Mission statement

In order to build a sustainable energy future, the EDF group is leading a low-carbon initiative, investing in new means of production in this context and developing its European base.

renewed undertakings

EDF’s undertakings on sustainable development were presented in our « Agenda 21 » signed on December 21, 2001, based on 21 principles representing the 4 priorities of our sustainable development policy:
• to act transparently;
• to act with corporate responsibility;
• to redefine the Group’s activities, investments and offerings in the light of our commitments;
• to act in partnership with the other actors of sustainable development.

This Agenda has been transposed in different texts of the Group : Code of Ethics, Environmental policy, Agreement on Corporate Group Responsibility, Purchase policy, ...

responsibility at local level

The nature of EDF Group business makes it an integral part of regional life, seeking through its actions to contribute to development at local level. We work to limit the impact of our physical structures and our activities, and to protect people and the environment.

responses to global challenges

By the nature of its activities, our Group is closely committed to the energy issues of the future – crisis in energy resources, climate change and universal access to energy – challenges to which we need to find responses.

an active environmental policy

In June 2005, the EDF Group adopted a new environmental policy taking into account the effect of increased human activity on climate change and the need to inform the public and raise its awareness of these issues.
The EDF Group has set up an Environmental committee made up of external members. The Committee is regularly consulted to give an independent point of view on the EDF Group Environmental Policy. 

Company history

EDF’s origins

On April 8, 1946, a law nationalizing 1,450 French electricity and gas generation, transmission, and distribution companies led to the creation of Electricité de France (EDF), a state-owned industrial and commercial entity also known under the acronym EPIC (établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial). 

• In post-war France, 90% of households already had access to enough electricity for lighting and the operation of small appliances. However, consumer demand would double every subsequent 10 years.
• In 1947, construction began on a large-scale generation and transmission infrastructurealongside major hydropower projects such as the Tignes dam, at that time the largest of its kind in Europe. The dam was put into service in 1952. 
• In the 1950s, EDF provided support and advice to its customers about the benefits of using electricity.
• Beginning in 1957, coal-fired power plants began to overtake hydropower.



Wikipedia page: click here

Distribution channels

EDF Energy's operations fall into 4 categories:

• Energy Generation - split by the following distribution:

• Trading - The buying and selling of energy related indicies and derivatives
• Distribution - The infrastructure needed to deliver the energy e.g. transportation of gas.
• Sales - Selling to businesses and consumer customers.

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Advertising

PR

For the EDF Energy Sustainable Development Report (latest 2008) click here

Sponsorships

For information on EDF Energy's sponsorship deals click here

Key people

Pierre Gadonneix

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDF

Pierre has a Doctorate in Business Economics from the Harvard Business School, is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs, and has a degree in Economics.

Pierre has been EDF’s Chairman and CEO since 15 September 2004, has steered and committed the Group, one of the leaders of the Energy market, to an industrial plan for profitable growth. Under his impetus, EDF confirmed its financial recovery and consolidated its position in Europe, most notably by successfully taking joint control of Edison, Italy’s second largest energy supply company. He led the group’s expansion into the international energy markets with the relaunch of nuclear power generation in China, the United Kingdom (with the acquisition of British Energy) and the United States in order to construct and bring into operation 10 EPR reactors based on those under construction at the Flamanville site. EDF, a Public Limited Company which was quoted on the Paris stock exchange in November 2005, is a member of the CAC 40.

Prior to joining EDF Pierre was Chairman and CEO of the Gaz de France group. Earlier in his career he worked in the Ministry of Industry in France from 1976 to 1987. Before this he was Director of the Institut de Développement Industriel from 1972. Pierre began his career in 1966 with the Elf Aquitaine Group, as an engineer in the Computing Department, and then in the Commercial Division of the group. 

Since 2006, he has been Chairman of the World Energy Council. From 1993 to 1999, he also chaired the Conseil Français de l’Energie (French energy council). He is a member of the Conseil Economique et Social (Economic and Social Council) and a member of the Board of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (National Foundation of Political Science).

Daniel Camus

Chief Financial Officer

He is responsible for finance and supervise the Group’s international activities.

55 years old, Doctor of Economics, Associate Professor in Management Sciences and a graduate of the “Institut d'Etudes Politiques” [Institute for Political Studies] in Paris.
He joined EDF in 2002 following 25 years working in chemicals and pharmaceuticals with the Hoechst-Aventis Group in Germany, the USA, Canada and France. The last three positions he held were Finance Director and Member of the Management Board for Roussel Uclaf SA, Paris, Hoechst Marion Roussel AG and Aventis Pharma AG successively, based in Frankfurt (Germany) and Bridgewater (USA). He directed the financial changes implemented in these companies in their successive mergers up to the point when Hoechst and Rhône Poulenc joined Aventis in 1999.
He has been EDF's CFO since 2002.