Objective 2030: 100% Engaged People

Ensuring that employees feel good and develop in the organization are priority areas for Indutrade and crucial for the Group’s success. We help create the conditions for long-term growth of our business by focusing on continuously developing leadership skills and competencies, having inclusive teams and workplaces where people thrive and by ensuring that there are safe and healthy working conditions.

One of the most important prerequisites for maintaining a long-term approach in our expertise within the Group. In our subsidiaries this is largely a matter of making use of the expertise that already exists internally. We do this both through continuing education for key individuals and by sharing knowledge and experiences within the Group.

We believe in giving people freedom and trust. It creates job satisfaction, pride and commitment. Being able to attract, develop and retain the right employees is a prerequisite for Indutrade's long-term profitability. By building teams with diversity, the ability for development and innovation increases.

Health and safety in the workplace is fundamental for Indutrade. Investing in improved work and production environments is something that we prioritise, support and encourage. Since the start of the pandemic, Indutrade has carefully been monitoring the effects of COVID-19, with the main priority of protecting the health and safety of our employees, customers and suppliers.

To track the development towards our 2030 goal, we closely monitor the progress of our key enablers, our People Engagement Drivers:

• Engaged people
• Leadership and competence development
• Employee satisfaction
• Diversity and inclusion
• Employee well-being
• Employee safety

Most relevant Global Goal: SDG 4 – Quality education

Our employees benefit from continuous leadership and competence development, along with the well-being derived from having a stable workplace.

Objective 2030: CO₂ neutral (scopes 1 and 2 GHG)

Indutrade's environmental impact and environmental work primarily takes place in our subsidiaries. In 2020, we started to calculate the Group's total greenhouse gas emissions. Both direct emissions (scope 1) and emissions from energy consumption (scope 2) are calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The goal is to reduce these emissions, and well as compensate for the emissions that can not be avoided, by investing in projects that counteract the footprint.

Our subsidiaries include both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies. As such, there are variations as to where the majority of emissions occur in their value chains. A significant portion of the Group's impact occurs in scope 3 (e.g. in the supply chains, business trips, shipping). At present, however, this data is not available at Group level. In 2022 we plan to start including Scope 3, (i.e. emissions upstream and downstream of our value chain), in our data collection from the subsidiaries to understand their scope and be able to include this in goals and strategies in the future.

Our journey towards climate neutrality is monitored through our key enablers: 

• Improved energy efficiency 
• Share of renewable energy 
• Reduced CO₂ emissions
• Resource efficiency
• Efficient business travel (scope 3 GHG)

Most relevant Global Goal: SDG 13 – Climate action

Many of Indutrade’s companies deliver solutions and products that help customers save energy, water, materials and reduce CO2 emissions.

Objective 2030: 100% of Indutrade companies contributing to sustainable development

We sustain our companies' strong market and product positions by efficient use of resources and continuous product and process innovation. We carefully select stable and profitable businesses to acquire, limiting the business risk by focusing on long-term growth drivers and a positive contribution to society. All 17 companies that were acquired during the year were thoroughly evaluated from a sustainability perspective, as an integral part of our due diligence process. Growth is to be achieved organically as well as through acquisitions and Indutrade strives to create sustainable value over time for all of our stakeholders.

Many of our companies offer solutions that improve customers' energy efficiency, reduce their negative environmental impact or contribute to an improved work environment. Through good knowledge of customers 'systems and processes in combination with high technical expertise, we are able to, in many cases, streamline customers' operations and offer solutions that reduce environmental impact and increase efficiency. Stimulating the development and sale of sustainable products is a focus area for the Group.

In 2021, Indutrade has analyzed the extent to which the business is eligible to theEU taxonomy, which is a tool that classifies which investments are environmentally sustainable. More about this can be read in our Annual Report, page 23 (you can find the annual report here).

Our enablers for profitable growth are:

• Customer satisfaction
• Solutions improving customer operations and reducing environmental impacts
• New product offerings should use less energy and/or decrease carbon footprint 
• Assessed impact of acquired companies

Most relevant Global Goal: SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth

Solutions and products that contribute to a safer work environment and better health are one of the areas that Group companies work within. Many of our companies do business in smaller cities and communities, which contributes to local growth and creates jobs.

Most relevant Global Goal: SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Through efficient use of resources and continuous improvements, we strive to minimise the emissions and waste generated by our companies. Infrastructure is one of our largest segments, and we deliver many products and services in this area.