Management of impacts, risks and opportunities

S1-1 – Concepts related to own workforce

Energie AG is committed to the unrestricted respect of human rights across all areas of its operations and throughout its wider sphere of influence. The Group’s business activities are aligned with the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Diversity, measures against violence and harassment at work, secure employment

Content: Achieving the strategic ambitions defined under the ‘LOOP’ strategy and organisation project requires diverse perspectives and new approaches. Innovative ideas thrive in a collaborative culture that values and supports all employees, regardless of workplace, background, gender, age or disability status. This inclusive working environment is of central importance to Energie AG. Five fields of action have been defined within the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategy: women, accessibility, regionality, positive and inclusive leadership, and culture and change, the latter of which was replaced by a focus on generations in September 2025.

Energie AG respects all facets of diversity and firmly rejects all forms of discrimination.

To prevent and combat discrimination and to actively promote diversity and inclusion, a range of procedures and initiatives are in place, including: equal development and promotion opportunities; consideration of diversity criteria in recruitment and career advancement; training and awareness-raising for all employees; awareness training for managers to minimise unconscious bias; confidential reporting channels for discrimination and harassment; mentoring programmes for underrepresented groups; open communication of plans and results to employees; and the promotion of a culture of openness and transparency.

General objectives: Increasing DEI across all dimensions (age, gender, origin, etc.); increasing the number of female applicants in technical fields; increasing the share of women, particularly in management and technical positions (see S1-5 – Targets related to managing material negative impacts, advancing positive impacts and managing material risks and opportunities); and enhancing employees’ awareness and understanding of DEI.

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: Implementing surveys and feedback loops to capture employees' opinions and experiences; creating and publishing DEI reports that show progress; using metrics to monitor DEI

Scope: The DEI guiding principles apply to all Energie AG employees in Austria. They do not extend to employees in other countries.

Responsibilities: The Management Board and the managing directors of the Group companies

Third-party standards and initiatives: Disability compensation tax for persons with disabilities; accessibility officer

Stakeholder involvement: Employees: Employee sentiment is assessed during DEI events. Between January and November 2024, the ‘DiversiTeam’ - an interdisciplinary group of employees promoting DEI - visited more than 20 Energie AG locations as part of the DEI tour. The objective was to provide local employees with insights into the DEI process. Upcoming actions as well as those already implemented were presented, and employees were sensitised to the issues of diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion. This enables the ‘DiversiTeam’ to engage directly with employees. Diversity cafés are held regularly at a number of sites, providing a forum where the ‘DiversiTeam’ meets with employees to discuss a broad range of topics openly. The ‘Equal Opportunities Network’ facilitates exchange and networking with the aim of promoting equal opportunities across all dimensions of DEI.

Management: Senior executives act as initiators of the ‘Equal Opportunities Network’ and hold discussions with managing directors to gauge views

Works council: Participation in the ‘DiversiTeam’ and the ‘Equal Opportunities Network’, along with regular consultation meetings

Implementation support: Intranet, internal communication platform, Group newsletter, DEI tour, diversity cafés.

Target group-focused employee development

Training and occupational development

Content: Target group-focused employee development covers integrated training and development programmes tailored to specific target groups and a selection of different employee development actions for specific needs.

General objectives: Lifelong learning, employee retention and upskilling

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: In line with the company’s current policy, employee strengths and competencies are assessed as part of the annual performance review discussions between managers and employees, during which appropriate training and development measures are identified. Energie AG's ‘EINSTEIN’ learning platform provides all employees with an overview and documentation of all training sessions and courses they have completed. Senior executives can view all training sessions and courses completed by the employees assigned to them. The learning platform includes all current certificates as well as a reminder function for expiring certificates.

Scope: ‘Target group-focused employee development’ is offered to all employees in Austria.

Responsibilities: Managing directors and holding company managers of the Group companies

Stakeholder involvement: Training needs reported by employees, discussions with managers, findings derived from Group strategy and trends

Implementation support: Intranet, training programme and advice from Energie AG Oberösterreich Personalmanagement GmbH (Personalmanagement GmbH)

Digital skills

Training and occupational development

Content: To prepare for the digital challenges of the future working environment, the ‘Next Level’ project is working intensively on a digital vision and strategy. A central element of this vision is the digital upskilling of the workforce, which is being pursued through several steps. The starting point is a validated, anonymised online assessment (‘digital fitness quiz’), which provides each employee with an individual measure of their digital skills.

To classify and benchmark employees’ digital competencies, Energie AG applies DigComp 2.3 AT under the EU framework, which divides digital competences into the following six categories: basics, access and digital understanding; handling of information and data; communication, interaction and cooperation; creation, production and publication; security and the sustainable use of resources; problem-solving, innovation and further learning. This framework is supplemented by three qualitative skill areas: digital strategy, digital leadership and artificial intelligence (AI) management.

Based on the results of the individual assessments, employees undertake targeted training. For this purpose, a specific training matrix has been developed, offering training for all staff groups and proficiency levels. A follow-up assessment is intended to monitor individual progress and enable the continuous adaptation of training measures.

General objectives: Individual upskilling in digital skills, enhanced career opportunities and increased efficiency

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: Each participant receives an individual evaluation of their results after completing the check-in, which forms the basis for further training. Energie AG is able to analyse the anonymised aggregate results and receives targeted guidance on future training requirements. The anonymous results are stored on the platform of the association ‘fit4Internet’, through which the assessment is conducted.

Scope: Digital skills training is offered to all employees in Austria who have access to IT equipment (laptop or smartphone as a work tool).

Responsibilities: managing directors of the Group companies, holding company managers, employees

Stakeholder involvement: Senior executives support and promote the focus on digital skills; Personalmanagement GmbH; Works Council

Implementation support: ‘fit4Internet’ association, intranet, training programme and advisory services provided by Personalmanagement GmbH

Skills development through apprenticeship

Training and occupational development, secure employment

Content: Energie AG’s in-house apprenticeship training makes a significant contribution to developing qualified professionals and ensuring the long-term retention of employees. It also provides the company with a competitive advantage and represents an important contribution to securing the energy supply. As part of the training programme at the company’s own training workshop, 36 apprentices began their training as future energy technicians, mechanical engineering technicians and IT systems technicians in the 2024/25 fiscal year. In line with its commitment to diversity, the Energie AG Group also offers apprentices with a migrant background and asylum seekers opportunities for training and professional development.

General objectives: Skills development, lifelong learning, employee retention and upskilling

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: The demand for young professionals is identified through close coordination between Personalmanagement GmbH and the individual Group companies. On this basis, targeted training of skilled workers is planned.

The training management team is also in continuous contact with the relevant HR managers and department heads at the Group companies Energie AG Oberösterreich Tech Services GmbH (Tech Services GmbH), Services und Digital Solutions GmbH, Netz OÖ GmbH and Erzeugung GmbH, each of which has specific requirements for new talent.

In addition, the ‘Succession Planning’ working group - comprising the management of Personalmanagement GmbH, the heads of the technical divisions, the human resources officer and the training management team - determines the number of apprentices required for the coming years. Expected retirements and the economic development of the entities are taken into account to ensure forward-looking and sustainable workforce planning.

Scope: Young workers are trained in Austria.

Responsibilities: Personalmanagement GmbH

Stakeholder involvement: Management Board; managing directors of Group companies requiring young professionals; Personalmanagement GmbH

Implementation support: Intranet; training programme and advisory services provided by Personalmanagement GmbH; Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce

Employee protection

Health and safety

Content: Employee protection is a key element of Energie AG’s sustainable corporate governance. The objective is to safeguard the health and safety of employees through preventive measures, regular training and continuous assessments of working conditions. The approach is based on the statutory requirements of the Employee Protection Act (ASchG) in Austria, Labour Act No. 262/2006 Coll. in the Czech Republic and Legislative Decree No. 81/2008 in Italy. In addition, the Group is guided by international standards such as ISO 45001:2018.

Regular training on occupational safety, health and risk prevention is conducted and continuously expanded. Employees and - where required - external contractors may participate in training on safety-related topics such as working under pressure, switching authorisations, building security or working with lift platforms. Briefings are supplemented with current topics as needed and are made available online. E-learning modules are also provided, for example, for fire protection, anti-crash protection and working in containers.

Work accidents and near misses are systematically investigated in order to derive targeted prevention measures. In accordance with § 4 of the Austrian Employee Protection Act (ASchG), risks are assessed by the responsible managers or officers pursuant to § 9 of the Administrative Penalty Act (VStG) or § 23 of the Labour Inspection Act (ArbIG), with the support of safety officers and occupational physicians; at Austrian entities (excluding the Environment Segment), risks are classified using a risk matrix in line with ISO 45001:2018. This forms the foundation for determining required measures (workplace assessment). The ‘Safety Manual’ issued by the Austrian industry association ‘Österreichs Energie’ is used to evaluate individual activities. Employees are actively involved in safety management and assess their activities using the forms provided. Safety representatives and staff delegates promote communication and support the implementation of protective measures.

Energie AG is obliged to coordinate hazard prevention and informs external partners of existing risks, for example in electrical installations or factory traffic. Several entities – including Umwelt Service GmbH, WDL GmbH, VAK Beroun a.s. and ČEVAK a.s. – operate certified management systems in accordance with ISO 45001:2018. This demonstrates Energie AG’s commitment to maintaining a high standard of occupational health and safety and actively contributing to a sustainable safety culture across the Group.

General objectives: Energie AG aims to prevent work-related ill health and occupational accidents; the natural objective is to achieve zero accidents in terms of accident frequency and severity. The goal of employee protection is prevention. This means acting before an accident occurs to minimise the probability of its occurrence as much as possible. Priority is therefore given to potential work accidents with a high probability of occurrence and severe injury potential.

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: Audits, management reviews, regular inspections and walk-throughs, as well as continuous evaluations of workplaces and activities, are carried out to monitor the effectiveness of employee protection policies.

Scope: The implementation of country-specific legal requirements is managed on a decentralised basis within the Energie AG Group (Austria, Czech Republic, Italy).

Responsibilities: Compliance with the protection targets specified in the legal provisions or ISO 45001:2018 is the responsibility of the respective management of each unit or the persons to whom this has been delegated.

Third-party standards and initiatives: ISO 45001:2018, workplace health and safety legislation

Implementation support: The relevant employee protection regulations and information on ISO 45001:2018 must be communicated by the respective unit's management or the persons to whom this duty has been delegated. Detailed documentation on the requirements is available on internal company platforms.

Adequate wages – performance-based salary system

Company-specific concept

Content: Rules governing base pay and performance-based remuneration are set out in works agreements. These include provisions on determining base pay, rules for classification and reclassification, and the performance bonus (see S1-1 - Concepts related to own workforce, Performance-based pay).

General objectives: Fair and transparent remuneration; objectivity.

Monitoring processes: A clear assignment of employees to reference positions (annex to the works agreement) ensures that remuneration deviating from the works agreement is formally (dual control principle) or systemically within the SAP system impossible. No remuneration can be processed without assignment to a reference position.

Scope: The works agreement applies to employees of all Group companies that have signed the agreement. Employees on legacy remuneration schemes (predating the year 2000) and managers with MbO target agreements are exempt. Employees in the Environment Segment and the Czech Republic Segment are not covered.

Responsibilities: The Management Board and the managing directors of the Group companies

Stakeholder involvement: Employee interests were taken into account through the involvement of the Works Council in drafting the works agreement.

Implementation support: Detailed information is available on the Group intranet, and guidance is provided by the Works Council, managers and Personalmanagement GmbH.

Performance-based pay

Company-specific concept

Content: The new bonus system developed in the 2023/24 fiscal year addresses the concept of ‘team spirit’ with a team bonus as part of the performance bonus and also offers managers the opportunity to reward outstanding individual performance with a special bonus.

General objectives: Strengthening ‘team spirit’; contributing to diversity; fostering open collaboration; reinforcing a positive corporate culture

Monitoring processes: Central monitoring is carried out by Human Resources Management

Scope: The works agreement applies to employees of all Group companies that have signed the agreement. Employees on legacy remuneration schemes (predating the year 2000) and managers with MbO target agreements are exempt from the team bonus. Employees on legacy systems are accounted for under the special bonus. Employees in the Environment Segment and the Czech Republic Segment are not covered.

Responsibilities: The Management Board and the managing directors of the Group companies

Stakeholder involvement: Employee interests were taken into account through the involvement of the Works Council in drafting the works agreement. Employees are directly involved in setting their team’s objectives.

Implementation support: Intranet; training programme and advisory services from Personalmanagement GmbH; Works Council; managers

‘Management by Objectives’ (MbO)

Company-specific concept

Content: The ‘Group Management by Objectives’ (MbO) Group Policy defines the process, inclusion, target categories and bonus calculation for the performance-based component of pay for senior executives (management tool).

General objectives: Group manageability, supporting the pursuit of policies, identifying common goals and focusing on performance

Monitoring processes: MbO process in the Group and IT support

Scope: This policy applies to all managers with budget responsibility within the Group.

Responsibilities: Management Board

Stakeholder involvement: A comment process, regulated in the ‘Rules for the preparation and amendment of Group policies’ Group Policy, has been implemented.

Implementation support: Detailed information is available on the Group's intranet, supporting information by email and advice from HR.

Flexibility of working hours

Working time, work-life balance, secure employment

Content: Energie AG has works agreements on flexible working hours, working from home and taking sabbaticals. The works agreement on flexible working hours allows employees to organise their working hours flexibly to suit their personal circumstances within the framework conditions set out in the works agreement. The works agreements ‘Homeoffice Standard’ and ‘Homeoffice Plus’ set out the general conditions for working from home. The works agreement ‘Sabbatical’ is a tool for flexibility and leave management and addresses the changing needs of employees.

General objectives: Promoting work-life balance and flexibility of working conditions and leave management

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: Digital time recording and monitoring by time managers as well as reports on employee working time data that are accessible for managers at any time ensure compliance with the works agreement. In addition, notifications are automatically sent to managers if time limits are exceeded.

Scope: The works agreements apply to employees of all Group companies that sign the works agreement. The works agreement on flexible working hours does not apply to senior employees to whom the Austrian Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) does not apply, employees working shifts, employees with a work schedule and temporary interns. Group areas in Austria that are not covered by the works agreements on flexible working hours and working from home are subject to similar provisions with comparable content. Employees in the Environment Segment are not covered by the ‘Sabbatical’ works agreement. The mentioned works agreements do not apply to the Czech Republic Segment.

Responsibilities: The Management Board and the managing directors of the Group companies

Stakeholder involvement: The employees' interests were taken into account through the involvement of the Works Council when drawing up the works agreements.

Implementation support: Detailed information is available on the Group's intranet, a digital application process and advice is provided by the Works Council, managers and Personalmanagement GmbH.

S1-2 – Processes for engaging with own workforce and employee representatives about impacts

Energie AG fosters and practises an open and transparent feedback culture, ensuring that suggestions, ideas and feedback from the workforce are considered as comprehensively as possible. Feedback from employees, Group representatives and trade unions is used to identify appropriate actions and implement improvements. Recognition such as the ‘Top Employer’ award by the business magazine Trend reflects the strong reputation of the Energie AG Group as an employer.

Feedback from larger groups within the Energie AG Group is collected in anonymised, digital form. Reports on the implementation or consideration of the feedback are communicated to all employees as part of project-related communication or via another suitable channel. Personal feedback is also possible on an ad hoc basis.

Structured economic discussions between Managing Directors and Works Council members form the basis for regular dialogue in line with this open feedback culture. In accordance with the Austrian Labour Constitution, employees are represented on the Supervisory Board of the joint stock company by the Works Council (one-third parity). This ensures that employee interests are directly reflected in the Supervisory Board’s decision-making. This arrangement enables the Management Board, supported by the Human Resources holding unit, to address relevant issues effectively. In addition to structured feedback opportunities, such as annual employee review discussions, employees may consult and interact with their direct supervisors at any time. The Cultural Compass platform for culture-enhancing initiatives and the ‘Loominati’ platform for submitting improvement suggestions offer further opportunities for participation (see G1 Business conduct).

Key channels and tools for engaging and communicating with employees (for Austria excluding the Environment Segment) include the ‘Central Conflict Contact Point’ (ZAK) for conflict management, Manager Group Coaching, the Leadership Experience Discussion Circle and the Change Agents Community. Anonymous feedback from both employees and external stakeholders, such as applicants, can be provided via the Austrian online employer review platform ‘kununu’.

In most cases, anonymous digital feedback is requested from the entire workforce. For tools that apply specifically to managers - for example, evaluations of group coaching - only managerial feedback is collected. This feedback is assessed, analysed and integrated into appropriate follow-up actions by the responsible staff at Personalmanagement GmbH.

Actions implemented under the DEI process, such as diversity cafés, facilitate the collection of views from employees who may be particularly vulnerable or at risk. The ‘DiversiTeam’ also serves as a continuous point of contact. In the Czech Republic, equal opportunities and equal treatment are also taken into account in employee surveys. For further information, see section S1-1 - Concepts related to own workforce, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).

Both employees and employee representatives/trade unions are involved in new projects or in the evaluation of initiatives as required. There are also regular opportunities for feedback, such as employee performance review dialogues and surveys. The views of employees are communicated to the Management Board through the works council's participation in the Supervisory Board and discussions with the Management Board.

Depending on the nature of the process for involving the workforce and their representatives with respect to business impacts, operational responsibility lies with different officials. For group-wide processes such as employee surveys, responsibility lies with the respective project managers and the topic leads; processes such as the employee performance review dialogue fall within the remit of Managing Directors as well as department and team leaders. For formal formats, such as economic discussions with the Works Council, responsibility rests exclusively with management. Monitoring of the respective processes is carried out by management, which, in close coordination with the Management Board, initiates any necessary measures and supports their implementation within the framework of the corporate concept.

The agreements negotiated and concluded between employers and employee representatives are intended above all to ensure the continuous development of working conditions and their alignment with modern standards. In addition to economic and organisational matters, works agreements reflect the interests and perspectives of the workforce through the involvement of employee representatives.

Regular employee surveys allow for the results to be compared, developments to be identified and the actions taken to be evaluated. The goal is to strengthen employee loyalty to the company and thereby minimise staff turnover. Employee surveys in the Czech Republic not only involve a comparison within the company itself, but also benchmarking against other companies in the Czech Republic. The results are presented to the management in a comprehensive report. Any negative feedback or complaints are addressed immediately by the management and action is taken. Every five years, an anonymous and voluntary employee consultation is conducted covering health, work organisation, work interests and cooperation. The key indicator enabling comparison with previous surveys is the Human Work Index® (HWI®). The HWI® and the theory of the human ecology of labour, as a method for managing the sustainability of work assets through human-ecological management, are based on research by IBG (Innovative Organisation for Health and Human Resources Management) on working capital. The standardised surveys using the Human Work Index® measure work capacity in terms of employees’ personal productivity in relation to existing work requirements and provide prognostic estimates of the sustainability of work capacity. The results are calculated for the Group as a whole and for the individual Group companies and are communicated accordingly. Implementation of the resulting measures takes place within the relevant business areas. The next survey will be conducted in the 2025/26 fiscal year.

S1-3 – Processes to remediate negative impacts and channels for own workforce to raise concerns

The employee engagement channels mentioned in section S1-2 – Processes for engaging with own workforce and employee representatives about impacts, are an opportunity for employees to raise concerns. Employees and senior executives have the opportunity to raise confidential matters (such as potential mental stress or possible workplace harassment) during the annual employee review dialogue and the MbO interview. These discussions serve both to reflect on the past working year and to define objectives for the coming fiscal year. If concerns are raised, the senior executive is required to act promptly in line with their managerial responsibilities. Where necessary, the Human Resources department may be consulted to coordinate legal or other required support and advisory measures. A structured process is in place for handling such cases, which may include tools such as exploratory discussions (via the central conflict contact point), mediation or coaching. Concerns may also be identified through the evaluation of survey results. In addition to existing channels, the whistleblower system (see G1-1 - Business conduct concepts and corporate culture, Protecting whistleblowers) provides another means for employees to report serious misconduct within the company. This channel is particularly important where it is not possible or not desirable for an employee to approach their line manager or another designated contact person in person, as foreseen in the Code of Conduct or the Compliance Policy.

In Austria, employees may also submit ideas, concerns and questions to the ‘DiversiTeam’. In addition, concerns and questions may be reported to the relevant Works Council and its responsible Chairman at any time, regardless of the underlying issue. The works council will then address the matter, with the assistance of the group representative or its chairperson, as appropriate.

Furthermore, since the 2023/24 fiscal year, ‘change agents’ have been appointed across all areas of the Group; employees in all business units may contact these change agents with any concerns relating to cultural transformation.

S1-4 – Taking action on material impacts on own workforce, and approaches to managing material risks and pursuing material opportunities related to own workforce, and effectiveness of those actions

The company takes effective measures and conducts continuous evaluations to ensure that its internal practices do not adversely affect its own workforce, but instead contribute to a supportive, safe and equitable working environment.

The involvement of employees and employee representatives in the development and implementation of measures helps ensure that these are specifically tailored to the key issues affecting the workforce. An open exchange and the channels for raising concerns described in S1-3 complement the management of impacts.

Necessary and appropriate actions can be identified and implemented through the ongoing involvement of employees, see S1-2 – Processes for engaging with own workforce and employee representatives about impacts, and S1-3 - Processes to remediate negative impacts and channels for own workforce to raise concerns. In addition to the general processes for ongoing employee involvement, the following processes may be used to identify necessary and appropriate actions in the area of DEI: needs analysis; analysis of HR data; analysis of best practices and dialogue with other companies; annual ‘DiversiTeam’ meeting (workshop with employees and managers, including affected individuals); assessment and adaptation; continuous monitoring and improvement. Workplace health and safety measures include conducting hazard and risk assessments and determining the appropriate actions to be taken.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives

Work-life balance, diversity, secure employment

Personnel and management development

Training and occupational development, diversity

Digital fitness quiz

Training and occupational development

Apprenticeship

Training and occupational development, secure employment

Health and safety management system

Health and safety

Training and awareness-raising on workplace health and safety

Health and safety

Workplace health promotion

Health and safety

Work-life balance

Working time, work-life balance, diversity, secure employment