Improving sustainability is a critical challenge of our time, and companies play a major role in this. In 2020, we developed our sustainability activities on many fronts and set ambitious goals.
18 February 2021
During 2020, TietoEVRY focused on integration as well as developing business and adapting to the changing business environment and ways of working associated with Covid-19.
- The key factor in our success is that we already had two strong organizations with DNA that had been driving them to advance a more sustainable and open society. Naturally, as an IT company, our solutions in data and related areas play a major role in decarbonization and increasing sustainability, says Asta Stenhagen, Head of Legal, Risk and Corporate security.
Significant work went into adapting to remote working while merging Tieto and EVRY office spaces in 2020.
- During the early days of the spreading pandemic, we were early in requiring remote operations to ensure safety, Stenhagen continues.
- You could say that we went from taking care of around 180 on-site offices, to taking care of more than 24,000 home offices! For example, we moved to 100% e-learnings and remote trainings. We adapted our office facilities to mirror our decreased needs. This meant reductions in maintenance services, cleaning, heating and cooling, which has reduced our environmental impact, says Tomas Elken, Chief Procurement Officer.
During 2020, many rules and practices were adapted to fit both the needs of the new company as well as its sustainability ambitions. The approach was simple but effective: combine the best of both companies’ approaches to suit the ambitions of TietoEVRY.
- When we merged, we created a new Code of Conduct, which was introduced with a new e-learning that combines real-life examples to make the policies crystal clear. We also launched a global whistle-blowing channel to enable people to safely and anonymously report non-compliant actions and behaviour, Stenhagen says.
- Similarly, we updated our Supplier Code of. Conduct and upgraded our policies related to our environmental impact. For example, our Travel Rule was updated to steer towards more conscious decisions when choosing how and when to travel - when it resumes, says Ida Bohman Steenberg, Head of Sustainability.
A new sustainability game plan was developed in 2020.
- We raised our ambitions by quite a margin by setting bold but achievable sustainability goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing circularity and advancing diversity and inclusion, to name a few key approaches, Bohman Steenberg says.
The work was an organization-wide co-operative effort, which ensured strong commitment from all business leaders and key functions. The plan was launched during Q1/2021.
- We are also very happy about the feedback we have received on our new sustainability game plan. Investors and other companies have even highlighted it – we appreciate their encouraging feedback, Bohman Steenberg continues.
TietoEVRY’s solutions also play a major role in advancing customer actions to both mitigate and quantify environmental impacts.
- We enable many sustainability goals, by connecting customer needs with tangible data and AI solutions, for example, Asta Stenhagen points out.
- During the year, we also continued integrating sustainability into our business with a stronger focus on supporting our customer teams in delivering sustainable solutions to our customers. And together with the Sustainability Steering Group, which includes our Country Managers and key players from operations, we also decided to form a cross-service line "hit-team" consisting of sustainability and technology consultants. This new set up and way of governing sustainability in customer projects in a more structured way will be put into practice in 2021, Ida Bohman Steenberg emphasizes.
This work regarding further integration of sustainability and business was evident in customer projects for the cities of Vaasa and Trondheim, where strong commitment to sustainability and working co-operation between different parties have yielded great results and possibilities for cities to lower their emissions and drive sustainability efforts.
Listening and engaging with employees is not a project at TietoEVRY, it is a way of working. The possibility to give direct feedback and receive answers openly is one of the fundamentals of the transparent culture the company embraces.
- During the year, we also utilized the Future of Work survey to map out current and expected work scenarios. For example, regarding remote work, we see a huge change in work flexibility. More and more people want to split their time evenly between the office and remote work. We listen to our employees and try to adapt to their evolving needs, Tomas Elken points out.
Remote work has eliminated commutes, and this can impact the activity levels and wellbeing of people.
- In the Nordics, we set up a challenge for everyone to walk more than 10,000 steps each day. Thousands of colleagues signed up. Since taking on the challenge myself, I have pursued that goal even after the challenge officially ended, Elken says.