Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen: Companies play a key role in the development of environmentally friendly technology
A record audience, more than 600 key people representing trade and industry, major authorities and business leaders participated today on the 11th Day of Commerce at Katajanokka, Helsinki. The seminar, organised by Kesko, focused on responsibility in business. A study by Turku School of Economics on ethical consumption was published at the Day of Commerce.
”Finnish companies are global market leaders in many business lines, such as mobile communications, various paper qualities, paper machines and luxury yachts and some hospital equipment. Why couldn't we be that in environmental technology, too?" Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen asked in his speech.
"Finland has advanced environmental technology and expertise. However, we need to intensify our customer- and market-driven export efforts and networking with other countries and companies. This presents a challenge to our innovation policy. In accordance with the Government platform, we are focusing on the research and development of renewable energy and other environmental technology. We have also selected energy and the environment as one of our national centres of strategic top know-how. In addition, by means of public acquisitions we can create demand for new innovative, environmentally friendly solutions,” said Vanhanen.
Regional differences in consumption behaviour
There are considerable regional differences in ethical consumption. The Greater Helsinki area stands out as the least environmentally friendly and ethical, but the most consumption-centred area. It also has the lowest recycling rate. The only thing that people living in the Greater Helsinki area are more willing to do than other Finnish people is limiting car use. These are the results of the study on ethical consumption, made by Terhi-Anna Wilska, Researcher of Turku School of Economics, and published during the Day of Commerce. The study which covered 1,500 Finns aged 18-65 was conducted in November 200.
The most environmentally friendly and ethical consumers live in the countryside and small towns. Consumers living in western Finland have the best recycling rate, whereas consumers in eastern Finland are the most efficient segregators of biodegradable and mixed waste. People living in southern Finland give most consideration to environmental aspects in car use, but are behind other consumers in their environmental behaviour in other respects. People in eastern and northern parts of Finland mostly limit their consumption for environmental reasons and lead the most natural lives.
The Day of Commerce was opened by Kesko's President and CEO, Matti Halmesmäki, who told the audience that Kesko will invest considerably on responsibility in the future years and will publish a new, specified responsibility programme during this year. The results achieved so far have been remarkable. He gave as an example the savings achieved in energy consumption in Kesko's properties: though Kesko's net sales have grown at a high rate in recent years, the efficiency of relative energy consumption has improved considerably.
Other speakers at the seminar were Carola Teir-Lehtinen, Fortum Corporation's Corporate Vice President, Sustainability, Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Unilever's Vice President, Global External Affairs, and Aleksi Neuvonen, Demos Helsinki's Research Director.
Presentation material is available at www.kesko.fi/Material > Presentations.
Further information:
Ulla Rehell, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 1053 22464
Paavo Moilanen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 1053 22764
Terhi-Anna Wilska, Adjunct Professor, Turku School of Economics, tel. +358 50 304 9159
Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a Finnish retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers through valued products and services at competitive prices. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia.
