Corporate Advocacy – Activities in Organisations

In advocacy and lobbying activities, Kesko is committed to the recommendations of good lobbying practice prepared by the Advisory Board for the Finnish Transparency Register. The recommendations are following: 

1. We respect the democratic decision-making process 
2. We act honestly and with respect for others 
3. We publicly disclose on whose behalf we are acting and what interests we are promoting 
4. We openly disclose our affiliations 
5. We respect confidentiality 
6. We adhere to the rules of hospitality 

The recommendations can be found in full at this link. 

The goal of the National Transparency Register is to increase the transparency of decision-making in the Parliament, the Government, and the ministries by registering such contacts with decision-makers that are made outside official working groups and hearings. The Transparency Register Act came into force on January 1, 2024. Disclosure of activities (in Finnish) can be found here. 

Our operations are also guided by the K Code of Conduct, which serves as support and guidance for the choices and decisions made within K Group. With these guidelines, we ensure that all employees within K Group, K-retailers, and K Group’s business partners have a common understanding of the rules and principles that guide our actions, for instance related to external communications and hospitality. Based on Kesko’s disclosure policy, we engage in open and active communication. 

Activities in organisations

Kesko is committed to the targets of the Paris Agreement and has set science-based emissions reductions targets. Kesko’s targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and in addition to emissions from Kesko’s own operations they cover the emissions from Kesko’s value chain.

Kesko has established a governance framework for public affairs activities. Trade association and possible other lobby organisation memberships are annually reviewed by the Group Management Board. Kesko closely follows the public policy engagements aligned with the Paris Agreement made by those trade associations and lobbying organisations that Kesko is a member of.

The most significant Finnish trading sector and business organisations with a Kesko representative in a position of trust are the Finnish Commerce Federation, Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), and Finnish Grocery Trade Association. The most significant international trading sector organisation is EuroCommerce. In 2024, Kesko paid as membership fees to these organisations: €802,000 to Finnish Commerce Federation (incl. EK membership fee); €428,000 to Finnish Grocery Trade Association; and €64,000 to EuroCommerce.