Last year in this introduction I talked about how responsible business was increasingly becoming a mainstream phenomenon. I argued that companies – big and small – from all over the world were beginning to see the benefits of sustainable operations and products, of valuing human rights and fair labor conditions, preventing corruption, and establishing responsible supply chains.
How much progress have we made in a year? Has long-term
sustainability claimed its rightful place on top of corporate agenda
everywhere? I suppose it’s safe to say that this is still a work in progress. But I would argue that things are moving in the right direction.
In Vaisala, we have a solid foundation in place on which to build.
Corporate responsibility is a Vaisala-wide priority for us. Our
business processes, products and operations are continuously
under further development. We strive to conduct our business fairly and with integrity. Our strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption, for example, binds not only our own staff but also that of our representatives – no minor undertaking considering the completely global reach of our business.
Inherently Sustainable Business
Thanks to the nature of our business, Vaisala’s operation is inherently sustainable; our technologies are used to improve the safety and daily life of people everywhere. In recent years we have invested heavily in the development of so-called decision support systems that improve traffic safety on roads and at airports significantly by giving the authorities better tools for predicting the changing weather. Continuous monitoring systems help our life science customers produce better and safer drugs and medical innovations.
An aviation system installation in a developing country benefits not only the passengers traveling to and from the airport, but the entire country as an investment to the overall infrastructure. Our technology can also be used to track and predict adverse weather to minimize the impact of natural catastrophes like hurricanes or floods on a society.
Many of our products also lessen the impact of our customers’ operations on the environment. Being able to optimize the use of
salt on the roads or deicing fluids at airports, for example, decreases the amount of chemicals used without compromising safety. Our measurement systems help energy providers find optimal locations for wind parks, thus supporting the shift to renewable energy sources. In the industrial business, we introduced a new product last year for monitoring the condition of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) as an insulating gas in high voltage transmission and distribution equipment that significantly decreases the risk of this powerful greenhouse gas being
released into the atmosphere.
Concrete Actions Correspond to Values
Environmental issues are more than just a business for Vaisala. Our new head office is a good example of things we hold in high value. From the very beginning, the aim was to make the building as ecological and energy self-sufficient as possible by utilizing geothermal power for heating and cooling and solar power for own energy production. Being awarded a LEED for New Construction certification at the second highest gold level proved that we had succeeded.
LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an
internationally-recognized green building certification system
developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification
necessitates meeting strict sustainability requirements in building
design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
In addition to the new building, we have refurbished older facilities
at our campus to make way for brighter and more pleasant working spaces, improved indoor air quality with newly installed HVAC systems, and reorganized the factory for a more intuitive work layout.
Meaningful Work for Talented Professionals
Fair play is one of Vaisala’s core values, and certainly one of the reasons why our staff reportedly feels proud to work for Vaisala and finds their work meaningful. We take this in no way granted, on the contrary – the long-term commitment, creativity and skills of our personnel are the very cornerstones of Vaisala’s success.
We also believe in engaging with the future generation of experts, one concrete example of which is our summer internship program. Vaisala Giant Leap is heading into its fifth year already, and again hundreds of extremely talented young people have applied to the program. What’s special about Vaisala Giant Leap is that it offers students genuinely meaningful work in real development projects. It gives them an opportunity to really show what they can do.
Which is appreciated – last summer we were named Finland’s Most Responsible Summer Job Employer in a campaign organized by the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation. To me, this speaks volumes as the winners were chosen based on evaluations by students who worked in the participating companies during the summer.
From Strategy to Practice
As the above mentioned examples and this entire report illustrate,
we are constantly working on strengthening Vaisala as a company – both economically and as a responsible business. As we have the foundation in place, the next step is to integrate sustainable thinking even more organically into our operations and processes, all the way from strategy to practice.
Today sustainability is a genuine driver in our operation. Tomorrow it is embedded in everything we do and the way we think. The new era of sustainability begins.