, Cogen EnergieNederland Energy producers/ providers Energy Storage Nederland Eurelectric, Eurogas, ENCS European Distribution System Flexible power Alliance Network (FAN) Gasunie IGU, IEA Nedu Netbeheer Nederland Operators for electricity (Edso) Stichting ElaadNL TenneT WENb Employers’ Association	Knowledge sharing, partnerships, promotion of interests, collaboration	Administrative participation Working group	Reliability of supply, Safe working practices and safe infrastructure, Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Data-driven network management, Attracting and developing talent, Satisfied customers, Future-proof network, Corporate social responsibility in the supply chain, Data security, privacy and cybersecurity, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Suppliers	Contractors and manufacturing industry Suppliers of goods and services	Collaboration, Relationship management, Dialogue	Contracting Day Supplier Days Theme consultations Sustainable procurement consultations	Corporate social responsibility in the supply chain, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Knowledge institutions	Education and knowledge institutions Sustainable Electrical Energy Centre of Expertise	Knowledge sharing and partnerships	Collaboration with Radboud University, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Regional Training Centres. Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente.	Attracting and developing talent
Media	National, regional media	Informing, positioning	Relationship management, proactive information, crisis communications, qualitative research.	All material issues
Social sector organisations	Stichting de Opkikker Nederland Cares	Volunteering		Workplace well-being
	Housing corporations, project developers, business community	Participation, Dialogue and relationship management	Alignment, participation in associations and foundations	Reliability of supply, Safe working practices and safe infrastructure, Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Responsible investment policy, Future-proof network, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions
Partner relationships	Amsterdam Economic Board, Economic Board Arnhem Nijmegen European Energy-Information Foundation for rural energy services (FRES) Global Gas Network Initiative Global Intelligent Utility Network coalition Global Reporting Initiative Global Smart City & Community Coalition Groene Zaak HIER Opgewekt Association of Provincial Authorities Klimaatverbond Nederland Management Community MVO Nederland (CSR Europe partner) Natuur & Milieu environmental organisation Nederlandse Vereniging Duurzame Energie (sustainable energy association) NG Infra Open compliance and ethics group Sharing & Analysis Centre Smart Energy Collective De Energiebank Foundation Universal Smart Energy Framework Foundation (USEF) New Energy Coalition Foundation The Open Global Data Urgenda Foundation Association of Homeowners Association of Netherlands Municipalities Woman Capital World Economic Forum	Collaboration with knowledge institutions, the business community and government bodies, promoting sustainability, new models for innovation and social development, Facilitating sustainable energy supply	Administrative participation, meetings, sponsoring, strategic collaboration, consultation and dialogue	Reliability of supply, Promoting renewable energy generation, Working together on innovative solutions, Future-proof network, Corporate social responsibility in the supply chain, Corporate Governance and business ethics, Workplace well-being, Data security, privacy and cybersecurity, Access to affordable energy, Climate change, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions

Alliander endorses		In 2020, we participated in the following Dutch social initiatives
•	ILO Conventions	•	Sector-wide employment arrangement
•	OECD guidelines	•	Climate Agreement and Regional Energy Strategies
		•	Circular Procurement Green Deal
		•	Womens Inc. incubators, Talent naar de Top charter, Diversiteit in Bedrijf charter
		•	Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and LGBTi manifest
		•	Collective labour agreement for network companies
		•	Carbon pricing agreement between 5 network operators
		•	Resource passport agreement between 8 infrastructure operators

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