Vaisala commits to UN Sustainable Development Goals to promote sustainable business

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Sustainability

In 2019, Vaisala identified the most relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for its business, and we reported them for the first time in our annual report 2019 and on our website. However, Vaisala’s multifaceted business is brimming with stories, and now in this article series, we will illustrate our commitment with some concrete examples on how our business is truly linked to the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals are at the center of United Nations Agenda 2030. The goals have been adopted by all UN member states, and they are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address global challenges that we face now and in the future, including those related to climate change, environmental matters, inequality, and resource efficiency, for instance.

Vaisala’s business is located at the intersection of multiple global megatrends that are tightly intertwined with the SDGs, and solutions that benefit society and the environment have always been at the core of Vaisala. We offer versatile, accurate and reliable measurement solutions that provide a basis for informed decision-making in a multitude of industries. We help customers assess weather and environmental phenomena and thus safeguard lives and infrastructure. In the industrial measurements area, our measurement solutions help develop more sustainable and efficient industrial processes, reducing waste and emissions.

“Through our mission Observations for a better world, sustainability is at the very heart of our business. Our business is entwined with most of the Sustainable Development Goals, both through the contribution of our products and solutions as well as through our own operations and business practices. At Vaisala, we always aim to adhere to the highest standards of sustainability and are committed to continuing the development through the UN Sustainable Development goals,” describes Kjell Forsén, President and CEO of Vaisala.

The relevant SDGs have been identified at Vaisala on two levels. On the one hand, the solutions in both of our business areas contribute to sustainable development. On the other hand, we strive for environmentally and socially sustainable business practices in our own operations.

Our sustainable solutions are linked to five SDGs
 

SDG 13 climate action SDG 3 Health and well-being SDG Clean energy SDG 9 Sustainable infrastructure SDG 11 Clean energy

Climate action (SDG 13): Extreme weather events are increasing and intensifying as a result of climate change. We enable our meteorological customers make reliable weather measurements, help developing nations in building up their weather infrastructure as well as provide hurricane measurements with our dropsondes. Thus nations can better prepare for extreme weather.
Good health and well-being (SDG 3): Our solutions monitor conditions in the strictly regulated medicine manufacturing as well as the vital conditions in hospitals and laboratories.
Affordable and clean energy (SDG 7): Renewable energy is becoming more and more competitive. We manufacture solutions for optimizing wind and solar power production as well as biogas processes. In addition, with accurate measurements, the energy efficiency can be improved not only in industrial processes but also in buildings.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9): With our measurements solutions, industrial customers can improve the resource efficiency of their processes.
Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11): Traffic operators use our digital solutions to improve the safety of transport systems with the very best road surface condition monitoring and road weather solutions, for instance. In urban areas, our dense air quality measurement networks help observe and assess the air pollution level in cities.

Our sustainable business practices are linked to six SDGs
 

SDG 12 Responsible production SDG Clean energy SDG 13 climate action SDG 8 Decent work SDG 10 Reduced inequalities SDG 16 Strong institutions

Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12): We design environmentally-friendly and safe products with long life cycles and easy end-of-life processing. We aim to continuously increase our recycling rate.
Affordable and clean energy (SDG 7): We are committed to using 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2020 as well as improving the energy efficiency in our facilities.
Climate action (SDG 13): We aim to decrease the indirect emissions from commuting, for example, and raise climate awareness among our personnel, encouraging them to climate friendly choices.
Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8): Our business has a positive economic impact on communities through employment and taxes, both directly and through supply chain. We uphold labor standards and occupational health and safety as well as manage human rights risks in our own operations and partner network.
Reduced inequalities (SDG 10): We promote diversity, providing equal opportunities in recruitment and development, for example.
Peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16): We are strongly against corruption and ensure that our employees and partners comply with our International Anti-Corruption Policy.

By integrating all these goals into our strategy work, we can better assess our impacts on sustainable development and get inspiration for developing new business and sustainable business practices. Going forward, we want to strengthen this linkage and work actively to reach the goals.
 
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This is the first post in our article series about Vaisala’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Stay tuned for more information on how our solutions, practices and mission Observations for a better world are linked with the SDGs.
 

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