Tips for Companies and Organisations
Examples of Actions
Liiketoiminta vaikuttaa meriympäristöön esimerkiksi logistiikan, raaka-aineiden, energian käytön ja henkilöstön kautta. Toimintapajojen muuttaminen kestävämpään suuntaan on usein taloudellisesti kannattavaa, kun esimerkiksi logistiikka ja materiaalien käyttö tehostuvat ja energia- sekä vedenkulutus vähenevät. Vesien tilaa parantavat ratkaisut edistävät usein myös ilmastonmuutoksen ja luontokadon torjumista.
Kun yritys sitoutuu Itämeri-suojeluun Itämerihaasteen sitoumuksella, se liittyy ympäristövastuullisten toimijoiden verkostoon. Nostamme verkostomme onnistumisia ja osaamista esiin esimerkiksi uutiskirjeissä ja tapahtumissa. Alta voit lukea lyhyesti, millaisiin teemoihin yritykset voivat keskittyä parantaakseen vesistöjen tilaa. Jos kaipaat apua toimien suunnittelussa, ole rohkeasti yhteydessä.
Sustainable Procurements and Management of Chemicals
Procurement decisions have a direct impact on water bodies: the materials, cleaning agents and services chosen either increase or reduce the amount of harmful substances and microplastics entering the environment. In a company context, this means prioritising eco-labelled products, reducing the use of chemicals, and ensuring their proper storage and disposal. Define supplier criteria (e.g. PFAS-free requirements, environmental labels and clear SDS information) and require suppliers to describe water-related impacts as part of contracts. Also ensure staff are trained on harmful substances and updated policies. Set a few indicators to track progress, such as a target percentage of eco-labelled purchases.
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Transportation and Logistics
Transport and logistics increase the load on marine areas. Review whether your transport routes and modes are sustainable, and assess whether shipments can be combined. Switch to lighter, recyclable packaging materials and minimise overall packaging. These actions help reduce the use of fossil fuels, which accelerate climate change and contribute to eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. Set clear targets to guide the transition.
Also ensure employees have opportunities for sustainable mobility. Organise joint development or recreation days nearby and, where possible, accessible by public transport. A change of scenery can be refreshing without requiring long-distance travel.
Everyday Choices at the Workplace
Everyday company decisions, such as catering and water use, also affect water bodies. Create a catering guideline that promotes plant-based options, eco-labelled products and food waste reduction. Serve tap water instead of bottled water in meetings and avoid single-use items. Meetings often generate bio-waste, so develop a practical solution for composting.
Make sure your premises provide clear and functional options for waste sorting and recycling. Clear instructions, easily accessible sorting points and staff guidance help make recycling a seamless part of daily operations.
As initial indicators, you can track metrics such as food waste per event or reductions in single-use products over time. For example, Ekokompassi and WWF Green Office offer environmental management systems for companies.
Footprint Under Control
Without measurement, development remains unsystematic. Assess your company’s carbon, water and Baltic Sea footprint using simple calculators and identify the 2–3 main impact areas (e.g. transport, packaging or chemicals). Set concrete, time-bound targets, assign responsibilities and include actions in your company’s action plan. Communicate progress transparently: internally through monthly reports or dashboards, and externally via sustainability pages and stakeholder communications. When goals and results are visible, it becomes easier to engage staff in the transition.
Explore different calculators and tools, for example on the Finnish Environment Institute’s environmental impact assessment pages.
