Objectives and obligations

Statkraft works to ensure sustainable utilisation of natural resources and we strive towards achieving outstanding environmental performance, locally and globally. We use leading international practice as the benchmark for the work we do and the performance we aim for. We use international recognised standards as the basis for the planning, implementation, measuring and reporting of our environmental work.

Overall guidelines

The Environment group policy defines overall guidelines for our environmental work.  The policy establish that environmental considerations must characterise all activities, that we must achieve outstanding environmental performance and that we must have a Group-wide environmental management system.

This is how we work with environmental issues

Our work is based on the precautionary principle and we prepare analyses of environmental risk prior to all activities with a potential negative effect on the surroundings. A major project aiming to develop a comprehensive environmental management system in Statkraft was concluded in 2009. The results from the project include Group-wide guidelines for environmental management with description of requirements related to mapping of environmental risk and impact. In 2009, the Group was recertified in accordance with ISO 14001:2004. For the time being, the activities outside of Scandinavia are not encompassed by the certificate. The plan is to achieve certification for all parts of the Group from 2011.

The responsibility for environmental performance lies with the line management and is followed up in all tiers of the organisation. The HSE Group staff has the overall responsibility for the Group's environmental work, Environmental group policy and Environmental group procedures, further development of the environmental management system and reporting of environmental performance on group level. The HSE Group staff also contributes expertise, advice and recommendations to all parts of the Group to ensure maximum environmental performance.

Statkraft is also active on other external arenas, both nationally and internationally, to highlight the company's environmental profile and to influence processes of importance for future framework conditions. An example of this is the work in the International Hydropower Association (IHA) to develop criteria for sustainable development and operations of hydropower plants.

Environmental considerations in project development and procurement

Power development projects in Statkraft are planned and carried out in accordance with the requirements in the International Finance Corporation's performance standards relating to sustainable conduct. For the environmental area, this entails impact analyses (Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA) as regards environmental impact and systematic handling of environmental aspects through the entire project process. In 2009, several such EIA processes were initiated, for example in Albania and Turkey.

Environmental performance requirements are set for all purchases. The requirements are incorporated in supplier contracts and environmental performance is followed up on a regular basis.