Promotion and actions on Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). The most significant of the Sustainable Development Goals with respect to our operations are:
Goal 5: Gender equality
Ensure gender equality in YIT's operations and to guarantee equal opportunities in decision-making, career development and remuneration.
We want YIT to be perceived as an equal and inclusive working community, regardless of gender, both on the construction sites and in the office. We strive to increase the proportion of women in the construction industry, from trainees to management positions. If any form of discrimination occurs, we will investigate it thoroughly and deal with grievances immediately.
Targets:
5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life.
Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
Protect water-related ecosystems, both in the finished products and during construction, and enable efficient use of water.
We build water management infrastructure such as urban wastewater treatment plants and energy infrastructure such as hydroelectric power plants.
We aim to build homes and premises that enable their users to consume water more sustainably. We favour water-efficient water fixtures.
We protect water-related ecosystems during construction and develop solutions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the needs of each species to be protected. Groundwater protection is an integral part of construction projects.
Targets:
6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Participate actively in the green transition of society by building renewable energy plants and developing new energy solutions.
We build wind power and new low-emission solutions for the energy system. Examples include a tunnel system for seawater recovery and the design of a seasonal heat storage facility.
Wherever possible, we choose geothermal heating for our sites, as well during construction.
We are installing solar panels in more and more buildings.
Targets:
7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.
7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
The main objective of our strategy is to improve profitability and to maintain financial stability. In addition to responding to investor expectations, we are a proud taxpayer and we employ thousands of people.
Occupational safety is an integral part of our corporate responsibility. There is a large number of our own employees and our subcontractors’ employees working at our construction sites, and their safety is the starting point for all of our construction activities. In addition to safe work, we demand that human rights are respected in all of our operations and throughout our supply chain.
Targets:
8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Building sustainable cities is at the core of our strategy. We owner-occupied housing to our customers, construct business premises and other public buildings and build eco-friendly public transport solutions. We also utilize our expertise in demanding infrastructure construction projects in areas such as municipal wastewater management and the construction of production facilities for renewable energy, such as wind power and hydropower.
The concept of sustainable cities also covers areas developed with the mixed-use principle, which combines housing, services, jobs and public transport. Examples of our mixed-use projects currently in development include Keilaniemenranta, Punos in Itäkeskus and the Pasila district in Helsinki.
Targets:
11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums.
11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality, municipal and other waste management.
11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
We want to support sustainable consumption in our own operations and in the operations of our customers. We develop various living services and property life cycle services aimed at reducing the in-use energy consumption and carbon footprint of buildings, for example. The choices we make during project design and construction also have a direct impact on the sustainable consumption of our customers.
We strive to enhance the sustainability of our own operations in various areas, including waste recycling and environmental management. We are developing our waste reporting, aim to make use of circular economy solutions and we train our personnel.
Targets:
12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
Goal 13: Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Construction and the use of the built environment generate carbon dioxide emissions and thereby have an impact on climate change. We have set a long-term CO2 reduction target for 2030: we will halve the CO2 emissions of our operations and self-developed projects compared to 2019. We also want to enable the carbon neutral use of our projects for our customers.
Target:
13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Goal 15: Life on Land
Implement company-level measures to safeguard biodiversity in addition to project-specific measures.
Safeguarding biodiversity is one of our key sustainability themes for the 2022-2025 strategy period. We are exploring how we as a company can safeguard biodiversity in addition to project-specific measures.
Construction is local and each construction site is unique, also in terms of the surrounding nature. Restoration, preservation of green areas, increasing nesting opportunities for birds and pollinators, and control of invasive species are examples of biodiversity conservation measures to be implemented during construction.
Targets:
15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
15.8 By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
In all of our operations, we observe good corporate governance and responsible business principles, and we expect the same from our partners. We have zero tolerance for corruption and the grey economy.
YIT is involved in large public and private projects. As an international listed company, YIT has a duty to support and strengthen good business principles throughout society. In addition, through its supply chains, YIT has an impact on thousands of subcontractors and their employees.
YIT Code of Conduct sets guidelines for our activities in relation to customers, employees, shareholders, partners, competitors, society and the environment. We require our partners to adhere to YIT Supplier Code of Conduct, which is based on YIT’s values and YIT Code of conduct, in all their operations.
Targets:
16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.