Our commitment to ESG best practices — such as producing clean, affordable and reliable energy, emphasizing workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, and providing strong corporate governance policies and practices — is ingrained in our culture and processes and ensures our stakeholders inform our management strategy.
In 2021, we completed a refresh of our sustainability priority assessment to understand the changing priorities, needs and expectations of our stakeholders and our business. We are using the assessment results and insights to enhance our sustainability strategies, inform stakeholder engagements, improve ESG reporting and support the risk management process. See the 2021 Sustainability Priority Assessment for the full list and descriptions of our 25 sustainability priorities.
To supplement our sustainability priority assessments, which are conducted every 3-5 years, we have established processes to engage all stakeholders periodically throughout the year to provide additional insights into their needs, priorities and experiences.
Our employees
At DTE, our employees are the foundation of our company and the energy behind our operations. Throughout our company, we strive to maintain a positive, collaborative workplace environment where everyone feels valued. Employee engagement is the key enabler and driver to achieving our other priorities.
To measure the success of our engagement efforts, we rely on the Gallup employee engagement survey. Gallup is a global research and polling company that helps private and public sector organizations boost organic growth through measurement tools, strategic advice and education. DTE ranked in the top 3% among employers worldwide in engagement by Gallup. This extraordinary achievement can be attributed to our persistent focus on engagement, including our industry-leading safety performance, a robust diversity and inclusion program with nine employee resource groups, comprehensive health and wellness programs and a thriving volunteerism program.
Our customers
DTE’s operational success is, in part, measured by our ability to maintain customer satisfaction. While DTE has for many years closely monitored overall sentiment for many years, in 2020, the company implemented a new Net Promoter Score (NPS) measurement system to continually evaluate customer satisfaction on a continuous basis. An executive committee uses insights from the data to inform operational decisions and support our engagement strategy with customers, regulators and investors.
To effectively utilize NPS data, DTE reviews weekly survey results that provide immediate and ongoing quantitative and written insights into successes and opportunities. These real-time responses create a narrative for DTE’s long-term strategy, while also providing the opportunity for immediate customer service when needed. Through NPS, DTE also “closes the loop” with customers to learn more from those who provide feedback, with the ultimate goal of improving performance.
DTE’s corporate citizenship efforts, including our COVID-19 response, volunteerism, and corporate giving, help drive positive customer brand perception, as measured by NPS. Throughout 2020, it was imperative to monitor these responses for DTE to continue to effectively serve the varying needs of statewide customers. Additionally, following our COVID response efforts, our NPS feedback relayed significant increases in our brand values.
Our community
We value relationships with local community organizations, nonprofits and leaders as our partners and representatives of our customers and communities. We engage our community partners through an annual community partners meeting and community advisory council forums that allow for open dialogue with key community leaders and organizations and identify opportunities for us to work together. Furthermore, we conduct listening sessions with targeted community leaders to respond to emerging community needs, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and lean on their insights to shape our response. In recent years, we have also strengthened our relationships with environmental justice organizations as valued stakeholders and representatives of our communities.
Our team also listens and responds to local, state and federal officials’ constituents and executes on a local level, interacting with municipal, elected leaders and other influential community members across Michigan to ensure their needs are voiced and addressed.
DTE’s supply chain is a vital part of its commitment to provide safe, reliable energy for its customers. Beyond the basics of delivering high-quality, cost competitive services, supply chain specializes in ensuring suppliers operate efficiently, safely and ethically. DTE also uses its procurement dollars to support local economic growth, provide opportunities for diverse businesses and build strong, vibrant communities.
Our investors
Over the last six years, we’ve consistently engaged with our investors on ESG topics. These discussions provide critical insight on key areas of focus for our investors and provide an opportunity to discuss our ESG priorities. As part of our process, we share highlights of the discussions and feedback from our investors with our Corporate Governance Committee. We will continue to engage in a variety of ways with shareholders to provide timely and relevant information on topics of interest.
Shareholder engagement is a year-round process for us. In 2020, the company’s shareholder engagement team, consisting of members from the Corporate Secretary’s office, the General Counsel organization, Investor Relations, Environmental Management, and Corporate Communications, held discussions with shareholders who collectively own or exercise voting control over 40% of the Company’s outstanding shares, with our CEO and Lead Independent Director participating in several of discussions.
Stakeholder Engagement Matrix (See GRI standards 102-40, 102-43, and 102-44)
DTE Energy engages stakeholders through a variety of channels that facilitate meaningful dialogue around topics of mutual interest. The table below highlights some of the most significant ways the company connects with stakeholders. The last (right) column in the table describes the material issues each group is most interested in based on interactions with them – and what the company hears from stakeholders.
|
Stakeholder Group |
Type of Engagement |
Frequency |
Topics Raised |
|
Communities
|
Community partners meeting |
Annual meetings in Southeast Michigan (SEMI) and Greater Michigan (GRMI) |
Customer service and assistance programs Community outreach (organizations, events, partnerships) Jobs and employment (training, access, hiring process) Diversity, equity and inclusion Economic development (entrepreneurship, small business support) Energy efficiency Reliability and infrastructure Public safety Neighborhood development |
|
Community advisory council meetings |
Semi-annual (March, November) in SEMI; annual in GRMI |
||
|
External partnerships (nonprofits, ethnic chambers, associations, clubs attending/supporting events and programs) faith-based organizations |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Volunteering (board service, events, long-term programs) |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Neighborhood stakeholder meetings |
Quarterly |
||
|
Community engagement monthly check-in meetings |
Monthly |
||
|
Customers
|
DTE Energy website, Empowering Michigan blog, DTE Impact website |
Updated regularly |
Customer satisfaction Cybersecurity Economic development Energy affordability Energy efficiency Greenhouse gases Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Volunteerism Corporate Citizenship Newsletters:
|
|
Billing statements and messaging |
Monthly |
||
|
Press releases and local media |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Customer feedback via online comments and phone hotline |
Continuous dialogue |
||
|
Account management for large commercial & industrial customers |
Continuous dialogue |
||
|
Net Promoter Score |
Weekly |
||
|
Employees
|
Company intranet (Our DTE) |
Updated regularly |
Community assistance Volunteerism Cybersecurity Diversity, equity and inclusion Employee engagement Safety Environment Corporate Citizenship Future of Work Customer Service & Satisfaction Tri-annual State of the Customer meetings J. Norcia Monthly Townhalls |
|
Training events |
Ongoing throughout the year |
||
|
Town Hall meetings |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Employee feedback via online comments |
Continuous dialogue |
||
|
Engagement survey |
Semi-Annual |
||
|
Pulse Survey |
Bi-weekly |
||
|
Volunteerism |
Ongoing throughout the year |
||
|
Employee Energy Groups |
Monthly |
||
|
Performance reviews |
Annual, with quarterly check-ins |
||
|
Facility neighbors
|
Press releases and local media |
Regularly throughout the year |
Air emissions Community assistance Economic development Habitat and biodiversity Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Waste management Public Safety Education Jobs and Employment Transportation Beautification |
|
Community meetings associated with specific facility projects or events |
Periodically as needed
|
||
|
Program partner newsletters and communications |
Periodically as needed |
||
|
Community meetings associated with ongoing neighborhood work and programming
|
Regularly throughout the year
|
||
|
Government (local, state, federal)
|
Attendance at state agency meetings and legislative hearings
|
Continuous dialogue |
Community assistance Customer satisfaction Cybersecurity Economic development Energy affordability Energy efficiency Greenhouse gas emissions Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Environment |
|
Attendance at meetings and hearings with federal regulators and policymakers |
Continuous dialogue |
||
|
Volunteer events |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Press releases and local media |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Facility tours for legislators |
Regularly throughout the year |
||
|
Industry associations
|
Attendance at regular meetings and conferences. For example:
|
Regularly throughout the year (monthly, quarterly and annual) |
Air emissions Cybersecurity Energy efficiency Greenhouse gases Habitat and biodiversity Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Waste management Future of natural gas |
|
Ongoing discussions around specific topics of concern to DTE Energy |
Continuous dialogue on a project or case by case basis |
||
|
Environmental groups
|
Attendance at regular meetings and conference, including:
|
Regularly throughout the year |
Air emissions Energy efficiency Greenhouse gases Habitat and biodiversity Renewables Waste management Environmental Justice Decarbonization pathways CWA /NPDES
|
|
Ongoing discussions around specific topics of concern to environmental groups related to DTE Energy activities. DTE regularly engages with the following organizations:
|
Continuous dialogue on a project or case by case basis |
||
|
Shareholders
|
Investor calls |
Quarterly |
GHG emissions Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Financial performance Full scope of ESG Sustainability issues, as appropriate |
|
Press releases |
Periodically throughout the year |
||
|
DTE Energy Investor Relations website |
Updated regularly |
||
|
Investor Relations Day |
2-5 years |
||
|
Suppliers
|
Supplier meetings, symposiums, executive reviews |
Weekly, monthly, quarterly and/or annually |
Cybersecurity Diversity and inclusion Economic development Energy efficiency Energy affordability Environmental sustainability Reliability and infrastructure Renewables Safety Waste management |
|
Supplier scorecards |
Weekly, monthly, quarterly and/or annually |
To learn more about our ESG efforts and disclosures, please visit our Sustainability Performance site.