SUSTAINABILITY:
Systematic work for sustainable corporation
SUSTAINABILITY:
Systematic work for sustainable corporation
Edita Group helps its customers communicate more effectively and provides them with reliable printed and digital information. Edita Prima specializes in customer communication services for companies and organizations. Edita Publishing produces learning materials, web services, books, and training services to support the work of teachers and lawyers. It is right to say that our businesses have an impact on our society in many ways.
sustainability
At Edita Group, we aim to have a positive impact on society and run our business in a sustainable way. Creating value for and maintaining the trust of our stakeholders is at the core of our operations. We seek to work in close collaboration with our clients to provide them with solutions that drive their growth and increase their customers’ satisfaction.
Edita Group’s sustainability activities correspond to the areas of environmental and social responsibility and good governance that form the basis of our sustainability approach (ESG).
Edita Group also strives to maintain a good financial position that supports sustainable business. This includes financial responsibility and being a good corporate citizen.
We comply with legal requirements and transparency in our operations and have a proven track record of systematic sustainable work since the beginning of the 1990s. Our Code of Business Ethics (linkki) guides the activities of every Edita Group employee in relation to all our stakeholders: employees, customers, business partners and the owner. We also expect our business partners to comply with our ethical guidelines.
We are committed to running our businesses in a sustainable way and to respect environmental and social responsibility and ensure good governance in all our operations
Environmental responsibility:
Reducing carbon footprint
We reduce our own and customers’ environmental impact by investing in sustainable operations and services.
In our production activities the environmental work is systematic and focused on continuous improvement. One important step in reducing our carbon footprint has been the transition to electricity from renewable sources. We have centralized our operations and increased our use of premises in and efficient way. This has led to increased energy efficiency and improved management of the office practices.
Social responsibility:
Culture of growth and collaboration
We are committed to building a growth culture providing employees with learning opportunities, nurturing their talent, offering inspirational leadership and fair rewards for achievement. We believe that individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience, working together in an environment built on trust and transparency, are essential to our success.
We encourage employees to collaborate with each other to strengthen our culture and ability to meet customer needs. Our Guiding Principles are an essential part of our daily work, and they guide our behaviour and develop our culture towards a desired ethical direction
Good governance:
Transparent operation
Edita Group follows principles of good corporate governance. Our goal is to show integrity, transparency and accountability in all our operations. We comply with legal requirements and are honest and transparent when communicating about our business.
Financial responsibility:
Profitable growth
We aim to conduct our business in a profitable way and provide our stakeholders with reliable and high-quality products and services in order to sustain long-term relationships with them. We run our business efficiently aiming for long-term profitability and growth. Efficient internal control safeguards reliable information, and regular risk monitoring enables us to react and manage risks in time.
Environmental responsibility:
Reducing carbon footprint
We reduce our own and customers’ environmental impact by investing in sustainable operations and services.
In our production activities the environmental work is systematic and focused on continuous improvement. One important step in reducing our carbon footprint has been the transition to electricity from renewable sources. We have centralized our operations and increased our use of premises in and efficient way. This has led to increased energy efficiency and improved management of the office practices.
Social responsibility:
Culture of growth and collaboration
We are committed to building a growth culture providing employees with learning opportunities, nurturing their talent, offering inspirational leadership and fair rewards for achievement. We believe that individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience, working together in an environment built on trust and transparency, are essential to our success.
We encourage employees to collaborate with each other to strengthen our culture and ability to meet customer needs. Our Guiding Principles are an essential part of our daily work, and they guide our behaviour and develop our culture towards a desired ethical direction
Good governance:
Transparent operation
Edita Group follows principles of good corporate governance. Our goal is to show integrity, transparency and accountability in all our operations. We comply with legal requirements and are honest and transparent when communicating about our business.
Financial responsibility:
Profitable growth
We aim to conduct our business in a profitable way and provide our stakeholders with reliable and high-quality products and services in order to sustain long-term relationships with them. We run our business efficiently aiming for long-term profitability and growth. Efficient internal control safeguards reliable information, and regular risk monitoring enables us to react and manage risks in time.
Maintaining the trust of stakeholders
Maintaining the trust of stakeholders
Edita Group wants to operate in a way that helps us maintain the trust of our stakeholders. We always seek to work ethically, responsibly and in line with our Guiding Principles with our stakeholders.
Employees
Edita Group aims to be an attractive and responsible employer. We are committed to promoting a positive, dynamic workplace and creating interesting career and development opportunities for our employees.
We appreciate employees that demonstrate self-leadership, accountability and collaboration and believe that good leadership and a strong organizational culture are the cornerstones for employee engagement and high performance. We respect an employee’s right to balance their private and professional lives and believe it helps us attract and retain competent people.
Customers
Ongoing dialogue with customers is part of the fundamental nature of our business. We have a continuous dialogue with customers about their needs and expectations.
We aim for honest and accurate communication about our customers’ business as well as the services and products we create for them. We always seek a customer’s approval before openly discussing or publicizing a service we have created for them.
Partners
We treat our suppliers and sub-contractors equally and seek a cooperation built on trust and confidentiality. We place importance on the objective assessment of price, quality, and reliability in competition. We expect our partners to comply with our code of conduct and oppose illegal and unethical labor practices as we do.
Owner
Edita Group Plc is a Finnish public limited company owned by the Finnish state that holds 100 percent of the shares. The owner is represented as member of Edita Group’s Board of Directors and regularly receives information about our business in the form of financial reports.
Monitoring risks proactively
Monitoring risks proactively
Monitoring risks proactively
Risk management is an inseparable part of Edita Group’s strategic planning and operational goal setting. Risk management is based on an organization-wide approach to identifying, assessing, managing, and monitoring various risks.
The executives are responsible for managing risks related to sustainability and reacting accordingly. Edita Group’s Board of Directors has approved the risk management process applied by the executives. The executives assess the likelihood and significance of each risk. The Board of Directors also monitors and assesses risks that have been categorized as significant.
Financial risks
Regular monitoring of financial risks helps us to identify risks related to our business operations and react to them in advance. A risk can be anything that might have an impact on the company’s ability to meet its business objectives.
People
Our most important non-financial risks are related to people. These risks include:
- Failure to engage key people such as management and the key people who work closely with key customers.
- Challenges in recruiting talented specialists with the right cultural fit and managers who can develop the business and are good leaders.
- Challenges in employees strategic competence development.
- Occupational risks related to printing, such as accidents, chemical leaks, or fires at the production plant.
We manage people-related risks by implementing an excellent employee experience and talent attraction. In addition, we focus on employee and leadership development. We work towards enhancing a collaborative growth culture, nurturing and inspiring leadership and efficient talent development and recruitment practices. We maintain good lines of communication, communicating as openly as possible, and thereby enhance our employees’ involvement in developing the business.
Environmental risks
A fire or a chemical leak at a production plant could be harmful to the environment. We consider our other environmental risks to be minor in that sense.
Environmental risks are mainly managed through various environmental management systems, such as compliance with the ISO 14001 standard; our production company follows procedures established in environmental management systems to identify and prevent potential emergency situations and accidents that could harm the environment. These procedures are audited annually by accredited third parties. The company regularly reviews and tests its emergency preparedness and response procedures.
Climate change
Climate change is not a substantial risk for our business. Nevertheless, we consider combating climate change very important as it is the greatest threat to sustainable development globally.
We have managed to reduce our climate impact significantly since 2008 when we began assessing the ways in which our business contributes to climate change.
In 2009, Edita Prima started taking measures to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and began compensating for a proportion of these emissions. Further information can be found in the environmental responsibility section.
Good Governance
Transparent governance
and reporting
We comply with legal requirements and are honest and transparent when communicating about our business. Our sustainability agenda is set according to acknowledged policies and guidelines.
We comply with the principles of internationally recognized standards, such as the UN Global Compact and the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. Our reporting complies with the Finnish Government Resolution on State Ownership Policy issued in 2020 and the guidelines for state majority-owned companies on country-by-country tax reporting issued in 2022.
The goal of Edita Group’s Board of Directors, the Board committees and CEO is to operate the business in a responsible way.
Transparency
In group governance and reporting, Edita Group pursues integrity, transparency and accountability.
Audits and controls carried out by external parties help to create and maintain openness. Edita Group’s production company, Edita Prima, publishes environmental reports annually and prepares reports for authorities.
We voluntarily participate in environmental programs involving reporting to third parties that are listed in the Memberships and certificates paragraph below. These third parties also review our environmental calculations.
Our goal is to show integrity, transparency and accountability in cooperation with our stakeholders. We expect our partners to operate their businesses responsibly.
Reporting of violations
Each employee is able to report any suspected violations, such as dishonest or unethical activities or legal violations in their work community, without fear of discrimination or retaliation.
In December 2021, we established a shared internal whistleblowing channel for the Group and its business areas. Via this channel, employees can make an official report of any misconduct or violations of applicable law and internal instructions and procedures. Our whistleblowing guidelines are an essential part of our Code of Business Ethics that describes how we maintain the trust of our internal and external stakeholders by operating ethically, responsibly and in line with our six Guiding Principles.
In the group companies, violations can also be discussed in cooperation forums in which each staff group participates through representatives selected by the group in question or in other regular meetings between employer and employee representatives.
Memberships and certificates
Memberships and certificates
Edita Group and its subsidiaries are members of the Federation of the Finnish Media Industry.
Edita Publishing is a member of the Finnish Book Publishers Association. Edita Prima Oy is a member of the Finnish Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd and Data & Marketing Association of Finland (DMA Finland/ASML).
Climate-neutral business
Edita Prima has climate-neutral company certificate awarded by South Pole Group. It has reduced the carbon-dioxide emissions generated by its operations and compensated for the remaining emissions by funding UN-supervised clean development mechanism projects in Congo.
Nordic Ecolabel
Edita Prima’s production plant in Helsinki, Finland is entitled to use the Nordic Ecolabel. The environmental impact of printing production has been considered throughout the production chain. Both the materials used and the production processes comply with the Nordic Ecolabel criteria.
Certified environmental management system
Edita Prima’s production plant in Helsinki, Finland is certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management.
Forest certification
Edita Prima has certified its system for monitoring the origin of the wood fiber used in its paper in accordance with international standards from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).
It is thus also entitled to use the labels indicating that the wood fiber used in their paper originates from a forest that is managed in a socially, ecologically and economically responsible way.
Reporting of sustainability
Reporting of sustainability
Our sustainability reporting covers the activities of the parent company, Edita Group Plc, and its wholly owned subsidiaries in the financial year from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Edita Group’s subsidiaries Edita Prima and Edita Publishing are included in the consolidated financial statements. Our shared sustainability strategy covers the Edita Group and its business areas. The responsibility of implementing sustainability activities in practice lies in the business area. We report on our sustainability activities in our Annual Report.
Our sustainability reporting complies with the CR reporting model for non-listed companies owned by the Finnish State (the Finnish Government Resolution on State Ownership Policy issued in 2020.
The information related to financial responsibility is based on the consolidated financial statements and accounting. The indicators for social responsibility are from personnel information systems, payroll systems and accounting. In the calculation of staff-related figures, we have followed the general annual reporting guidelines issued by the Finnish Accounting Board. The figures for environmental responsibility are from the Group’s own systems.
The CEO review and Business and Financials sections of this Annual Report provide information on the Group’s financial performance, organization, ownership, governance and companies, as well as changes that occurred during the financial period from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2022 (18 months).