All three Lojer factories have been granted ISO 14001 environmental certification
In November, all three of Lojer's factories in Finland were granted environmental certification for their environmental management systems in accordance with the international ISO 14001 standard. The certificate is proof of long-term environmental management and responsible and sustainable operations in various areas. Environmental planning, implementation and monitoring extend throughout the supply chain, from the design table to customer deliveries.
"The certified environmental management system at all three factories is a positive demonstration of the systematic work done on environmental issues. For example, we have been manufacturing all our products for more than ten years with electricity produced from 100% renewable energy sources, and our 50,000 cubic metre main factory in Sastamala is heated ecologically with geothermal energy. It is important to us that by buying a made-in-Finland Lojer product, the customer is also making an ecological choice," says CEO of the Lojer Group Ville Laine.
"When transport distances are short and maintenance is close by, costs are lower and the environmental impact is reduced - then a company operating close often makes the most sense," adds Tero Lausala, Managing Director of the Association for Finnish Work.
Environmental certification is an easy way to take responsibility into account for example in public procurements
Public procurements can be an untapped resource in countries’ climate policy. The goal to become carbon neutral and even carbon negative are very challenging and all possible means will be needed to achieve it. Nevertheless, the carbon neutrality target is not always visible in the procurements. Calls for tenders do not assess corporate responsibility or the environmental impact of the products and their manufacturers.
The sums involved in public procurements are considerable: they can be even 20% - 25% of a country’s GDP. So the procurements have a major steering effect on any goal - including carbon neutrality. For example in Sweden, the environmental impact of companies and products has a significant impact on the scoring of tenders. For example, mandatory requirements may require both suppliers and product manufacturers to have a certified ISO14001 environmental management system. Suppliers are also subject to on-site audits as part of the public organisations' own environmental management systems.
"Finnish industry understands the importance of environmental impact and the life cycle of products. It is in all our interests that responsibility and carbon footprint are also taken into account in public procurements.", says Laine.
