Stakeholders
Stakeholders are individuals, groups, organizations, or associations that can affect or be affected by an organization’s decisions, activities, and results.
Basically, they include everyone who has some kind of relationship with the company, either influencing or being impacted by its operations.
Mapping these stakeholders is essential for identifying an organization’s material issues. In other words, it allows us to recognize the areas that represent the most significant impacts—both positive and negative—in the following spheres:
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
Stakeholder Mapping
Copel maps, prioritizes, and engages with its stakeholders based on the methodologies set forth in the AA1000AP (AccountAbility Principles, 2018) and AA1000SES (Stakeholder Engagement Standard) standards. This process, developed with the support of various departments within the Company, is periodically reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors (CAD). The identified stakeholders to be considered for materiality in the 2025–2027 cycle are listed and described below.
Shareholders and Lenders: Individuals or legal entities that hold shares in the company or provide financial resources. They enable the Company to conduct its activities with excellence and stability and, in return, expect the generation of value and financial returns.
Equity Interests: Companies, consortia, or partnerships in which Copel holds an equity interest, whether as a parent company, affiliate, or minority investor.
Workforce: Includes direct employees and third parties (direct employees, contractors, and interns). This stakeholder group directly impacts and is impacted by the Company’s operations.
Senior Leadership: Members of the Board of Directors, vice presidents, and executive officers.
Customers: Residential, commercial, industrial, and large customers. In addition to influencing the Company’s business reputation, they hold decision-making power regarding consumption and are directly impacted by the Company’s services and products.
Society: A group with an indirect relationship to the Company but with a strong influence on its reputation and legitimacy. This includes the general public at the regional, national, or global level (e.g., universities, schools, and NGOs).
Communities: Groups with a close and direct relationship to the organization’s activities, generally located in the same geographic area or sharing direct common interests. They are quick to feel the environmental, social, and economic impacts (e.g., community associations and vulnerable populations).
Suppliers and Partners: Companies that provide inputs, equipment, technology, and services, as well as strategic partners.
Governments and Public Authorities: Government agencies and authorities at the municipal, state, and federal levels, encompassing the executive, legislative, and judicial branches (with a focus on the state of Paraná).
Regulatory Agencies and Industry Associations: Institutions that impact operations through regulations and industry-specific decisions. They have an interest in compliance with standards, system safety, rates, and public policies (e.g., regulatory agencies and industry associations).
- Unions and Professional Associations: Entities that represent workers and regulated professionals.
After identifying the stakeholders, Copel groups them into categories based on the Company’s management structure and prioritizes the subcategories by weighing criteria such as impact, influence, dependence, power, closeness of the relationship, and representation between Copel and its stakeholders, in accordance with the relevant AA1000 standard.
Stakeholder Engagement
According to the AA1000SES standard, stakeholder engagement is the process used by a company to involve stakeholders in decision-making stages, with the clear purpose of achieving agreed-upon results.
This engagement is recognized as a fundamental mechanism of accountability, guiding companies to involve their various stakeholders in the process of:
- Identifying and understanding key needs and expectations;
- Strategically addressing these issues and concerns;
- Transparently reporting on its decisions, actions, and sustainability performance.
The central objective is to build long-term relationships that add value for both Copel and the stakeholders involved, generating synergies for the business and for institutional relations.
Approach to Engagement
Copel follows engagement guidelines in accordance with its Sustainability Policy, incorporating the levels and methods recommended by the AA1000SES standard. For each stakeholder group, channels of dialogue, engagement approaches, and specific initiatives are defined, taking into account the characteristics of each group and its relationship with the Company’s activities.
The following describes the main actions for each stakeholder group:
Customers
They influence the Company’s reputation and are directly affected by its products and services. This relationship includes satisfaction surveys, customer experience analyses, and monitoring of complaints across official and digital channels. The Company also hosts forums with major customers and business associations, analyzes consumer behavior using analytics, consults on new technologies, and provides differentiated service to strategic profiles.
Shareholders and Lenders
As providers of capital, they prioritize economic growth, sustainability, and the longevity of the business. The relationship is managed by the Investor Relations department, which follows its own policy and adheres to market-aligned governance practices. Communication involves the disclosure of financial results, integrated reports, responses to ESG rating analyses, and active consultations on risks and opportunities.
Shareholder Engagement
Engagement takes place in a structured and systematic manner through periodic follow-up meetings and strategic reviews of governance and compliance, in strict accordance with the articles of incorporation and shareholder agreements. The process is supported by technical and operational performance indicators and continuous alignment with the Company’s ESG practices.
Society
Engagement takes place through media monitoring, the publication of corporate reports, and dialogue groups with NGOs and social movements. The Company also establishes partnerships with universities and research centers, participates in public debates, and takes part in initiatives focused on innovation and sustainability.
Senior Leadership
This group’s involvement takes place through formal annual performance and governance evaluations, as well as periodic meetings with advisory boards and committees.
Governments and Public Authorities
These entities exert regulatory and institutional influence. Engagement involves bilateral meetings, institutional visits, participation in public consultations, and monitoring of legislative agendas. The Company responds to official correspondence and technical requests, ensuring alignment with public policies and current legislation.
Unions and Professional Associations
Engagement with this group takes place through formal collective bargaining tables, alignment meetings, and ongoing dialogue to address specific issues and demands.
Communities
Copel conducts environmental and socioeconomic studies to support the licensing process and develop impact mitigation programs. Engagement is carried out through in-person and digital channels, including assessments, field visits, and focus groups. The Company maintains community committees, mediates conflicts, and promotes transparency regarding construction projects and environmental initiatives.
Workforce
A key stakeholder group for carrying out the Company’s activities. The Company maintains formal channels such as the Ethics Committee, the Ombudsman’s Office, and the Whistleblower Hotline. Periodic surveys on employee engagement and well-being are conducted, and internal committees address topics such as diversity and safety. People management indicators, such as turnover, absenteeism, and performance, are also monitored.
Regulatory Agencies and Industry Organizations
These bodies are responsible for regulating and overseeing the electric power sector. Engagement takes place through technical meetings, public consultations, and regulatory processes. The Company maintains an ongoing dialogue regarding targets and oversight, constantly monitoring developments in the regulatory framework.
Suppliers and Partners
They contribute to operational efficiency. The relationship is managed by the procurement departments and contract managers, with support from the Sustainability Portal. Performance evaluations, compliance assessments, perception surveys, and alignment workshops on safety and quality standards are conducted.
Stakeholder Engagement Program
Copel’s Stakeholder Engagement Program is a strategic guide that sets forth guidelines for strengthening transparent, ethical, and trusting relationships with its stakeholders. The document is aligned with corporate policies and based on the methodologies of the AA1000AP (AccountAbility Principles, 2018) and AA1000SES (Stakeholder Engagement Standard) standards.
Its objective is to support the Company’s Purpose—to illuminate lives with clean energy—through dialogue, engagement, and the creation of sustainable and shared value. Engagement is guided by principles such as:
- Sustainability, transparency, and ethics;
- Dialogue and active listening;
- Building trust and continuous learning;
- Adaptability, resilience, and comprehensive engagement with all stakeholder groups across all of Copel’s regions and business units.
Scope of the Program
The Program applies to all Copel Group companies, including the holding company, wholly-owned subsidiaries, and controlled entities, which must adopt it as a model while complying with their corporate procedures.
Its guidelines are also recommended to joint ventures, affiliates, and other equity investments. Where applicable, they extend to the Company’s suppliers, broadening the scope of engagement and strengthening the culture of social responsibility and sustainable value creation.
Learn more! Click here to view the full program document.
Stakeholder Engagement Process
Definition of the levels and methods of engagement with each of Copel's stakeholders
Level of engagement | Method of engagement |
Inform | Publications in the Company’s official media; face-to-face or remote meetings; campaigns; newsletters, road shows, among others. |
Monitoring | Analysis of publications in media and social networks, monitoring of indicators, among others. |
Consultation | Interviews; focus groups; application of quantitative or qualitative questionnaires; public meetings, face-to-face or remote; workshops, among others. |
Collaborating | Partnerships; shared projects, joint initiatives with stakeholders, among others. |
Engage | Forums; consensus building processes on identified problems and proposals for mitigation, compensation or resolution; participation in decision-making processes; online engagement tools; focus groups; among others. |
Relationship Channels
For each interested party, Copel maintains specific contact channels to facilitate the relationship between the Company and its internal and external publics.
Learn more about the main relationship channels.
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