Are you a sustainable investor?

During the past decade, sustainable and responsible investing (SRI) has become increasingly popular. The United Nations’ six Principles for Responsible Investment have more than 1,400 signatories from over 50 countries, representing USD 59 trillion of assets (UN, PRI Brochure 2016). According to our latest shareholder identification exercise (Nasdaq Corporate Solutions), sustainable investors make up a substantial portion of Valmet’s shareholder base, too. Looking at our shareholder base, approximately half of the institutional shareholding in Valmet is held by investors who are either wholly committed to SRI principles or monitor ESG performance. The total share of SRI shareholders can be estimated to be even higher, as also retail investors in Europe have become increasingly focused on ESG issues (Eurosif, European SRI Study 2016).

In recent years, investors have been increasingly interested in how Valmet manages sustainability, and at investor meetings, sustainability is a common topic. Particularly with investors who are not familiar with Valmet, we take time to introduce our Sustainability360° agenda and the acknowledgements Valmet has received for its progress in sustainability. Valmet was included in the world's most recognized sustainability index, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, for the third consecutive year. Valmet is also included in the Ethibel Sustainability Index Excellence Europe. The inclusions prove that Valmet doesn’t only do the basics to ensure sustainability in its value chain, but is in fact a global sustainability leader, working hard to improve its sustainability performance each year. Sustainability is an integral part of Valmet’s business strategy and Must-Wins. By developing sustainable technology and reducing CO² emissions in our own operations we also mitigate climate change. Our actions on this front were recognized by the inclusion in CDP’s Climate A List 2016, where Valmet was ranked among the top 9% of the over 2,200 global companies included in CDP reporting. 

Valmet has reported its sustainability performance already since 2002, and since 2010 our sustainability reporting has been assured by a third party. Hence, we are well prepared for the EU’s Non-Financial Reporting directive, which will integrate the systematic reporting of relevant ESG policies, risks and outcomes into our annual financial disclosure from year 2017 onwards. The new reporting format with KPIs will make it easier for our stakeholders to follow Valmet’s progress in sustainability, and to compare our performance with other companies. 

Read more on Valmet as a sustainable investment.