A growing number of companies have realised the value of taking a proactive stance on sustainability, as such an approach puts them in a better position for dealing with customers. Renewable agreement from Fortum is helping companies to reduce their CO2 emissions.
“We are doing a lot to reduce our direct emissions. Renewable agreement from Fortum has also helped us reduce indirect emissions, which are often more difficult to control,” says Håkon Skjellevik-Heger, Head of Operations and Sustainability at Norengros, which is a major wholesaler and Norway’s largest supplier of consumer goods for the public and private sectors.
Fortum’s Renewable agreement ensures that the power comes with a guarantee of origin for renewable energy. “It is essential for us to have a guarantee of origin for our power and this agreement is essential for enabling us to reach our sustainability goals,” says Håkon. According to him, their goal was to become climate-neutral as early as 2019, and they did it. “Sustainability is now an integral part of our core strategy. Norengros has been a member of Ethical Trade Norway since 2010, and we monitor all our suppliers to ensure a responsible value chain.”
He adds that this commitment to sustainability is an advantage when dealing with customers. “We are becoming more attractive precisely because we are helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals. We also play an active role in the value chain, along with our subcontractors, to make things more eco-friendly. In this way, we have become more involved in green shift, both upwards and downwards through the value chain.”
This is the reason Norengros went for the greenest power purchase agreement it could find. Norengros owns large warehouses covering 75,000 square metres. Controlling the temperature of these sites requires a great deal of electricity, so this will reduce the CO2 emissions in the end,” he says.
Customers having Renewable agreement in Norway also help support the work of Rainforest Foundation Norway aimed at reducing emissions, conserving biodiversity and strengthening the rights of indigenous populations. Anders Bolstad, Senior Marketing Advisor at Rainforest Foundation Norway tells us: “What we receive via Renewable agreement and our cooperation with Fortum is vital. All companies have an opportunity to make a difference through their everyday choices. We encourage all companies to monitor their supplier chain and request good environmental documentation.”
Contributing to the transition to renewable electricity production
Another company making extensive use of Fortum’s Renewable agreement is Silver, a strategic brand and design agency in Sweden. They help other companies to build and develop their brands – and to think more sustainably. Therése Eineman of Silver explains: “We can make a difference for our customers by making them think sustainably, but we also make demands on both our own and the customer's suppliers.” Silver has joined Ecovadis, which rates companies on their sustainability.
Silver has chosen to add Fortum’s renewable energy product ‘Miljötrygg’ that includes energy for renewable sources, to their electricity contract. “We do what we can to influence. It is good that Fortum makes it easy for customers to make sustainable choices. When you get an opportunity to choose 100% renewable electricity, it’s a given that you take it,” says Therése. The companies that choose to buy renewable energy are involved in the phasing out of fossil energy sources. When companies choose to buy electricity from renewable sources, they secure production for their electricity consumption and contribute to the increasing demand for that type of electricity – and that, in turn, makes renewable energy more attractive to investors and electricity companies.
Silver also helps their customers to make sustainability reports that communicate the values they live by. “Sustainability is very important today as it strengthens the brand and adds to the perception of being a serious company,” Therése concludes.
In addition to contributing to the transition to renewable electricity production, the companies in Sweden that have ‘Miljötrygg’ also support the Keep Sweden Clean organisation, which is working to prevent and counter the littering of land and seas. They gather knowledge, drive opinion, collaborate with schools, and develop tools and solutions to stop litter. Their efforts are driven by their vision: A litter-free society is the foundation for a sustainable society.
“With the support from Fortum's customers, we can make more and more powerful efforts against litter,” says Joakim Brodahl at Keep Sweden Clean. “Picking up rubbish is not just about cleaning. Above all, it’s an eye opener to achieve a change in attitude and in behaviour. We know that a person who picks up rubbish is less likely to litter themselves in the future,” Joakim emphasises.
Links to renewable agreement in various markets: