Sustainability and our values

Connecting our Values to the Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a shared vision to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Six Values shape everything we do and our company’s SDG map provides the connection so that we can integrate the SDGs into our strategy and daily operations.

United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals icons

Providing Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) for our customers is the foundation of our company’s long-term strategy.

Alliant Energy shares how our actions align with SDG 7 and many other SDGs to support a better and more sustainable future in our Corporate Responsibility Report as well as various external stakeholder communications such as our Clean Energy Blueprint website, Illuminate newsletter and social media.

Some examples of our recent actions are below.

Think beyond. Be bold: Expanding electrification

Alliant Energy propels the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other electric technology by leading the electrification transition, collaborating with industry partners, and supporting customers and communities with educational events and rebate programs. As part of our Clean Energy Vision goals, we intend to electrify 100% of our active light-duty fleet by 2030; this initiative will help achieve affordable and clean energy for all (SDG 7).

To propel innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), in 2021 we joined the Midwest Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Collaboration, an effort that became part of the National Electric Highway Coalition to provide EV fast-charging stations along major U.S. travel corridors by the end of 2023.

To foster sustainable communities (SDG 11), Alliant Energy helps customers adopt electric technology through rebate programs for Level 2 chargers in both residential and commercial buildings, as well as forklift and truck refrigeration unit rebates for commercial customers. Since 2020, we have assisted customers in securing over $5.7 million in external funding to advance electrification opportunities and pilots within our service area. 

Act for tomorrow: One Million Trees

In 2021, we announced our One Million Trees initiative to donate and help plant more than 1 million trees by the end of 2030. To make this happen, we collaborate with organizations such as Trees Forever and both the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. Our efforts focus on public forest restoration and preservation, urban forestry and nonprofit partners dedicated to tree planting efforts in communities and rural areas across Iowa and Wisconsin.

In addition to providing shade, as these trees grow, they will naturally reduce greenhouse gases, improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat – protecting life on land (SDG 15). This will also help communities increase energy efficiency and replace trees damaged by severe weather events and insect infestation. While the cost of a small number of trees in Iowa will be covered by customers’ Energy Efficiency contributions as part of our Community Tree program, shareowner dollars will pay for the majority of the One Million Trees initiative. 

Do the right thing: Advocacy for LIHEAP

Access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) is critical, especially given the financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to support and advocate for the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP helps our customers pay their energy bills and avoid having to choose between energy and other essentials such as food or medicine.

Given the value we see in this program, we partner with community action agencies and local governments to identify those in need of support. We then work to connect customers to LIHEAP benefits with proactive outreach through our website, over the phone, social media and bill inserts. The need is still great, so each year we sponsor and participate in LIHEAP Action Day in Washington DC where our public affairs team educates Congress on the importance of robust LIHEAP funding in partnership with the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition. Our commitment to the administration and advocacy of LIHEAP demonstrates our dedication to providing affordable energy and meeting our customers’ needs.

Live safety. Everyone. Always: Natural disaster response

When natural disasters strike our communities, we are prepared. We received the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) 2020 Emergency Response Award for our efforts to rebuild communities impacted by the Midwest derecho. To create safe and sustainable communities (SDG 11) that prove resilient to climate impacts requires multiple procedures to prepare for and react quickly to severe weather. Every two years, key employees participate in the GridEx exercise. This allows us to practice our response to a series of cyber and physical emergencies related to infrastructure. Our engagement in the EPRI Climate READi initiative will help to develop a comprehensive framework approach to physical climate risk assessments and strengthen our resilience against climate-related disasters.

Additionally, we help communities implement local disaster risk strategies to support their climate action plans (SDG 13). When severe weather strikes, our Online Outage Center and Mobile app can notify customers of emergencies and outage response updates. Through participation in EEI Mutual Assistance, we gain access to resources to help rebuild our communities following disasters. We also engage in power restoration efforts across the country, such as those in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in 2021. Together these efforts restore power quickly and keep our communities safe and resilient.

Care for others: Employee Resource Groups

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives work to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) and support gender equality (SDG 5) in the workspace. Consequently, these initiatives strengthen our sustainability because they encourage collaboration and community, which fosters innovation to solve challenges. One such way we embrace DE&I is our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Three of our six ERGs – Women’s Network, Multicultural Network, and Equality Alliance – specifically focus on employee DE&I education as well as create spaces for underrepresented groups in our workforce.

Throughout the year, our ERGs will host events such as “Lunch & Learn” sessions that encourage discussion surrounding diversity and inclusion. They also sponsor education resources through companywide communication, for instance an infographic series that focused on Black and female leaders in STEM. The Equality Alliance influences company practices and policies, plays a pivotal role in building a safe and inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees and helped Alliant Energy become a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index. Our ERGs strengthen our employee base and work to empower people to speak up and tackle challenges with a diverse set of backgrounds, ideas and knowledge.

Make things better: The Power Chronicles

What’s a way to encourage kids to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers? Meet them where they’re at with graphic novels and videos. This year, we launched “The Power Chronicles: Akilah Finds Her Power.” The story follows Akilah, a young girl who’s a little embarrassed about her interest in science until Dr. Phoebe Nix takes her on a journey and introduces her to female and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) scientists of the past and today.

To debut “The Power Chronicles,” we hosted a STEM event at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for girls in fifth through eighth grade to learn about careers that require creative problem solving, encourage forward thinking, make a difference in society and work to improve the future of our world. By sharing stories of female and BIPOC leaders in STEM to young audiences, we hope to inspire women to pursue technical careers, add diverse voices in future workplaces and increase gender equality (SDG 5). 

This content may contain forward-looking statements.