Corporate Social Responsibility

As the reach and scale of renewable energy increases, so does the urgency to ensure this scale is supported by sustainable practices. Integrating sustainability in everything we do is a part of this.

In support of this, Vestas has committed to respecting human rights within the development of wind energy projects that we contribute to. This was strengthened with the launch of the CSR strategy “Leading a responsible and inclusive energy transition” in 2020.

Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) blueprint is not a revolution, but an evolution. It’s a more focused approach on what was started years ago. It consists of three pillars, focusing on:  

• Responsibility, strengthening human rights governance and management;  

• Inclusiveness, creating long-term value and engagement where we are present;

• Leadership, ensuring the integration of Human Rights in the energy transition. 

To learn more about our approach to human rights across all our business and how we work with the different pillars of the CSR Blueprint visit our Human Rights page.

At Vestas, we prioritize working with customers, local authorities, communities, and other actors in wind farm projects to develop good relationships and invest back in the local community. These relationships are essential for successful and sustainable projects, especially in emerging markets. By working this way, we can nurture a close collaboration with our customers, partners, investors, contractors and with local stakeholders, to focus more on human rights. And by doing this, we can avoid potential negative impacts such as on local livelihoods, community health and safety, straining local resources, etc. We also promote positive impacts such as education, enhanced employability, jobs, and a better understanding of renewable energy.

In 2020, Vestas started reporting on the number of direct community beneficiaries from our community engagement initiatives. Among other topics, our projects tend to focus on skills training, installing solar panels in local health centres, repairing school toilets, and providing locals with cooking stoves. We always consider the results of the Social Due Diligence conducted for the project and our six primary Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when choosing which community engagement initiatives, in collaboration with the local community and our partners.

Our six primary focus SDGs are:  (SDG4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; (SDG7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; (SDG8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; (SDG12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; (SDG13) Take urgent action to combat climate and its impacts and; (SDG17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. 

School girls playing football near the Lake Turkana wind farm in Kenya

Before

After

Elementary school in the Taïba Mbaye village, Senegal

In September 2018, Vestas announced a contract to provide a customized solution for the first wind park ever built in Senegal. The location of the new 158.7 MW plant, owned by the renewable energy generation company Lekela, was in Taiba N’Diaye, a small town located 75 km northeast of Dakar.  

Since Vestas will service the wind farm for the next 20 years, it was natural to build and maintain a sound relationship with the community. We have done this through regular community engagement and development initiatives. Education is one of the SDGs that Vestas focuses on. Vestas supported schools in the Taiba N'Diaye project area by:  

i) repairing the sanitation and lavatory buildings and constructing a new classroom at the elementary school in Taiba Mbaye village, benefitting 565 students and 11 teachers, and 

ii) repairing the public lavatories and replacing 16 windows and three doors at the elementary school and at the college in Miname and Keur Malle villages,  benefiting 577 students and 24 teachers. 

UN Sustainable Development Goals covered:

In 2011, Vestas installed the first wind turbine in the Dominican Republic. In order to increase awareness on renewable energy, in 2019 Vestas partnered with the NGO “500 RPM” and the National Institute of Professional Technical Training (INFOTEP) to build a simple 350W DIY turbine.

The turbine was installed next to a rural school as a backup solution to the constant power cuts. This initiative developed local knowledge through a theoretical and practical workshop so that the technical schools can replicate this type of turbine in the future. 

UN Sustainable Development Goals covered:

Vestas started a structure community programme close to its under-construction 250 MW wind farm in Gujarat. The initiative is based on the specific community needs in the 13 villages closest to the wind farm in the Bhuj and Mandvi Blocks of Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Through discussions with community members and other local stakeholders, several themes were identified as areas for positive impact. The areas prioritized were children’s education, skills development, water and sanitation, and healthcare of domestic animals. The community programme is ongoing, even during the service phase of the wind farm.

Impact:

• Over 1400 children benefited from across 13 rural schools with education kit learning materials

• 80 rural young women were trained in local traditional arts and crafts for individual income generation and were connected to a local resource center for further collective action

• 950 children now have access to clean drinking water through the setting up of Reverse Osmosis units and 400 children have access to better sanitation facilities through repair and renovation in three schools

• The repair and renovation of community water facilities benefited around 500 families in six villages

• Around 450 villagers from seven villages benefited from various general preventive health checkup camps

• Approximately five thousand domestic cattle were vaccinated through animal vaccination treatment camps in three villages

UN Sustainable Development Goals covered: