Communication on Progress

Participant
Published
  • 01-Apr-2015
Time period
  • April 2014  –  April 2015
Format
  • Stand alone document – Basic COP Template
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Active level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
 
  • Statement of continued support by the Chief Executive Officer
  • Statement of the company's chief executive (CEO or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the company's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.

  • 1.4.2015

    To our stakeholders:

    I am pleased to confirm that Valmet Corporation reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption.

    In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

    Sincerely yours,

    Pasi Laine
    
President and CEO

    Valmet Corporation

Human Rights
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of human rights for the company (i.e. human rights risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on Human Rights.

  • Valmet operates according to and promote the principles described
    in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises,
    the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration of
    Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

    Valmet’s Code of Conduct creates a uniform foundation for
    all business transactions and work assignments covering sustainable
    business operations, people and society, and environment.
    The Code of Conduct is based on globally acknowledged
    guidelines and principles and is translated into 11 languages.

    In order to reinforce the Code across the company, we will execute
    a comprehensive process in 2015 including the enforcement of
    redefined processes related to the Code, management training
    and a global e-learning program for all employees.

    Alongside the Code of Conduct, Valmet also has policies and
    guidelines supporting sustainable business practices. These include
    its Anti-Corruption Policy and Competition Compliance
    Guidelines. The Anti-Corruption Policy defines in detail Valmet’s
    zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and sets
    out guidance for daily operations. The Competition Compliance
    Guidelines provide practical instructions for compliance with
    competition and anti-trust laws.

    Training for these topics is organized on a regular basis. The
    most recent training for the Competition Compliance Guidelines
    was launched in the second half of 2014, and the next Anti-Corruption
    e-learning will be launched in the first quarter of 2015. The
    training will be given first to top management and other senior
    management and employees from sales and procurement. The previous
    Anti-Corruption training was completed during 2014.

    Valmet has in place a specific Health, Safety and Environment
    (HSE) Policy, which defines our common principles and shows
    our commitment to responsible management of health safety
    and environmental issues globally within Valmet. It guides our
    approach to HSE in own operations, stakeholder collaboration
    and Valmet’ solutions. The policy is promoted actively in all Valmet’s
    activities as an element in our local management systems.

    In 2014, we launched a Sustainable Supply Chain Policy, which
    applies to all suppliers globally. The policy was approved by
    Valmet’s Executive Team in June. The policy will be incorporated
    into new contracts and purchase orders, and communicated to
    all active suppliers.

    The policy addresses Valmet´s requirements for its suppliers
    regarding business ethics, compliance, human rights and labor
    rights, occupational health and safety, environmental management
    and sustainability in products and services. We expect all
    our suppliers to comply with the principles defined in the policy;
    it is the starting point for all business relationships with Valmet.
    If the requirements of Valmet´s Sustainable Supply Chain Policy
    are not followed, Valmet reserves the right to terminate the
    contract with the supplier. The policy acts as a basis for supplier
    evaluations, self-assessments and sustainability audits.

    During 2015–2016, Valmet will conduct a human rights
    impact assessment of the supply chain and its own operations.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement Human Rights policies, address Human Rights risks and respond to Human Rights violations.

  • During 2015–2016, Valmet will conduct a human rights
    impact assessment of the supply chain and its own operations.

    In order to enable continuous stakeholder dialogue, we launched
    a comprehensive web-based brainstorming tool for collecting and
    analyzing stakeholder opinions in 2014. The process allows
    our stakeholders to express their views on Valmet’s sustainability
    performance and propose ideas for further development.

    The web-based tool is open for all stakeholders and utilized in
    annual and one-off meetings with our stakeholders to gather
    feedback from all stakeholder groups.

    The brainstorming results are reviewed on a regular basis. All
    information received is gathered together and analyzed for the
    annual strategy review process to assess and evaluate potential
    new topics of concern.

    Valmet’s Code of Conduct creates a uniform foundation for
    all business transactions and work assignments covering sustainable
    business operations, people and society, and environment.
    The Code of Conduct is based on globally acknowledged
    guidelines and principles and is translated into 11 languages.

    In order to reinforce the Code across the company, we will execute
    a comprehensive process in 2015 including the enforcement of
    redefined processes related to the Code, management training
    and a global e-learning program for all employees.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • Valmet´s web-based brainstorming (stakeholder dialogue) results are reviewed on a regular basis. All
    information received is gathered together and analyzed for the
    annual strategy review process to assess and evaluate potential
    new topics of concern.

    Valmet measures progress through:
    -Third party sustainability
    ratings
    - Depth of stakeholder
    dialogue
    - Local evaluation of
    community programs

Labour
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of labour rights for the company (i.e. labour rights-related risks and opportunities). Description of written policies, public commitments and company goals on labour rights.

  • During 2015–2016, Valmet will conduct a human rights
    impact assessment of the supply chain and its own operations.

    We promote transparency in our communications with our
    stakeholders and strive to ensure that all our operations are carried
    out in a socially responsible and globally aligned manner.
    Our daily operations are guided by Valmet’s general operating
    principles, which comprise of Valmet’s Code of Conduct and
    related policies. These create the foundation for sustainable
    business practices. They define how we deal with human rights,
    labor practices, environmental issues, compliance with laws and
    regulations, fair competition, occupational well-being and safety,
    and ethical standards through the entire value chain.

    Valmet’s Code of Conduct creates a uniform foundation for
    all business transactions and work assignments covering sustainable
    business operations, people and society, and environment.
    The Code of Conduct is based on globally acknowledged
    guidelines and principles and is translated into 11 languages. In
    order to reinforce the Code across the company, we will execute
    a comprehensive process in 2015 including the enforcement of
    redefined processes related to the Code, management training
    and a global e-learning program for all employees.

    Alongside the Code of Conduct, Valmet also has policies and
    guidelines supporting sustainable business practices. These include
    its Anti-Corruption Policy and Competition Compliance
    Guidelines. The Anti-Corruption Policy defines in detail Valmet’s
    zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and sets
    out guidance for daily operations. The Competition Compliance
    Guidelines provide practical instructions for compliance with
    competition and anti-trust laws.

    Training for these topics is organized on a regular basis. The
    most recent training for the Competition Compliance Guidelines
    was launched in the second half of 2014, and the next Anti-Corruption
    e-learning will be launched in the first quarter of 2015. The
    training will be given first to top management and other senior
    management and employees from sales and procurement. The previous
    Anti-Corruption training was completed during 2014.

    Valmet has in place a specific Health, Safety and Environment
    (HSE) Policy, which defines our common principles and shows
    our commitment to responsible management of health safety
    and environmental issues globally within Valmet. It guides our
    approach to HSE in own operations, stakeholder collaboration
    and Valmet’ solutions. The policy is promoted actively in all Valmet’s
    activities as an element in our local management systems
    as a part of contracts with suppliers, and it is communicated
    continuously as part of HSE trainings.

    At Valmet, the requirements for complying with ethical
    standards go beyond own operations, covering the supply chain
    and with the aim of integrating sustainable business practices
    throughout the entire value chain. In 2014, we defined our requirements
    for suppliers in a Sustainable Supply Chain Policy,
    for which global roll-out was initiated in the second half of 2014.
    All the most relevant policies and guidelines are reviewed
    and approved by the Board of Directors and or the Executive
    Team on a regular basis.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions taken by the company to implement labour policies, address labour risks and respond to labour violations.

  • Valmet has established a strategic plan for safety improvement,
    focusing on safety culture development and global standards
    and procedures. We also have a dedicated environmental efficiency
    program. Our goal is zero harm, and we work proactively
    towards the long-term targets for reducing our environmental
    impacts and preventing workplace injuries.

    To continuously improve our safety performance, we focus on
    building a strong safety culture. While Valmet is committed to
    providing the tools and processes needed to ensure the health
    and safety of its employees, all Valmet people are aware of their
    personal ownership for safety and the value of caring for safety
    in our teams.

    To ensure continuous dedication to safety throughout the
    organization, we completed the process of establishing HSE as
    a standard agenda item in all management meetings and continued
    to implement the routine practice of management safety
    walks during 2014. With the aim of securing competent and
    aware personnel in all operations and activities our units also
    focused on defining HSE training requirements during the year
    as the basis for annual planning going forward.

    In 2014, we continued to develop our global HSE management
    structure by harmonizing critical global HSE procedures, such
    as severe incident investigation routines, our global HSE auditing
    process and accountability guidelines.

    Valmet’s local organizations are required to report and analyze all
    HSE incidents (injuries, near misses) and observations (hazardous
    conditions, unsafe behavior) in Valmet’s global incident management
    system to ensure systematic learning from previous cases.

    In 2014, Valmet focused on methodical investigation of severe or
    high-potential incidents by a core team of investigators to ensure
    preventive actions are defined and taken globally. In 2014, there were
    no fatalities in Valmet’s operations (own and supervised employees
    as well as independent contractors), and the lost time incident frequency
    rate (LTIF) of our own personnel decreased 15% to 5.5.

    According to Valmet’s HSE policy, compliance with applicable
    laws and regulations is only a minimum requirement. In addition
    to this, Valmet has defined minimum requirements for safety at
    work for high-risk activities to ensure a common safety platform
    across all its operations.

    In 2014, we extended the minimum safety
    standards to cover five additional critical activities: safeguarding
    of machines, hazardous manual handling, hot work, driving
    safety and emergency action planning. Since the introduction of
    the standards in 2012, serious incidents leading to absences of one
    or more days have decreased by 34%.

    In 2014, we also finalized our common HSE toolbox for
    mill maintenance operations. This extensive handbook adds
    a selection of global best practices in HSE maintenance to the
    common Valmet standards and procedures and is to be used
    as a toolkit when establishing new maintenance operations
    in customer mills and a benchmark for the development of
    existing operations.

    Certified management systems according to the OHSAS
    18001 and ISO 14001 standards are the basis for the systematic
    management of HSE aspects, risks and sustainable
    improvements in Valmet’s activities. We work consistently to
    implement these standards and to increase the scope of operational
    coverage. Our local safety committees cover 92% of our
    employees.

    We expect our suppliers, contractors and other partners to implement
    the same safety standards and guidelines as those implemented
    by Valmet. In 2014, we continued to develop our processes
    and tools to align safety practices in customer deliveries.

    In South America, for example, Valmet already systematically
    monitors important key performance indicators (KPIs) for safety
    for independent contractors in all engineering, procurement
    and construction (EPC) deliveries, and this is a practice we are
    now developing in the other regions too. In 2014, the LTIF for
    independent contractors in South America decreased to 0.8.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • Please see Valmet´s Annual report and our GRI index for more information.

Environment
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of environmental protection for the company (i.e. environmental risks and opportunities). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on environmental protection.

  • In 2014, Valmet was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability
    World (DJSI World) and Europe (DJSI Europe) indices and
    ranked among the leaders in CDP’s Nordic Climate Disclosure
    Leadership Index (CDLI) with a score of 98/100. In these indices Valmet responds widely to the questions of environmental protections role, policies and goals. Valmet´s CDP disclosure is publicly available.

    Valmet’s operations with the greatest environmental impact are
    our foundries and technology centers, as well as our assembly,
    manufacturing and service workshops. Our environmental efficiency
    program promotes practical actions at all locations to
    ensure continuous improvement regarding our most significant
    impacts, which relate to the use of energy and water as well as
    waste management. Environmental permits are maintained for
    all operations. A key improvement contributing to lower CO2
    emissions in 2014 was the replacement of coal boilers with a natural
    gas heating system in our Xian workshop in China. Coal is
    no longer used as a fuel in any Valmet location. The total volume
    of non-hazardous landfill waste increased in 2014 due to the
    reporting of full year data from a foundry in Sweden acquired
    during mid-2013.

    Valmet constantly develops its environmental reporting to ensure
    it can accurately monitor its performance. We also annually
    calculate the entire value chain’s greenhause gas (GHG) emissions.

    Please see Valmet´s Annual report and our GRI index for more information.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement environmental policies, address environmental risks and respond to environmental incidents.

  • In 2014, Valmet was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability
    World (DJSI World) and Europe (DJSI Europe) indices and
    ranked among the leaders in CDP’s Nordic Climate Disclosure
    Leadership Index (CDLI) with a score of 98/100. In these indices Valmet responds widely to the questions of environmental protections role, policies and goals. Valmet´s CDP disclosure is publicly available.
    Please see Valmet´s Annual report and our GRI index for more information.

    Based on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of two product families we
    have estimated that around 95% of the environmental impacts of
    Valmet’s entire value chain are emitted when Valmet’s solutions
    are being used for production at the customer sites. Since Valmet’s
    solutions are targeted at industrial processes such as pulp,
    paper and energy production, environmental improvements
    can to a great extent be achieved by optimizing the efficiency of
    processes, by utilizing air pollution control technologies, and by
    replacing fossil fuels and materials with renewable alternatives.
    Valmet has a wide range of solutions that require less energy,
    water and raw materials compared to conventional technologies,
    and which enable flexibility in fuel source and raw material selection.
    Our comprehensive services offering helps to maximize the
    environmental efficiency of the technologies and ensures operational
    safety and reliability over the entire lifetime of the plant.

    We expect our suppliers, contractors and other partners to implement
    the same safety standards and guidelines as those implemented
    by Valmet. In 2014, we continued to develop our processes
    and tools to align safety practices in customer deliveries.
    In South America, for example, Valmet already systematically
    monitors important key performance indicators (KPIs) for safety
    for independent contractors in all engineering, procurement
    and construction (EPC) deliveries, and this is a practice we are
    now developing in the other regions too. In 2014, the LTIF for
    independent contractors in South America decreased to 0.8.

    Safety is an integral part of Valmet’s technologies, processes
    and services. Safety requirements of all Valmet’s solutions are
    carefully reviewed and assessed in the solution innovation
    process and must be fulfilled in each solution creation phase.
    Valmet solutions are required to be safe to use, and they are
    designed to meet or exceed all applicable safety standards and
    regulations. To ensure safe operations, customer training is
    included in all project deliveries. Moreover, the majority of
    Valmet’s operations are certified to quality, health and safety
    and environmental management standards, and processes that
    ensure product safety are followed.

    Research and development
    We actively engage and cooperate with our customers, research
    institutions and universities to collect information on customers’
    sustainability needs and to develop new solutions for the
    market. Valmet has 13 technology centers and pilot facilities
    which are used for demonstration trials and for specific projects
    with customers as well as for proprietary development work.
    Our research and development work is currently focused
    on improving the performance and cost efficiency of existing
    product portfolio by modularization and standardization. We
    also develop new biomass conversion technologies, which are
    expected to offer new business opportunities to both Valmet
    and its customers. The aim is to convert biomass to a form that
    enables it to replace fossil fuels or be refined further to more
    valuable products.

    During the last few years, Valmet has introduced several
    new technologies to the market, including LignoBoost for
    lignin separation, a pyrolysis solution for bio-oil production,
    and a gasifier for solid biomass and waste. We have also been
    able to apply existing technology to second-generation ethanol
    production.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates environmental performance.

  • In 2014, we continued to develop our global HSE management
    structure by harmonizing critical global HSE procedures, such
    as severe incident investigation routines, our global HSE auditing
    process and accountability guidelines.

    Valmet’s local organizations are required to report and analyze all
    HSE incidents (injuries, near misses) and observations (hazardous
    conditions, unsafe behavior) in Valmet’s global incident management
    system to ensure systematic learning from previous cases.

    In 2014, Valmet focused on methodical investigation of severe or
    high-potential incidents by a core team of investigators to ensure
    preventive actions are defined and taken globally. In 2014, there were
    no fatalities in Valmet’s operations (own and supervised employees
    as well as independent contractors), and the lost time incident frequency
    rate (LTIF) of our own personnel decreased 15% to 5.5.

    According to Valmet’s HSE policy, compliance with applicable
    laws and regulations is only a minimum requirement. In addition
    to this, Valmet has defined minimum requirements for safety at
    work for high-risk activities to ensure a common safety platform
    across all its operations. In 2014, we extended the minimum safety
    standards to cover five additional critical activities: safeguarding
    of machines, hazardous manual handling, hot work, driving
    safety and emergency action planning. Since the introduction of
    the standards in 2012, serious incidents leading to absences of one
    or more days have decreased by 34%.

    In 2014, we also finalized our common HSE toolbox for
    mill maintenance operations. This extensive handbook adds
    a selection of global best practices in HSE maintenance to the
    common Valmet standards and procedures and is to be used
    as a toolkit when establishing new maintenance operations
    in customer mills and a benchmark for the development of
    existing operations.

    Certified management systems according to the OHSAS
    18001 and ISO 14001 standards are the basis for the systematic
    management of HSE aspects, risks and sustainable
    improvements in Valmet’s activities. We work consistently to
    implement these standards and to increase the scope of operational
    coverage. Our local safety committees cover 92% of our
    employees.

    Please see Valmet´s Annual report and our GRI index for more information.

Anti-Corruption
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of anti-corruption for the company (i.e. anti-corruption risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on anti-corruption.

  • guidelines supporting sustainable business practices. These include
    its Anti-Corruption Policy and Competition Compliance
    Guidelines. The Anti-Corruption Policy defines in detail Valmet’s
    zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and sets
    out guidance for daily operations. The Competition Compliance
    Guidelines provide practical instructions for compliance with
    competition and anti-trust laws.

    Training for these topics is organized on a regular basis. The
    most recent training for the Competition Compliance Guidelines
    was launched in the second half of 2014, and the next Anti-Corruption
    e-learning will be launched in the first quarter of 2015. The
    training will be given first to top management and other senior
    management and employees from sales and procurement. The previous
    Anti-Corruption training was completed during 2014.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement anti-corruption policies, address anti-corruption risks and respond to incidents.

  • Training for these topics is organized on a regular basis. The
    most recent training for the Competition Compliance Guidelines
    was launched in the second half of 2014, and the next Anti-Corruption
    e-learning will be launched in the first quarter of 2015. The
    training will be given first to top management and other senior
    management and employees from sales and procurement.
    The previous Anti-Corruption training was completed during 2014.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates anti-corruption performance.

  • Valmet has consistently had a zero-tolerance approach towards bribery and other forms corruption. This approach has been set out in our Code of Conduct and is well established in our way to operate.

    The new policy introduces more comprehensive processes and principles in order to secure Valmet’s anti-corruption compliance in the present increasingly complex commercial and regulatory environment.

    The policy, approved by Valmet’s President and CEO Pasi Laine, introduces, among other things:

    • the main principles for giving and receiving gifts, entertainment and hospitality,
    • pre-evaluation process for agents, commercial consultants, distributors and other similar third parties Valmet is using in its business,
    • disclosure obligations of potential conflict of interest cases, e.g. transactions with family members, relatives or related parties to Valmet’s employees or with their companies,
    • reporting obligations as to suspected bribery or money laundering cases.

    The legal services of each segment will give further guidance on the implementation of the new policy and the related procedures. In addition, an anti-corruption training program will be launched shortly.