Purpose in energy

German RWE and Swedish Vattenfall are two energy suppliers that have both had to deal with their history of using fossil fuels, but made different choices in how.

After acquiring a large set of coal assets, Vattenfall was heavily criticized by both the media and the public for how it failed on its sustainability claims. Following this, Vattenfall made a 180 and committed to being fossil free by 2040, which meant some heavy losses. Fossil fuels are today a reduced part of Vattenfall’s energy mix, but its Purpose Index™ score has rebounded with high Vision and Impact scores.

German power company RWE has a similar history, with focus on fossil energy sources. It is today one of world’s largest producers of renewable energy, but it has not dealt with its past and not shown the same conviction to transitioning. Instead, RWE has responded to protests and critique by threatening climate protestors with legal action. RWE has also attracted negative PR in connection with clashes between police and protestors at its facilities. The effect is visible in the purpose scores for RWE, which are around or below average.

Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational power company specializing in electricity generation and distribution. It is one of Europe’s largest energy producers.

RWE is a German multinational power company that produces and trades electricity from various sources, including fossil, nuclear, and renewable.

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