Climate Lobbying Overview: E.ON appears actively engaged and supportive of climate change policy. Since 2018, E.ON has supported various streams of EU climate regulation including carbon taxes, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy and GHG emissions reductions. E.ON has also supported the energy transition, including increased support for green hydrogen and the electrification of transport.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: In its 2020 Sustainability Report, published in March 2021, E.ON disclosed a detailed position on the science of climate change. The company also supported the need to reduce GHG emissions in line with the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement in its 2019 Sustainability Report. In July 2021, E.ON CEO, Leonhard Birnbaum, signed a cross-industry CEO Alliance joint letter to support carbon neutrality by 2050 in the EU. The company’s ‘2020 Climate Commitment’ called for “ambitious national reduction plans” in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal to meet the EU’s climate targets. In a joint letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in December 2020, E.ON also called for the UK Government to increase the ambition of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in line with its net zero by 2050 target.

Engagement with Climate-related Regulations: E.ON appears supportive of various strands of EU climate regulation. In its 2021 consultation response on the EU ETS, the company stated support for an increase in ambition, and advocated for reforms to remove more free allowances and increase allowance auctioning. E.ON had also supported reforms to the EU ETS, including a reduction in the allocation of emissions permits and a minimum price on carbon in its 2020 CDP response. In the same response, E.ON also stated support for an EU carbon tax for sectors exempt from the EU ETS, or to replace the EU ETS if prices do not increase. E.ON also supported an extension of the EU ETS for sector-specific systems for mobility, transport and buildings, in the July 2021 cross-industry CEO Alliance joint letter signed by Leonhard Birnbaum. A 2021 article from Utility Week suggested E.ON, alongside several other European utilities, supported the introduction of a carbon tax in the UK to deliver green heating ambitions.

E.ON has also supported other forms of EU climate regulation. In February 2021, the company supported the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, with some exceptions including preference for indicative targets and a greater role for market forces, in a submission to the European Commission. In a 2021 CEO joint letter, E.ON stated support for the EU’s Renovation Wave energy efficiency initiative, advocating for greater efficiency improvements in buildings and an expansion of heat pumps. The company also advocated for higher ambition and increase targets under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive revision, in its February 2021 consultation response. In its 2020 Sustainability Report, published in March 2021, E.ON stated support for the EU’s 2030 55% GHG emission reduction target. In a 2021 consultation, the company also appeared to support a zero-emissions CO2 standards for cars by 2035 and vans by 2040, along with ambitious 2025 CO2 vehicle standards.

Positioning on Energy Transition: E.ON appears supportive of the decarbonization of the energy mix. On its corporate website, accessed in February 2021, E.ON also proposes a range of policy measures and financial options to increase the uptake of hydrogen in the energy mix, including the expansion of green hydrogen. The company also appears to strongly support the decarbonization of the heating sector. A 2021 article by The Energyst, appeared to suggest E.ON supported measures to decarbonize the heating sector and phase out fossil fuel boilers, while a 2021 CEO joint letter stated support for the electrification of the heating sector and expansion of heat pumps. E.ON appears strongly supportive of the electrification of transport. In its 2019 Sustainability Report, the company states that the energy transition cannot succeed without the decarbonization of transport.

Industry Association Governance: E.ON has disclosed some of its industry association memberships in its 2020 Sustainability Report. However, the company does not disclose any details of its role within each association or their climate policy positions. E.ON has not published a review of its industry association alignment on climate change. E.ON is a member of several industry associations with positive engagement on climate policy including Advanced Energy Economy, WindEurope, American Wind Energy Association and Eurelectric. However, it retains membership to European Roundtable of Industrialists (ERT), which has broadly negative engagement on climate policy.