Kesko awarded for the best corporate responsibility reporting in Finland for the fourth time

Kesko Corporation was awarded for the fourth time for the best overall reporting of environmental and corporate responsibility in Finland. Previously Kesko has ranked first in 2001, 2002 and 2004. In 2003 Kesko came in second.

The competition was now arranged for the tenth time and, like in the previous years, by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of the Environment, the Finnish Institute of Authorised Public Accountants, the Economic Information Office, the Association for Environmental Management (YJY) and the Kauppalehti newspaper. The evaluation team of LTT Research Ltd and the Helsinki School of Economics presented the proposal of the organisations to be awarded to the jury. The awards were presented on Tuesday by Minister of the Environment Jan-Erik Enestam at the House of Estates in Helsinki.

The comparison evaluated the level of reporting rather than operations and their development. Besides the separate corporate responsibility report, the evaluation covered annual reports and Internet pages. The competition aims to develop reporting of organisations towards increased openness and that way to enhance transparency of the implementation of corporate responsibility in organisations.

According to the jury, Kesko's reporting proves that the company's corporate responsibility activities are very advanced and play a key role in the company's operations. Worth mentioning, in particular, are the report's reviews of Kesko's vision and strategy of corporate responsibility, and the principles and management systems guiding the approach to corporate responsibility. The report presents different areas of corporate responsibility in a balanced way, while also focusing on key issues in the trading sector.

Kesko has received recognition for the results of its corporate responsibility activities this autumn. In the Dow Jones sustainable development indexes published in September Kesko was rated the best in the world in the retailing sector. In October, Innovest Strategic Value Advisors published a global analysis of food & drug retailers, in which Kesko Food Ltd was rated the best company in this line of business.

Kesko’s corporate responsibility report can also be read at www.kesko.fi (Responsibility).

Further information:
Jouko Kuisma, Head of Corporate Responsibility, tel. +358 1053 23140, +358 50 5143 043.