Governance
Strong corporate governance and leadership keep us aligned to our commitment to a sustainable energy future. Ameren has established robust risk management and corporate governance systems to identify, evaluate and manage the risks and opportunities associated with sustainability matters.Board Governance
Ameren’s board of directors oversees all significant enterprise risks, including those related to sustainability matters. It has specifically delegated oversight of certain sustainability matters to several board committees.
- Nuclear, Operations and Environmental Sustainability Committee
- Company operations, including regulatory, reputation, business continuity, and environmental sustainability risks, including those related to climate change and water resources management.
- Human Resources Committee
- Executive compensation practices and policies, including integration of sustainability measures.
- Human capital management practices and policies.
- Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Corporate governance, including board and committee composition and refreshment, key corporate governance policies and procedures, shareholder engagement and shareholder proposals, and public affairs matters, including charitable and political contributions.
- Audit and Risk Committee
- Enterprise risk management processes, including strategic and operational risks.
- Cybersecurity and Digital Technology Committee
- Cybersecurity and digital technology risks, including those related to information security, prevention and detection of cybersecurity incidents or information breaches, crisis preparedness, incident response plans, and disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.
Management Level Governance
- Executive Leadership Team
- Senior executives across all business segments oversee all aspects of sustainability matters, including, but not limited to, risk management, strategic planning and enterprise performance.
- Chief Sustainability Officer
- Ensures the company’s environmental stewardship, positive social impact, robust corporate governance and ongoing sustainable growth initiatives are integrated in the corporate strategy.
- Sustainability Executive Steering Committee
- A cross-enterprise group of leaders that evaluates the company’s sustainability approach, provides leadership team input, reviews and approves key sustainability disclosures and initiatives and champions sustainability efforts in their respective functions.
Stakeholder Engagement
Shareholders provide Ameren with a portion of the capital needed to upgrade and replace aging infrastructure to keep service reliable for our customers, which is why we are focused on delivering top quartile total shareholder returns among our utility peer group.
We also focus on creating value for the region we serve through economic development initiatives, including business incentive programs, employing local people and partnering with local suppliers, whenever possible. For example, Ameren spent $900 million with local suppliers in 2021 to support our Missouri and Illinois economies.
Ameren provides safe, reliable, affordable and cleaner energy that is foundational to the well-being and security of millions of people. Our risk assessments always consider any impacts and benefits to our customers. We work hard to be transparent with our customers through frequent communication and by reporting on our sustainability progress.
Ameren operations provide reliable jobs and contribute to the economy of our region and country. Our employees are important stakeholders and contributors to our commitments to sustainable business.
Ameren is an investor-owned utility. We consider our investors in our efforts because they have a vested interest in our ability to operate as a sustainable company, and environmental issues are increasingly gaining attention by large investment institutions. We consider our investors by assessing risks associated with our operations, while also providing a fair return. We dedicate significant time and resources to remain transparent with our investors by participating in several sustainability disclosure frameworks.
Local communities are always considered in our decision-making, as these communities represent the customers and employees that are so critical to our continued safe and sustainable operations. By listening to the needs of our communities, we can better deliver energy in a reliable and affordable way, as well as support a better quality of life for the people living there.
Ameren includes suppliers in our risk assessments. It is important to stay abreast of how our shared natural resources are used by our suppliers, how we support their long-term business sustainability, and how we can be good partners on matters impacting our region. Ameren is a member of the Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance, which leads the industry in enhancing and promoting supply chain sustainable practices across utilities and suppliers.
Ameren regularly meets with state and federal regulatory agencies, including the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, US Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regional watershed groups (Missouri River), along with local and regional non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to stay updated on regulations and best practices.
We work hard to remain aware of external public opinions related to our operations and business. We engage with NGOs on issues, such as our coal combustion residuals operations and dry-ash handling, as they can provide valuable perspective on limiting impacts to the environment, landowners and communities.
