21 Additional information

For the 2023 annual report, we identified our material topics using the double materiality principle, as prescribed by the CSRD. As a result, the results of the 2023 and 2021 materiality assessment cannot be compared one-on-one. All the same, in terms of material topics the 2023 results show many similarities with those of 2021.

‘Energy transition’ and ‘Security of supply’ are the topics for which Gasunie scores relatively high in terms of impact on people and the environment and where risks and opportunities can be identified. In terms of ranking, the result in 2023 is comparable to that of the previous materiality assessment.

The topic ‘Safety of the network’, which came in third place in the 2021 assessment, will no longer be included as a separate topic in 2023: like ‘Cybersecurity, data security and privacy’, this topic is included in the topics ‘Security of supply’ and ‘Employee health and safety’.

Newcomers to the topic list ‘Circular economy’ and ‘Emissions’ have both been identified as material and score relatively high in terms of being material from a financial materiality (outside-in) perspective and an impact materiality (inside-out) perspective. In the 2021 materiality assessment, these topics were included under the topic ‘Environmental impact of our own organisation, products and services’.

In 2023, we split the topic of ‘Wellbeing, training and development’ into two separate topics, namely ‘Employee wellbeing’ and ‘Training and development’. We see that the topic of ‘Employee wellbeing’ is deemed to be material from the inside-out perspective.

The definition of the topic ‘Relationship with local communities’ (2021: ‘Relationship with stakeholders and the local community’) was further refined in 2023. This topic is deemed to be material from the outside-in perspective.

‘Biodiversity’ is also a newcomer in the topic list. Like ‘Employee health and safety’, ‘Training and development’, ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ and ‘Good corporate governance’, this topic scores relatively low and so is not included in Gasunie’s material topics. This says nothing about the importance of these topics in themselves, but rather about their importance in relation to the other topics surveyed. Although these are not material topics, we do endorse the importance of these matters and report on them in the Our other material topics and Governance sections.

The topics ‘Developments in laws and regulations’, ‘Financial performance and resilience’ and ‘Strong market position’ were no longer included in the materiality assessment in 2023, in part because they have an insufficient connection with sustainability.

For a detailed description of the materiality assessment performed in 2021, please see the relevant section in the 2021 Annual Report.

Structure of the materiality assessment  
The materiality assessment was carried out at an early stage of the reporting process in 2023. This assessment comprised three steps. We worked together with an external consultancy firm to carry out our materiality assessment.

Step 1: Identify possible ESG topics 
The initial focus of the assessment was to draw up a longlist of the topics we could possibly report on. This longlist was compiled using sources like the 2021 materiality assessment, various internal and external reports, annual reports of a number of comparable companies, statements in the media, and trends and developments in our sector.

 To finalise step 1, the 14 identified ESG topics and their definitions were internally validated in a CSR study group comprising 15 employees drawn from different areas of expertise within Gasunie.

Step 2: Consult with the stakeholders 
In the second step of the assessment, Gasunie assessed who its key stakeholders are and gained a better understanding of the extent to which the company is influenced by its stakeholders and the impact Gasunie has on its stakeholders. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were then held with internal and external stakeholders and, based on the findings, a number of adjustments were made to the longlist to arrive at a shortlist of eleven ESG topics.

The shortlist was then submitted for validation to the CSRD steering committee, consisting of four department managers.

Step 3: Determine inside-out and outside-in impact 
The next step was to hold workshops to gather input on the inside-out and outside-in impact of the shortlisted ESG topics. For these workshops, participants were selected who, based on their area of expertise, could provide input on one or both perspectives for these eleven ESG topics.

Based on the information gained from the workshops, the topics were plotted in a materiality matrix, which was then submitted to the workshop participants for verification and then to the steering group for validation.

Lastly, the results of the materiality assessment were approved by the Supervisory Board.

Employee health and safety

Operational safety
We monitor the number of incidents at Gasunie based on our Total Reportable Incident Rate (TRIR), the total number of incidents resulting in lost-time injuries, medical treatment, alternative work, or fatalities per 1 million hours worked. There were 19 reportable incidents in 2023. This results in a TRIR of 2.9. There were 10 lost-time injuries. Our target in 2023 was a TRIR below (and in any case no higher than) 2.5.

The table below shows the number of injuries that occurred involving Gasunie employees and injuries involving contractors’ employees while carrying out work for Gasunie.

Safety is not open to negotiation at Gasunie: we aim for zero incidents in the workplace. All people who work for Gasunie must be able to return home safe and sound at the end of their day. Our accident KPI, the ‘Total Recordable Incident Rate’ (TRIR), improved in 2023 compared to 2022, but still exceeds the threshold value of 2.5, meaning the number of accidents occurring on the job is unacceptably high.

However, with many strategic projects (potentially) ahead of us, the question arose whether we should increase the threshold value, decrease it (show that, even with the increasing number and size of projects, we are ambitious and want to continuously improve), or keep it the same (the threshold value is fine; we are not there yet and so will continue to focus on staying at or below this value). We ultimately decided to keep the threshold value the same and focus on improving our safety performance. Our aim, of course, remains the same: to prevent all incidents so that no one – not a single one of our own employees or those of our contractors, or anyone else – is injured while we carry out our activities.

The total number of hours worked by Gasunie employees and third-party employees increased from 5.74 million to 6.56 million hours. Accordingly, the TRIR score of 2.9 is attributable to 19 reportable injuries in 2023 in combination with 6.56 million hours worked. The continued high level of reportable injuries is an additional incentive to take action.

In 2023, there were no work-related fatalities among Gasunie employees or external employees. Further analysis of the accidents, including the reportable cases, shows that most of these accidents concerned cuts or crush injuries, mainly involving the hand/fingers, feet/toes or head. The accidents occur during relatively simple, routine work. Decreased attention and sudden movement or slippery conditions are the main causes. The reportable cases concerned 16 third parties and three of Gasunie’s own employees. Third parties include: contract workers and their supervisors/coordinators; staff of contractors and subcontractors who carry out work for Gasunie at a Gasunie location or project site; visitors to a Gasunie location or project site; and local residents, passers-by and road users who have become unintentionally involved in an undesirable event caused by a Gasunie asset or activity. Part of our new procurement strategy concerns ensuring closer collaboration with our contractors. As part of this, we organised a safety day with twenty contractors to get their input on our safety performance.

In addition to the reportable incidents, a number of near misses that could have had serious consequences also occurred over the reporting year. The underlying causes can be traced to not following the permit-to-work process (or not following this correctly) as a result of lack of role clarity and insufficient knowledge of the process. In this regard, we have formulated improvement actions in the areas of education, training and supervision.

Given the current and expected expansion of the Gasunie project portfolio, it is important to learn from these accidents and do our utmost to prevent any more of these. This will receive a great deal of attention from the management over the coming year. Close contact with contractors, increased supervision, safety workshops and ‘Learn from this Incident’ bulletins are being used to turn the tide.

Safety culture 
In 2023, Gasunie took the first steps towards certification under the Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) system. The intention is to become certified for Step 3 in 2024. The SCL is an instrument widely used in the market to measure and improve the safety culture in a company. The first step we took was to carry out a baseline measurement by means of a questionnaire and by holding more than 100 interviews. We will use the results to prepare the company for the certification audit. With certification, we hope to not only be able to take steps towards improvement within the company, but also give the safety dialogue with our key external stakeholders an extra boost.

Safe@Gasunie 
We organise our annual Safe@Gasunie Safety Day for all people working at Gasunie (permanent, temporary and contingent staff). In 2023, the dialogue centred on the effect of the unconscious workings of the brain as regards risk perception and risk tolerance, and how to stay alert under all circumstances. With this conversation, we delved deeper into the previous year’s theme, but now with a more practical approach, asking: how does unsafe behaviour come about, assuming that we do not consciously choose it? At the end of the workshop, participants were asked to share their ideas for improvement, which we will implement immediately if they concern urgent matters or otherwise include in next year’s Safety Day.

Training and development

When it comes to making a contribution to the energy transition, Gasunie sets itself challenging targets. This means that in addition to being a skilled organisation, we must also be a learning organisation, which is why we are creating a culture of lifelong learning, one in which work and development go hand in hand. After all, the opportunity and strength to take those major steps forward in the energy transition rests with our employees, with enthusiastic, skilled, agile employees who not only move along with developments, but even initiate these themselves. In 2023, we carried out the following new activities to achieve this:

• Onboarding: To give the increasing number of new hires at Gasunie a good start in the company, in 2023 we further expanded our onboarding programme, both for central staff and onboarding at certain specific units.
• FLOW interview: We took steps to further foster the dialogue between managers and employees on personal and professional development through what we call ‘FLOW interviews’. We have done this by, among other things, introducing FLOW interview cards, posting regular messages on the intranet, HR providing advice to managers, and by making a digital portal available where the progress of the FLOW interview process can be tracked.
• Personal training & development budget: In 2023, we started a pilot where we made a training & development budget available to each employee to spend as they saw fit. In addition, we offered 38 free courses ranging from topics like hydrogen in the energy transition to decision-making, presentation skills and lifestyle & nutrition.
• Technology campus: In 2023, we started updating and redesigning the technical training courses for our engineers to ensure that we could quickly and adequately train the increasing flow of engineering hires. In addition to updating and future-proofing the technical courses, we aimed to ensure that development would be more in line with the needs and desires of individual engineers and to connect with students graduating from technical programmes of intermediate vocational institutions.
• Custom development programmes: In 2023, we rounded off various development programmes for specific target groups at Gasunie and started new ones, including:
  • Commercial Business Development programme: In this programme, completed in 2023, 12 employees were prepared for senior positions in the commercial and business development domain.
  • Working Safely programme / visit to Spadeadam: In 2023, four groups of 24 employees visited the Spadeadam research and testing centre in the UK to undergo safety training. At this centre, to enhance the learning experience, real explosions are used to simulate the impact of a gas incident. Nine more groups of 24 employees are scheduled to visit the centre in 2024.
  • Procurement in Position: This programme was launched in 2023, with 12 employees receiving training and undergoing personal development in the area of tactical and strategic procurement.
  • New procurement strategy: With the objective of building sustainable relationships with our external partners in mind, in 2023 we started developing training courses in the area of relationship management for Gasunie staff who commonly collaborate with external partners.

Diversity, inclusion and equality

We strive to be a true reflection of society. We also want to be a company where everyone’s input contributes to the quality of our organisation, where we can be ourselves, and where we are appreciated for this. We believe that being a diverse and inclusive company leads to more creativity, innovation and better decisions. Only if our company culture values and embraces diversity, inclusion and equality can we successfully transform from a gas transmission system operator to an energy infrastructure company in the coming years.

Policy
We have embedded our pursuit of more diversity in our existing HR instruments (e.g. recruitment policy, career advancement policy) and existing programmes and committees (workplace code of conduct, workplace facilities, art collection). We mainly try to stimulate a more inclusive working environment through awareness programmes for managers and staff.

Targets and results
Diversity, inclusion and equality are difficult to measure. Gasunie has formulated five goals aimed at promoting diversity and/or inclusion.

Women in management positions 
At the end of 2023, women filled 26% of senior management positions at Gasunie Nederland, surpassing the 2023 target of 23%. In Germany this was 33%, which is in line with the target there. 

Promising, high-performing women receive training aimed specifically at cultivating female leadership. We find it important to facilitate this programme as part of our diversity, inclusion and equality policy. This way, we avoid having policy directed more at the idea that ‘women need to change’ and instead strive for an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are encouraged at all levels so that better decisions can be made in the company. In 2024, Gasunie will focus on at least two more Female Leadership programmes, both in Dutch and English (the latter for German colleagues). Gasunie also pays specific attention to the position of women in our succession planning for the management and women’s representation in this.

Employment of people with poor job prospects
At the end of 2023, 38 people with poor job prospects were working for Gasunie, 34 in the Netherlands and four in Germany. A highlight of 2024 will be a European tendering procedure for this target group, where collaboration with a partner to achieve our objective will be an important part of the invitation to tender.

Employee satisfaction and inclusion
The Pulse survey Gasunie uses to measure employee satisfaction in the Netherlands contained three questions about inclusion in 2023. The findings were very promising, with the degree to which employees feel included at Gasunie increasing from 7.9 to 8.3. This feeling also appears to be widely shared. There are no outliers on the lower end for variables such as department, age, gender or length of service. Gasunie is very proud of the findings.

Unexplained gender pay gap 
Gasunie feels that it is important, in anticipation of EU and Dutch legislation, to gain insight into possible divergence at the company from the ‘equal work, equal pay’ principle. An initial study was conducted at the end of 2021, and due to the enormous influx of employees in recent years, Gasunie wants to have an external party carry out a similar study again early in 2024. With this objective study, we can see whether the unexplained portion of the gender pay gap has remained below 5% and we can hear what recommendations Gasunie can take to heart.

Dutch equal opportunity supervision act 
We are tightening our HR policy in the Netherlands in anticipation of the new Dutch law on the supervision of equal opportunities in recruitment and selection, which is set to come into effect in the second half of 2024. This law aims to make the recruitment and selection process more transparent and non-discriminatory. In addition to tightening our policy, we will be training our HR and recruitment staff on how to apply the new policy.

Numbers of employees starting with and leaving the company 
In 2023, 379 employees were hired and 94 employees left Gasunie.

Employee hires broken down by region, gender and age group

Employee departures broken down by region, gender and age group

Governance

Compliance management
Compliance at Gasunie focuses on promoting and enforcing compliance with national and international laws and regulations and compliance with procedures, standards and internal rules. The aim of compliance is to safeguard the integrity of the organisation, to protect management and employees, and to avoid legal or regulatory sanctions, material financial loss or loss of reputation (or the risk of such).

Gasunie’s compliance management system is based on the international compliance management standard and laid down in our compliance regulations, which detail the responsibilities for compliance and our compliance monitoring and reporting. All Gasunie employees are responsible and accountable for their own behaviour. Managers have first-line responsibility for compliance with the rules within their unit or department. In the second line, the corporate compliance officer has an independent role and reports directly to the Executive Board. The Supervisory Board receives an annual report on the compliance system by way of the Compliance Letter.

Internal Audit
In 2023, Internal Audit conducted a number of audits, including of business continuity management, governance, and the design and management of the enterprise resource planning software package SAP S/4HANA. Internal Audit also paid a lot of attention to IT and IT security topics. Internal Audit has a growing role in the evaluation of various projects as carried out by Gasunie.

Sanctions policy
Gasunie complies with the applicable sanctions legislation and takes into account Dutch, European, UK, American and Japanese sanctions. This scope is broader than what is required by law and is the result, in particular, of requirements set under the various financing agreements. We do not conduct transactions or make financial resources available where such actions would breach applicable sanctions legislation/policy.

Gasunie checks whether any of its current or prospective customers, contractors or service providers are on applicable sanctions lists and whether the contractual relationship with such parties is otherwise subject to sanctions. If it emerges that a party is on a sanctions list, we will conduct an investigation into the content and scope of the sanction and the applicability of the sanction to the proposed or existing relationship and/or transaction.

We do not enter into relationships and/or transactions with new parties where these parties and/or transactions are subject to sanctions legislation/policy. Where a party we currently have a relationship with or transactions we are currently involved in fall under sanctions legislation/policy, we will endeavour to suspend and/or terminate the relevant relationship and/or transaction to the extent legally and contractually possible.

Gasunie endeavours to include a sanctions clause in every contract to enable the company to suspend the rights and obligations under the contract if it emerges that sanctions apply and that, where possible, gives Gasunie the right to terminate the agreement without adverse consequences for Gasunie.

Code amendment prevents undesirable balancing behaviour
At the proposal of GTS, the ACM has taken a code decision to introduce a financial incentive to prevent undesirable balancing tactics. The new transport code that applies from 1 January 2024 states the type of behaviour that is deemed to be an undesirable tactic. This mainly concerns a relatively large imbalance in the portfolio, in which case the relevant shipper must pay an additional charge in the event of a balancing action that is the result (or partly the result) of such a tactic. In the run-up to this change, shippers were informed about the practical implications during the GTS shipper meeting. There were also many one-on-one conversations with shippers who appeared to be applying this undesirable tactic in 2023 to prepare them for the code amendment from 2024.

Ratings 
One of the instruments that our stakeholders use to assess whether we conduct our business responsibly are external agencies’ ratings of our performance. Financial stakeholders look at our credit ratings, while social stakeholders find our ratings in the area of ESG important. Gasunie actively engages with four independent rating providers who provide us what is referred to as a ‘solicited rating’.

Our credit ratings remained at the same high level in 2023. The most important reasons behind these good ratings were our solid financial profile, having the Dutch State as a shareholder, clarity with regard to the Dutch and German regulatory frameworks in the coming years, and the important role played by Gasunie in achieving European and Dutch energy transition objectives.

We were able to improve our ESG rating at ISS-ESG from C+ to B in 2023. Our ESG rating at Sustainalytics weakened, going from 16.8 to 18.9 (the lower the figure, the better). This is because Gasunie had a higher volume of emissions in 2022 than the year before as a consequence of more compression being required due to the changing direction in the flow of natural gas in Europe. Both ESG rating agencies value our efforts in the area of governance, employee safety, cybersecurity, human rights, and business development in the area of the energy transition.

We have high ratings in the area of creditworthiness and ESG risks

Grants
Gasunie makes use of various national and EU grant schemes. Our grant policy is aimed at making use of these schemes in a timely and efficient manner, for example to facilitate energy transition projects and sustainability activities Gasunie can use to contribute to achieving the Dutch, German and EU climate goals.

Gasunie makes use of a varied range of grant schemes and similar, including: 

• Energy Investment Allowance (EIA), for sustainable and energy-saving investments; 
• Energy and Climate Innovation Demonstration grant (DEI+), for carbon reduction and energy-saving technologies, demonstrations and pilots; 
• Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Energy, for investments in the construction of new cross-border energy infrastructure in the EU or the rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructure.

Gasunie uses grants for projects like WarmtelinQ, Porthos, Hystock and the Green Gas Boosters. The funding available under these schemes varies, and depends on aspects like the project size, duration, eligible costs and, if applicable, the consortium in which Gasunie participates. The table below shows the amounts awarded under the main grant decisions  in 2023 and 2022:

Tax payments
Gasunie sees paying taxes as an important contribution it is making to society. We pay all taxes due in a timely manner and in accordance with tax laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. We endorse the Tax Governance Code of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO NCW) and apply this code in our tax policy. We pay tax on profits where value is created in the normal course of commercial activities. We endeavour to work together with tax authorities on the basis of mutual respect, transparency and trust. We participate constructively in the national and international dialogue with government bodies, stakeholder groups and other parties to support the development of effective taxation, legislation and administration.

The table below shows how much we paid in taxes or received as a rebate for the main types of taxes. The corporate tax we paid in 2023 is higher than in 2022 as a result of the payment in 2023 on profit earned in the 2022 financial year. We collected the same amount of VAT in 2023 as in 2022, even though we made more investments in 2023. This is because a reduced rate of 9% applied to a sizeable part of our services in the second half of 2022, meaning less VAT coming in during that period.

Biodiversity

Due to the size and good connectivity of the land on which their assets are found, network operators can make an interesting contribution to biodiversity and species richness. Where this does not pose a safety risk, Gasunie wants to ‘green’ its sites by having wooded belts with native trees and shrubs planned and maintained around these sites. This way we stimulate the natural food pyramid of plants and animals, we enable better retention of rainwater, and the sites remain cooler. Where possible a ‘meandering mowing regime’ (also called ‘sine-wave mowing’), a form of ecological mowing, is increasingly being done on the sites. In 2023, based on square metres of land, 59% of our Dutch sites and 52% of our German sites were contributing to greater biodiversity, good for 59% combined. Germany has relatively few square meters of Gasunie land compared to the Netherlands.

Nitrogen
Our NOx emissions in 2023 were comparable to those in 2022. In the Netherlands, NOx emissions increased due to the use of the EemsEnergyTerminal and, on the other side, because we were transmitting less gas we made less use of the compressor stations. Where possible, we prefer to use electric drive compressors that do not result in NOx being emitted.

Gas usage in installations
Our natural gas consumption in 2023 in the Netherlands was lower than our consumption in 2022. There has been a shift, however. The reduction in gas consumption was mainly due to the lower need for compression at our compressor stations. Approximately 40% of the company’s own natural gas consumption in the Netherlands can be attributed to the use of the EemsEnergyTerminal.

In Germany, natural gas consumption was on par with that of 2022. Since 2022, use of Gasunie Deutschland infrastructure has been higher than previously. This is down to natural gas transmission routes having to be rerouted due to the war in Ukraine. This has resulted in our compressors having to work harder and more often.

Heat consumption in installations
Since it was brought into operation at the end of 2022, EemsEnergyTerminal has been by far the largest consumer of heat within Gasunie. At the terminal, liquefied natural gas is converted into gaseous natural gas using heat. Aside from this, we use a relatively small amount of heat from third parties to heat natural gas at the gas receiving stations. Gasunie Deutschland does not consume heat.

Electricity usage in installations
We saw opposing effects in our electricity consumption in 2023. On the one hand, because less natural gas was transmitted in 2023 compared to 2022, less electrical compression was required as well. On the other hand, the commissioning of the EemsEnergyTerminal has had a significant impact on our electricity consumption.

Environmental irregularities 
We keep records of environmental irregularities in order to learn from them and, where possible, take effective action to limit environmental damage in the future. The number of environmental irregularities reported for Gasunie in the Netherlands and Germany was:

Gasunie distinguishes between the following environmental irregularities: 

• Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations: Failure to comply with national and/or international legislation and/or internally imposed rules, standards and regulations to protect the integrity of the board, employees and the company.
• Irregularity with respect to the EMS: Failure to comply with requirements regarding the environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with ISO 14001 under which Gasunie is certified. 
• Environmental incidents: Damage to a Gasunie property or that of a third party that has disrupted the environment. 
• Third-party nuisance complaints: A complaint or a report to Gasunie from a local resident or passer-by of a form of nuisance in the environment.

In 2023, there were 151 (2022: 141) incidents of non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations and/or the environmental management system, with 11 of the environmental incidents reported to an external agency (to the competent authority, for example). A large portion of the environmental irregularities are reports from third parties about smelling gas or about minor leaks. Ten of the environmental nuisance complaints from third parties did not relate to Gasunie (2022: 32). As in 2022, Gasunie did not receive any significant fines for environmental violations in 2023.

Energy efficiency
Gasunie has an internal energy efficiency target: we are aiming to use 12.5% less energy by 2030 compared to the base year 2020. We have seen now that this target is unrealistic given Gasunie’s ever-growing remit of activities relating to security of supply and the energy transition. We are in the process of formulating a new energy efficiency target, which should come into effect in the course of 2024 and replace the former energy efficiency target.

For gas trading on the TTF platform, there are two main forms of transactions: over the counter (OTC) transactions, where the gas is purchased directly from the other party, and transactions through a gas exchange, which acts as the intermediary for all traders. OTC trading increased by 19% in 2023, from 11,511 TWh in 2022 to 13,718 TWh this reporting year. The TTF share traded through gas exchanges increased much more strongly year-on-year (by 49%), from 26,845 TWh in 2022 to 40,076 TWh in 2023.

TTF edged forward slightly in its lead over the other European gas trading platforms. In 2023, nearly 80% of European gas trading took place on TTF, which again confirms that the Dutch gas market is working well and that TTF has acquired a leading position in Europe.

THE
In compliance with a legal obligation, all German TSOs jointly initiated a project in 2018 to merge the two existing German market areas into one major virtual trading hub in Germany with one single market area manager, Trading Hub Europe (THE). The new combined market area began trading as planned on 1 October 2021. Gasunie has a 9% equity interest in THE and expects THE to lead to greater liquidity on the German gas market. An integrated German market area makes further north-western European market integration simpler to achieve.

Since 2022, the new market area manager THE has taken on new duties in the area of security of supply. The market area manager is required to comply with the legal obligations set out in the German Energy Industry Act (Energiewirtschaftsgesetz – EnWG) regarding assuring minimum storage levels at gas storage facilities and taking action to ensure security of supply. The market area manager fulfils these obligations in coordination with its shareholders, i.e. the regulatory authority for the sector Bundesnetzagentur and the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimat (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action).

VertiCer
On 1 January 2023, CertiQ and Vertogas merged under the name VertiCer. With this merger, the companies are preparing for the anticipated integration of gases, heat and electricity in the future energy system. The collaboration also puts VertiCer on the stage as a strong partner for harmonising Guarantee of Origin (GO) systems in Europe. TenneT and Gasunie foresee substantial growth in the number of GOs required for all renewable and circular energy carriers. New roles and tasks may eventually be added, such as issuing GOs for carbon storage, for example.

The issuance of GOs for renewable energy is on the rise, with the numbers increasing by 10% in 2023 compared to 2022 (from 50.5 million to 55.6 million). The number of GOs issued for non-renewable energy decreased by 7.5% (from 56.8 million GOs in 2022 to 52.5 million GOs in 2023). The volume of green gas GOs issued in 2023 corresponds to approx. 275 million m³ of gas (2022: 212 million m³).

The trade in GOs also intensified in 2023. The total volume of domestic trade, exports and imports increased by 8.6% (from 141.7 million GOs in 2022 to 153.9 million GOs in 2023). The volume of GOs written off decreased by 8% (from 107.6 million GOs in 2022 to 99.2 million GOs in 2023).

In 2023, there were 66 (2022: 58) green gas producers for which GOs were issued and 61 (2022: 62) traders in GOs for green gas. There were 301 (2022: 265) traders in GOs for electricity and heat in 2023.

The result for 2023 was positive; however, this cannot be compared with the results in 2022 for the separate organisations CertiQ and Vertogas because of the various factors that influenced the result.

At the beginning of March, we were taken somewhat off guard when our CEO Han Fennema announced that, after a ten-year tenure, he was leaving our company. We look back on a pleasant and constructive collaboration, one in which, even if our points of view sometimes differed, the relationship was always good. We were involved early in the procedure to find a successor, and we had a very good, open conversation with our new CEO Willemien Terpstra. In our last meeting with Han Fennema, we bid our farewells and presented him with a characteristic sketch.

In the search for a new member for the Supervisory Board, we spoke to two candidates and recommended Tim van der Hagen as our nomination, a recommendation that was also accepted by the Remuneration, Selection & Appointment Committee.

This year was all about celebrations: both Gasunie and the Works Council were celebrating their 60th anniversary. Together with the Methos staff association, we presented the Executive Board with a very nice anniversary gift: a sofa made from 48-inch gas piping, incorporating the past, present and future. The sofa has now been ‘installed’ at a great location at the head office.

In 2023, Gasunie had the greatest growth in employee numbers in years. And with growth comes growing pains, with pressure to train new employees and familiarise them with the company. In the coming years, the company will need to get used to the speed of the changes that are heading our way and develop the necessary flexibility to respond adequately to them. This requires a lot from all employees.

The Works Council took up the following key points this year: 

• physical and social safety
• accommodation/working conditions at head office and ‘in the field’
• effectiveness of decisions (efficiency, results, yield).

With these points in mind, we will pay even more attention to all requests for advice and/or consent in the coming period.

Requests for advice and consent
This year, the Works Council once again handled an increasing number of requests for advice and requests for consent.

Four requests for advice were directly related to the energy transition and security of supply and four were indirectly related to the growth of departments. That there are organisational changes is only logical under the circumstances. As a Works Council we pay attention to these changes. We offer employees a listening ear and tailor our advice to the Executive Board to their input where necessary.

One request for consent regarding the policy on work location was withdrawn after the management received advice from the Works Council. This was done in close consultation with the Executive Board member, who understood our view that this policy lacked equal treatment for all employees. The proposed policy would have had a more severe impact on some employees than others and possibly consequences for various employee schemes and arrangements. Gasunie will investigate further so that it can work out a better alternative, with a good national distribution of locations.

Communications 
So that we could have direct contact with employees not working at head office, we met eight times elsewhere in the country. During these visits we held discussions with the employees over lunch. We have seen that our fellow employees know how to get in touch with us. In the coming year, we want to work on our visibility: we see great added value for the company in this.

To celebrate our 60th anniversary, we distributed chocolate bars at head office and at various Gasunie locations around the country. This was also the kick-off for our election campaign.

In addition to contact with Gasunie employees, we connected with other works councils in 2023, such as those of Gate, NAM, GasTerra, TenneT and the regional TSOs.

Again this year, we met jointly with the Supervisory Board and Executive Board. At this meeting we held a dialogue session to discuss a number of statements. The issues and statements discussed were challenging, as befitting the times in which Gasunie currently finds itself. We discussed in which energy transition initiatives Gasunie should or should not participate and the risks this presents for Dutch industry. We also considered which risks the rapid growth in FTEs poses for Gasunie and how we can ensure that the company can respond more quickly.

It was a constructive consultation and one that allows us, as a Works Council, to conclude that our Supervisory Board members understand what’s going on. We also discussed the geopolitical situation and what AI can do for us.

Works Council election in 2024
Since September we have been preparing for the Works Council elections in 2024. Although the company has grown, the Works Council will remain the same size (17 members) for the coming years. The number of employees who will soon be able to stand for election and elect members is 2,297.

It is the first time that ‘staggered elections’ (i.e. for half of the seats now, half in two years’ time) are being held. Eight members will step down on 1 April 2024; they can, of course, always stand for re-election. We are curious about the election results.

A last word
In the new phase we are entering as Gasunie, in addition to growing pains, new opportunities are arising for many of our colleagues. At the same time, we note that more attention has been paid to the traditional natural gas activities that are so important to our company. From the employee survey we have seen that many positive changes are taking place. Still, there remain plenty of matters for us as a Works Council to pay attention to, so that we can continue to say: Gasunie, a great place to work!

J. (Janneke) Hermes, CFO
(1978, Dutch, woman)

Janneke Hermes has been Gasunie’s CFO and member of the Executive Board since 1 October 2019. She was reappointed on 1 October 2023. On the Executive Board, Janneke Hermes is responsible for financial reporting and the associated rendering of account to the Audit Committee and the Supervisory Board. In addition, she is responsible for Human Resources, Group Control, Treasury, Risk Management, Procurement, and Corporate Legal & Compliance.

Janneke Hermes has held various management positions at Gasunie, including that of Treasury Control Manager (2005-2007), manager of employment terms and conditions (2014-2016), and Corporate Finance Manager since 2016. Janneke Hermes served as acting CEO from 1 November 2023 until Willemien Terpstra took up this role on 1 March 2024. During her time as acting CEO, she was responsible for the Strategy, Communication & Public Affairs and Audit focus areas. Janneke Hermes studied econometrics at the University of Groningen and followed the New Board Program at Nyenrode Business University.

Other positions

• Member of the Supervisory Board, Openbaar Onderwijs Groningen
• Member of the faculty supervisory board, Executive Master of Finance & Control, University of Groningen

B.J. (Bart Jan) Hoevers, titular member
(1971, Dutch, man)

Bart Jan Hoevers joined the Executive Board as a titular member on 1 September 2017. He was reappointed on 1 September 2021. Bart Jan Hoevers is Managing Director of Gasunie Transport Services B.V. On the Executive Board, he is responsible for the Asset Management, Operations, IT and GTS focus areas. From 1 November 2023 to 1 March 2024, he was also responsible for Gasunie Deutschland and for Safety.

Bart Jan Hoevers has been working at Gasunie since 2007, starting out as a business development project manager before moving on to the positions of Regulatory Affairs Manager and Network Development Manager. Prior to joining Gasunie, he worked at the Dutch Ministry of Finance, where he specialised in state holdings, and at the Dutch central bank (DNB). Hoevers studied monetary economics at the University of Groningen.

Other positions

• Member of Members’ Council, Netbeheer Nederland
• Board member, European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas
• Chair of the Supervisory Board, Beheerder Afsprakensstelsel (BAS) B.V.

J.A.F. (Hans) Coenen, titular member
(1966, Dutch, man)

Hans Coenen joined the Executive Board as a titular member on 1 April 2023. He has been appointed for a period of four years. Hans Coenen has worked at Gasunie since 1990, most recently as director of business development and strategy. Hans Coenen is responsible for the Participations, Business Development and Market focus areas. He graduated from Wageningen University (Engineering degree) and also has a Master’s Degree in Financial Economics from TIAS Business School in Tilburg.

Other positions 

• Chair of the Board of the Koninklijke Vereniging van Gasfabrikanten in Nederland (KVGN)
• Member of the Executive Committee of International Gas Union
• Chair of the Foundation Board of New Energy Coalition 
• Member of the Executive Committee of EemsdeltaGreen

U. (Ulco) Vermeulen, titular member
(1959, Dutch, man)

Ulco Vermeulen joined the Executive Board as a titular member on 1 May 2016. He was reappointed on 1 May 2020. He stepped down from the board on 1 July 2023. Ulco Vermeulen will remain affiliated with Gasunie until the end of 2024 as special advisor to the Executive Board, with a focus on the development of international hydrogen supply chains.

Other positions

• Member of the Supervisory Board, Anthony Veder Group N.V.
• Member of the Supervisory Board, ICE Endex Holding B.V.
• Member of the Executive Committee of Vereniging Platform Groen Gas
• Member of the International Supervisory Board, Energy Delta Institute
• Member of the Supervisory Board, New Energy Coalition
• Chair of the Board, TKI Gas
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Ommelander Ziekenhuis Groningen
• Member of the Board of Commissioners, Groningen Seaports (from 1 November 2023)

(Dirk Jan) van den Berg
(Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board)
(1953, Dutch, man)

Date of first appointment: 1 October 2014
Reappointment date: 21 March 2019 (AGM)
Resignation date: 29 March 2023 (AGM)
Member of the Remuneration, Selection & Appointment Committee

Other board positions

• Chair, Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (principal position)
• Member of the Supervisory Board, NWO
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Air France-KLM
• Chair of the Supervisory Board, FMO (Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V.)
• Chair of the Board, Tradesparent BV

Prof. T.H.J.J. (Tim) van der Hagen
(Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the Supervisory Board) 
(1959, Dutch, man)

Date of first appointment: 1 April 2023 
First term ends in 2027 (AGM)
Member of the Remuneration, Selection & Appointment Committee

Other board positions

• Chair of the Executive Board/rector magnificus, Delft University of Technology (principal position)
• Board member of the Alliance of the universities of Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam (LDE) and of the Federation of 4 Universities of Technology (4TU)
• Board member, Economic Board for the Province of Zuid-Holland
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Medical Delta
• Member of the Technology and Innovation Committee, Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO NCW)
• Board member, Delft University Fund
• Board member, Netherlands Energy Research Alliance (NERA) 
• Board member, Growth through Research, Development and Demonstration in Offshore Wind (GROW)
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Central Organisation for Radioactive Waste (COVRA)
• Board member, Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art and Science (NICAS) 
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Theater De Veste, Delft

C. (Carolina) Wielinga RA
(1970, Dutch, woman)

Date of first appointment: 15 April 2019
Reappointment date: 29 March 2023 (AGM)
Chair of the Audit Committee

Other board positions

• CFO, BDR Thermea Group B.V. (principal position)
• Chair of the Supervisory Board, NX Filtration

A.S. (Ate) Visser
(1956, Dutch, man)

Date of first appointment: 6 July 2018
Reappointment date: 29 March 2022 (AGM)
Second term ends in 2026 (AGM)
Member of the Audit Committee

Other board positions

• Member of the Executive Advisory Council, RLG International Inc.
• Director, Immaterial Ltd.
• Chair of the Board, Recircle Ltd.
• Member of the Advisory Board, NL Space Campus

Prof. J. (Johannes) Meier
(1963, German, man)

Date of first appointment: 1 September 2021
First term ends in 2025 (AGM)
Member of the Audit Committee

Other board positions

• Managing Director and Founder, Xi GmbH (Gütersloh, Germany) (principal position)
• Non-executive Director, New Work SE (Hamburg, Germany)
• Chair of the Advisory Board, Stiftung Mercator (Essen, Germany)
• Member of the Advisory Board, Meridian Stiftung (Essen, Germany)
• Member of the Board, UNICEF Germany (Cologne, Germany)

A.L.M. (Anja) Mutsaers
(1970, Dutch, woman)

Date of first appointment: 1 December 2021
First term ends in 2026 (AGM)
Chair of the Remuneration, Selection and Appointment Committee

Other board positions

• Partner, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek (principal position)
• Member of the Supervisory Board, Heijmans N.V.

One of the steps to achieve these objectives was setting up an EU classification system for sustainability activities, the EU Taxonomy Regulation. This Taxonomy has six environmental objectives:  

• climate change mitigation  
• climate change adaptation  
• sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources  
• transition to a circular economy  
• pollution prevention and control  
• protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

In keeping with the regulations, Gasunie reports according to the EU Taxonomy. We tested whether Gasunie’s economic activities qualify as ‘Taxonomy-eligible economic activities’ (i.e. economic activities related to one or more of the environmental objectives as stated above). We then determined whether the Taxonomy-eligible economic activities meet the criteria for ‘substantial contribution to the environmental objectives’ and whether they ‘do no significant harm’ to any of the other five environmental objectives. In addition, we determined to what extent we as a company have in place the ‘minimum safeguards’ referred to in the Taxonomy regarding human rights, corruption, taxes and fair competition. When a Taxonomy-eligible economic activity meets the three conditions mentioned above, it is referred to as a Taxonomy-aligned economic activity.

In the prescribed tables presented at the end of this section, we show the share of Taxonomy-aligned, Taxonomy-eligible and non-Taxonomy-eligible economic activities in Gasunie’s revenue, capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operational expenditures (OPEX).

Our Taxonomy-eligible and Taxonomy-aligned activities
All of our Taxonomy-eligible and Taxonomy-aligned activities are allocated to activities associated with the climate change mitigation objective. There is, therefore, no question of allocating multiple climate objectives to one and the same activity.

Our Taxonomy-aligned and Taxonomy-eligible activities advanced further in 2023 compared to 2022, meaning that for CAPEX and OPEX both the absolute amount and the ratio compared to the whole have increased. In particular, our CAPEX and OPEX for our investments in heat (activity 4.15) and our CCS projects (activity 5.11) have increased. Additionally, our hydrogen projects (activities 4.12 and 4.14), our projects relating to  green gas (activity 4.14) and the studies we have carried out with regard to the energy transition (activity 9.1) are all Taxonomy eligible.

For some of our projects, we are currently unable to efficiently demonstrate that we meet all conditions regarding alignment. This mainly concerns smaller projects/sub-projects involving low-emission means of transport (activity 6.5) and the studies carried out in 2023 (activity 9.1).

In addition, a number of projects are included that are still in the project phase. Though these projects aim to meet the conditions set, the studies needed to demonstrate that no significant harm is being done to any of the other five environmental objectives will only be carried out at a later phase in the project. For 2023, this amounts to € 36.6 million in CAPEX (2022: € 0.6 million) and € 35.7 million in OPEX (2022: € 24.2 million).

At Gasunie we pay a lot of attention to our people and the environment. In our methodology, we identify the risks and determine whether these are material to the performance of our work. The depth of this risk analysis depends on the nature and scope of the works to be carried out. For our larger projects we have an environmental impact assessment (EIA) drawn up. EIAs provide information on various matters, including the impact of the planned activities on the environment. Carrying out these assessments provides assurance that the works we plan to carry out will do no significant harm to any of the environmental objectives.

As always, Gasunie’s assets will be designed with safe, long-term use in mind. Our current studies take into account potential environmental risks such as floods, earthquakes, wildfires and such. This means that under the current climatic conditions our assets will be sufficiently able to continue to function should a climate-related disaster occur. At the end of 2023, we formalised additional policy aimed at ensuring that assets can withstand the specific influences of climate change in the long term as well; we have since started on the implementation of this policy. With this additional policy, for our new projects and our current assets we anticipate and take into account the possible consequences of climate change.

Minimum safeguards 
The EU Taxonomy Regulation refers to minimum safeguards that a company must comply with before its activities can be considered to be Taxonomy aligned. Accordingly, this applies to our reporting too. This means that the activities must meet the criteria for responsible business conduct outlined in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Four core topics have been identified for compliance with these minimum safeguards: human rights, corruption, taxation and fair competition.

The EU Taxonomy requires that procedures be set up in accordance with the above guidelines and principles. There is a six-step human rights due diligence process to identify, prevent and mitigate any potential and actual adverse human rights impacts.

Gasunie has safeguards in place based on these guidelines and principles. The OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles have been implemented, for example, in our Supplier Code of Conduct. We also have a workplace code of conduct setting out how we are expected to behave towards each other. We have drawn up an implementation plan to further implement and formalise the six steps of human rights due diligence in our company over the coming period. In addition, various processes have been set up around the four core topics. There are currently no indications that the company does not have the minimum safeguards in place or does not enforce these.

Basis for preparation  
The above KPIs have been drawn up in accordance with the reporting requirements as specified in Disclosures Delegated Act under Article 8 of EU Taxonomy Regulation (Regulation [EU] 2020/852). These reporting requirements are further explained in Annexes I and II of said delegated regulation. The basis for the KPIs in the table above are the consolidated financial statements of N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie.

Revenue KPI 
We calculated the share of Taxonomy-eligible economic activities in our total revenue by dividing the revenue from Taxonomy-eligible activities (numerator) by the total net revenue (denominator) as specified in the consolidated statement of profit and loss for 2023. The accounting policies used with regard to net revenue are also explained in more detail in the consolidated financial statements.

CAPEX KPI  
We calculated the share of Taxonomy-eligible economic activities in our CAPEX by dividing the CAPEX of Taxonomy-eligible economic activities (numerator) by the total CAPEX (denominator). The numerator includes our investments in tangible fixed assets and intangible fixed assets. We explain these items in Note 5 and Note 6 to the 2023 consolidated financial statements.

The CAPEX table below does not include € 40 million in investments in Taxonomy-aligned activities of our joint ventures. Of our investments in joint ventures, 39% relate to aligned activities; this mainly concerns activity 5.11. Our investments in joint ventures are disclosed in Note 8 to the 2023 financial statements. If we were to include our investments in joint ventures when calculating our share of Taxonomy-eligible activities, this share would increase from 20.4% to 22.6%.

OPEX KPI  
We calculated the share of Taxonomy-eligible economic activities in our OPEX by dividing the OPEX of Taxonomy-eligible activities (numerator) by the total OPEX (denominator). According to the EU Taxonomy, the OPEX consists of all the direct and indirect costs ‘necessary to ensure the continued and effective functioning of [the] assets’. As an energy infrastructure company, we have adopted the principle that the total costs excluding depreciation costs are required for this. The total expenditures consist of personnel expenses and other costs less capitalised expenses as specified in the consolidated statement of profit and loss for 2023.

EU Taxonomy – Revenue

EU Taxonomy – CAPEX

EU Taxonomy - OPEX

Our impact report comprises six sections: in addition to financial capital, there is a section each for manufactured, intellectual, natural, social & relationship and human capital.

Financial capital 
The financial cash flows are included in the financial capital, divided over the various categories. These impact indicators are calculated as direct absolute impact, where the reference does not concern any alternative activities. The impacts included under the financial capital can be directly derived from Gasunie’s consolidated financial statements.

Manufactured capital 
Manufactured capital comprises the indicators ‘Contribution of gas transmission to consumer wellbeing’ and ‘Economic added value of energy transmission to business customers’. It also includes the value of the procured goods.

Gas transmission contributes to the wellbeing of consumers. Given that the wellbeing value of gas is higher than the price of gas, the consumer surplus is used to estimate the contribution to consumer wellbeing. One part of the consumer wellbeing contribution is included in the price Gasunie charges for providing its services: the ‘internal component’. The part that is not included in the price is the ‘external component’ – the consumer surplus, i.e. the difference between the price a consumer is (in theory) willing to pay for a good or service and the price they actually pay. We assign a value to this component using an estimation of the consumer surplus, in this case the difference between the value of gas for households and the price they pay.

In calculating the willingness to pay we included the price elasticity of gas, applying the assumption that the price elasticity in Germany is the same as that in the Netherlands. Since business customers’ willingness to pay is more difficult to determine, we have taken a conservative approach and assumed that the external component for business customers is zero.

Procuring goods for gas transmission is also included under manufactured capital. We estimate procurement based on payments to suppliers; to map total procurement of goods we include payments of both GUD and GNL to their suppliers.

Natural capital 
Natural capital comprises the indicators ‘Contribution to climate change’ and ‘Mitigation of climate change’. Gasunie’s impact on the climate is calculated based on the company’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions and the emissions up and down the value chain (Scope 3). The value chain emissions have been estimated based on the gas transmission volumes of GTS (excluding storage) and GUD. The costs of greenhouse gas emissions are based on the social costs per tonne of CO₂ in meeting the targets under the Paris Agreement.

Human capital 
Human capital includes workplace accidents and work-related sickness absence (sick leave) involving employees. The loss of wellbeing of employees due to accidents and periods of sick leave is calculated based on the number of accidents and sickness absence rate. This loss of wellbeing among employees is measured using the DALY (disability-adjusted life year) indicator, which takes into account both the perceived loss in well-being and the loss of future income of the employee.

Specific monetisation factors are applied for the various categories of accidents. It is assumed that the number of potential work days is equal to all weekdays (public holidays are not excluded). For a conservative estimate, sickness absence relating to work-related accidents is included in the sickness absence rate. For Gasunie Deutschland it has been assumed that the distribution of various types of work-related illnesses is the same as in the Netherlands.

Under Our contribution to the National Transition Pathway in the Energy transition section of this report, we show the impact of the investments we intend to make up to and including 2030 on greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands. We show what our influence on the transition pathway is and the average emissions reduction rate that the Netherlands must maintain to become net-zero by 2050. Our calculations show that, if we are able to complete all investments planned up to and including 2030 on time and unchanged, the Netherlands can become net-zero sooner than 2050.

The more Gasunie’s sustainability projects are completed on time, the greater the volume of green molecules and captured CO₂ we can transport for our customers. This increased sustainability will likely be accompanied by a decrease in the amount of fossil energy we transport. In the visuals presented in the section referred to above we show the net emissions (the carbon footprint) of all the energy we transport to and from parties in the Netherlands on behalf of third parties. Reducing these emissions is made possible in part by importers, connected parties and project partners of Gasunie.

We only take into account the gases transmitted through the Gasunie network; we have not taken into account the contribution made by green gas in the networks of the regional network operators, for example. Nor do we include any negative emissions from green gas production. For hydrogen we have only included green hydrogen and imports; to avoid any double counting with CCS projects we have disregarded blue hydrogen.

To determine the contribution that will be made through our investments in green gas and hydrogen, we assume that these will replace natural gas. This assumption results in a somewhat conservative estimate given that, if green gas and hydrogen were to replace oil and/or coal, for example, the emission reduction contribution would be greater still. For CCS projects, the expected transport volumes of captured CO₂ from the Netherlands have been used; we have not included any storage of CO₂ from neighbouring countries in our calculations. Upstream emissions in the value chain are not included.

The emission reduction is determined relative to the situation in base year 2021. We use the Climate and Energy Outlook (C&EO) report published by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) as a reference for all external developments (outside Gasunie’s sustainability projects). For the years up to and including 2029, we base our information on the 2022 edition of the C&EO report and for 2030 we use the 2023 edition of the C&EO report. We use a natural gas emission factor of 56.4 GJ/m³.

The emissions shown are net emissions. With net-zero emissions there may still be natural gas consumption, because CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels are being captured (through CCS), for example. The cut in emissions due to lower gas demand comes from the 2022 edition of the C&EO report, which takes into account the decreasing use of natural gas and the increasing use of green gas.

Because Gasunie is also active in Germany, in the table we have also included the emission reduction effect of our proposed investments for the German hydrogen network (Hyperlink). We do not include this effect when calculating our impact on the national transition pathway for the Netherlands, however. We have not calculated or visualised Gasunie’s impact on Germany’s national transition pathway, because the impact we can make in Germany is much smaller than in the Netherlands, where we are the sole natural gas TSO.

In this report we only consider the impacts of our investments between 2020 and 2030. A new series of Gasunie investments for the period from 2030 to 2040 could lead to a steeper decline along the Dutch transition pathway.

Management of operational risks

The risks related to the use of financial instruments are explained in Note 28 to the 2023 financial statements.