Responsibility

Combating climate change through action

The climate cannot wait

Climate change is already affecting us. Urgent action to combat climate change is one of the UN’s primary sustainable development goals. The problem is global, but everyone can do their part. Companies’ contribution is particularly important.

Climate change is one of the four main themes of our Best Place to Live responsibility programme. We combat climate change by reducing emissions from our operations and including our partners in this work. We also offer solutions for sustainable consumption and help our co-op members reduce emissions.

We are committed to reducing our emissions now and in the future.

Our emissions have decreased by 38% since 2015, and we aim to decrease them by 60% by the end of 2030.

We are improving our energy efficiency, increasing our use of renewable energy, reducing our food waste and recycling materials more efficiently to reduce emissions from our operations.

60%

Less emissions

Our goal is to reduce emissions by 60% by the end of 2030, compared with 2015.

1,000,000

Tonnes less emissions

Together with our partners, we aim to reduce emissions by 1,000,000 tonnes by the end of 2030, compared with 2015.

We are challenging our partners to reduce emissions

More than 90% of our emissions arise from our value chain, such as the manufacture of products. In terms of fuel, emissions are generated when products are used in transport.

In spring 2018, we launched the Big Deal climate campaign to encourage our partners to reduce emissions. One of the goals of the campaign is for us and our partner companies to reduce emissions by 1,000,000 tonnes by 2030. The campaign also challenges and encourages our customers to find ways to start reducing emissions in their daily lives.

You can read more about the Big Deal climate campaign and our systematic long-term climate work in our annual and responsibility review.

We pay attention to energy efficiency in our day-to-day work and in the planning of construction and renovation projects. We monitor the consumption of electricity, heat and water in nearly all of our locations. This enables us to identify the most significant inefficiencies and improvement needs.

We are continuously identifying and testing new types of solutions. For example, the low-emission energy system in our logistics centre in Sipoo has been granted a high-level BREEAM environmental certification. In summer 2017, the project was granted the Nordic Investment Bank’s (NIB) green financing certification for its comprehensive consideration of environmental effects.

You can read more about our energy efficiency and improvement measures in S Group’s annual review.

Renewable energy accounts for around 60% of our electricity consumption. For years, S Group has been investing in its own wind power, and now we are also investing in solar electricity. Wind power is one way to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of S Group’s properties.

In addition, opportunities to use renewable forms of energy are examined in all of S Group’s new construction projects. When renovating units, we replace heating systems with more efficient and more environmentally friendly systems. For example, old oil heating systems have been replaced with district and geothermal heating in connection with renovation projects.

You can read more about our investments in renewable energy in S Group’s annual review.

Combating climate change through action

The climate cannot wait

Emissions

60%

Less emissions

1,000,000

Tonnes less emissions

We are challenging our partners to reduce emissions

Energy efficiency

Renewable energy