Our aim is to expand our electricity and gas business while reducing CO2 emissions. We can take advantage of the current market environment to do so: The global recession provides opportunities to financially strong companies with a robust foundation such as RWE. But we must think and plan far beyond this. Therefore, the medium-term operating targets that we set ourselves within the scope of the Strategy Agenda 2012 are also oriented to long-term goals. The following is a summary of our strategy’s cornerstones:
- We have a team- and performance-oriented corporate culture.
- Our strong, integrated business, which delivers substantial and stable value, is the foundation for both our current and future success.
- We want to grow organically wherever we can leverage our competitive advantages to achieve strong earnings.
- Value-added acquisitions are to contribute to our growth in target markets.
- Innovative technologies, business models and products set the stage for our long-term operational success.
To this end, we always draw on two established strengths: first, our long experience in achieving and safeguarding operating excellence in products and assets. This entails a continuous process of improvement along the value chain. It goes beyond cutting costs: More efficient processes and structures enable us to optimize the use of our financial and human resources. In turn, this translates into competitive advantages which add value and therefore secure our investment power and jobs. Second, we focus our business on markets which are close to us: Our market is Europe–primarily North West, Central and Eastern Europe. This is where we feel at home, this is where political and regulatory frameworks are largely comparable, and this is where we derive an advantage from regional synergies.
We are and will remain a European, asset-backed electricity and gas company. And we are always aware of the fact that energy supply is not only a microeconomic challenge, but also brings with it significant macroeconomic and social responsibilities. This means we have to ensure our customers are served in an economic, safe and environmentally friendly manner. Only if all three requirements are met can we remain successful over the long term.