Our hydropower plants utilise the renewable “raw material” of water and do not generate any emissions or dangerous waste. The 80’s saw a rise in environmental awareness, and more was expected of us as well. It was the start of a time of learning in which we consciously incorporated environmental issues in the planning and operation of power plants. Environmental management systems were introduced, environmental data centrally collected, controlled and continuously improved. In 1994, we were the first company in Austria to publish an environmental report.
In the 90’s, companies began to make strong commitments to social projects and to also publicise the fact – sometimes just to achieve a positive image. Our "problem" was rather the opposite: In our capacity as a company of the Republic of Austria, we undertook social responsibility from the very outset – both in the face of society, by means of securing electricity supply and supporting social institutions such as SOS Children’s Village, and in the face of our employees, by being able to offer good conditions and social services. At the time, there was sometimes a lack of understanding among the public.