EDP's role
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality are not new themes for EDP. They are part of our history and our growth. To ensure an environment of respect, openness and equal opportunities, we have initiatives in the most varied areas of activity and in all countries where we are present. The diversity of the EDP group is one of our true "energy sources."
It was in 2005 that we launched our first Code of Ethics, defined as "a necessary condition for the sustained success of economic activities and the exercise of responsible citizenship, areas in which EDP asserts itself by exemplariness."
Eight years later, in 2013, we defined our Diversity Policy which, among other things, presents commitments such as:
- Promoting mutual respect and equal opportunities in the face of diversity
- Recognition of differences as a source of strengthening of the human potential and appreciation of diversity in the organization, management and strategy
- Adoption of measures of positive discrimination, internal sensibility and community awareness, with a view to implement effectively and the effectiveness of diversity policy
But EDP’s work in the field of Diversity and Inclusion goes far beyond written commitments. It translates into practical actions, especially in four priority axis, namely:
- Gender equality
- Integration of people with disabilities
- Generational coexistence
- Inclusion of different nationalities
1. Gender equality
Although the energy sector is traditionally male, the evolution achieved in recent decades leads to 25% of EDP’s 12,180 employees, being women. And, even in leadership positions, the path of gender equality is increasingly evident, with the percentage of women in leadership positions rising from 21% in 2014 to 25% in 2020. Women are increasingly being represented at EDP and are also increasingly integrated.
The EDP commitments are mirrored in the 2020-2021 Plan for Gender Equality, which seeks to “strengthen not only the importance of promoting a company, as well as a diversified work environment and a culture, but also to understand the relevance of more inclusive environments as critical factors in the promotion of creativity, innovation and excellence.” And very concrete objectives have already been set for the next phase, by 2025.
Strengthening these commitments, over the years, the EDP Group has been associated with numerous international initiatives in the field of gender equality. Highlights include:
Women's Empowerment Principles - EDP has been one of the signatories, since 2017, of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, a set of UN-defined rules and advices for companies that serve as an incentive to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
Equal by 30 - created in 2018, Equal by 30 brings together dozens of companies from all over the world and 12 countries to the other members three case studies in 2019, while being associated with the international equality goals. The cases presented were the School of Electricians for Women, the Diversity Policy of EDP and the Inconscious Skewed Formation for Employees, which seeks to give employees tools to identify situations of unconscious prejudice in the day-to-day. Until 2019, 1,880 employees completed the training, created in 2016.
Target Gender Equality - Target Gender Equality is a United Nations program that aims to accelerate Gender Equality in companies. Participants are provided with "the latest research about gender equality and its respective benefits, along with new ideas from partners and UN experts on acceleration methodologies."
Women electricians from EDP Brazil are an example for the world
An example of equal opportunities in the group can be found in Brazil, where EDP created, in 2018, the School of Electricians for Women, as a complement to the school that already existed since 2011. The number of applications was such - 550 applications for 16 vacancies - that two more schools were quickly opened, all in the State of São Paulo. This is a pioneering project that drives the inclusion of women in a traditionally male sector, reinforcing EDP’s global position with regard to Diversity and Inclusion.
2. Integration of people with disabilities
Inclusion is also achieved by breaking down the barriers of disability, either physical and/or cognitive. The EDP group has focused not only on hiring people with some kind of disability, but also on equal opportunities in career management, pay, social benefits, training and knowledge sharing. This is, moreover, a path that we want to continue to empower.
And we are also committed to passing our knowledge to others. In a partnership with the Associação Salvador, several volunteers from EDP’s Human Resources followed and trained candidates from that association. The goal was to help them prepare for the labour market - from the perception of interests and the elaboration of curriculum to the orientation of interviews and the follow-up of a day’s work at EDP.
3. Coexistence of generations
Being a company with decades of history in the energy sector, the economy and the society in general, EDP also has its eyes on the already achieved experience. Some business units of the group have even developed Knowledge Management plans together with older employees, and this experience is highly valued by younger generations. It is worth noting that, at the moment, millennials, the generation of transition born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, already account for more than 36% of EDP employees.
4. Inclusion of different nationalities
EDP currently has 12,180 employees, of 41 nationalities, spread over 20 countries, on 4 continents. This plurality of profiles and backgrounds is a bet from EDP, which is reflected in our Trainees program, whose current edition honors precisely the motto of Diversity and Inclusion. In the previous edition, in 2019, this EDP Trainee Program brought together 30 interns from 11 countries, 15 men and 15 women - a clear example of EDP’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.
The promotion of diversity and inclusion should be part of the day-to-day life of citizens, governments and businesses to ensure the implementation of the UN SDGs. At EDP, we are committed to this happening in the set capacity and within the set deadlines, to make discrimination and prejudice mere references of a distant past. For the sake of social and economic progress and for the sake of the planet. But especially for the people.
Now or Never
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