Ameren adds climate, water and safety performance data reports to complement GRI, SASB frameworks
Following reports on its management under the Global Reporting Index (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Ameren Corporation released two additional reports on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts, including climate, water, and safety performance.
As part of its sustainability drive, Ameren set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 – a five-year advance on many companies. Further, it is working to reduce water use and waste generation while increasing commitments to workforce safety and diversity and supporting local communities and suppliers. According to its reports, the company has invested approximately $2 billion into 73 economic development projects across Missouri and Illinois, supporting its 2.4 million electric and 900,000 natural gas customers.
“We embrace transparency with our investors, customers, and communities about the progress we are making toward a more sustainable future,” said Gwen Mizell, chief sustainability, diversity, and philanthropy officer at Ameren. “Our GRI and SASB reports compile data that is housed in many places, such as our annual report and CDP questionnaires, so stakeholders can more easily find the specific information they need.”
With some of that specific information on sustainability, the company has guided CO2 emissions reduction to levels 32 percent below 2005 levels. Last year also saw the complete replacement of all of its cast and wrought iron pipes and the remainder of its unprotected steel pipeline used for natural gas delivery in a major push toward methane leak reductions. Further, it has continued transitions away from coal usage, with its coal revenues dropping 15 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Ameren’s system reliability increased by 12 percent compared to 2013 levels and kept its rates lower than both the Midwest and U.S. averages.
The GRI is a widely used sustainability reporting framework for companies to evaluate their ESG performance based on universal standards, while the SASB mechanism allows a method for companies to provide ESG data to investors. Beyond these two major reports, Ameren also released sustainability performance details using the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the Edison Electric Institute and American Gas Association frameworks.
