The electric power companies of the world must balance a variety of competing interests in order to supply energy services in a sustainable and reliable manner. To respond effectively to growing public needs and high expectations, the energy industry must address various global and environmental concerns. Fuel choice, facility sitting, mitigation of environmental and social impacts, and fair tariffs are all issues that concern the electric power company, the general public, and other stakeholders.
In recent years, electric power companies in both developed and developing countries have experienced growing public concern and opposition to proposed plans and decisions involving the concerns mentioned above, sometimes resulting in project cancellation.
In February of 1998, the e8 organised the "Seminar on Social Trust and Public Confidence" in Bordeaux, France. e8 members and international experts participated in two-day session consisting keynote speeches, presentations from experts, and roundtable discussions on a variety of social trust and public confidence topics. The session emphasised the significance of the subject matter and concluded that such a broad issue should be studied in greater depth with a smaller scope. In response, at the June 1998 e7 Summit, Kansai chose "Earning Social Trust in the Electric Utility Industry" as the theme for its 1998-1999 e8 Chairmanship year and assumed leadership of the new Social Trust Working Group.
To contribute to its exploration into the relationship between electric utility companies and their stakeholders, the e8 organised a seminar on "Electric Utilities and Social Trust in a Changing World – The Role of Social Trust in Strategic Planning" in Tokyo, on February 18-19, 1999. Participants included high-level representatives from e8 companies, developing country electric utilities, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), non-governmental organisations, and social trust experts. The purpose of the workshop was to explore, from academic and practical perspectives, the interactions between the public and electricity operations or projects. Participants with a wide range of expertise and experience presented and discussed project case studies, experiences of success and failure, methods and approaches, as well as programmes and policies. The ultimate goal was to assess the current way electric power companies plan strategically to incorporate trust building approaches into their activities. The proceedings from this workshop were published as the e8 Seminar Proceedings: Social Trust in a Changing World.
In 1999-2000, the e8 narrowed its spectrum for the year. The Group focussed on the interests of developing countries by concentrating on establishing guidelines for the electricity industry and for rural electrification. In June of 2000, an "e8 Workshop on Social Trust" was organised during the annual International Association of Impact Studies (IAIA) conference in Hong Kong, SAR. Electric power companies and governmental organisations from developing countries, NGOs, international financial institutions, academics in social and environmental sciences, and other experts in public involvement actively participated in discussing the social trust aspects of the electricity industry and rural electrification.
The STWG processed the input received from the Hong Kong, SAR Workshop participants into its publications entitled “The Social Trust Aspects of Rural Electrification” and “Social Trust and the Electricity Industry – An e8 Contribution”
Having completed its original mandate, the Group continues as the Social Trust Network in researching Social Trust issues, exchanging information with various stakeholders, and collaborating with its global partners in the field of Social Trust.
Major global environmental and social issues that affect the electric utility industry are considered to be the top priorities of the e8.
The issues of sustainable development, climate change, social trust, and internationalisation are the focus of the e8's actions.