Being in the top of this year’s biodiversity index is truly a recognition of our long-term and persistent work by many Vattenfall colleagues. It is of highest priority to continue reducing our biodiversity footprint by delivering on our climate targets and by creating positive impacts through our biodiversity projects and R&D investments. The energy transition is crucial in order to halt the biodiversity loss and we do our utmost to ensure that our investments are done in co-existence with nature.

For this type of company, the impact and dependencies on biodiversity is less obvious than for companies with a direct land impact, for example in the forest or mining industry. The relatively high figure we now see in consumer goods therefore testifies that these companies have identified biodiversity as an important factor in their value chain. All organizations have dependencies, and impact on biodiversity somewhere in their operations. Identifying and mapping these, is the first step towards creating a strategy for biodiversity. This means that companies also can take measures to secure their business model in the long term.

Fortum has a Biodiversity Action Plan and is actively working with these issues in its value chain, among other things they describe how biodiversity is one of the aspects being evaluated when purchasing raw materials such as coal. Fortum also reports on various habitat restorations carried out during the year. All in all, this puts them at the top in the ranking of the largest Nordic companies

Just like the climate issue, the issue of biodiversity needs to be a natural part of every company’s strategic sustainability work, from the operational level to the farthest link of the supply chain

Unfortunately, we note that for another year there is much to be desired about how large companies prioritize and report on biodiversity in their sustainability reports. However, there are also some highlights. It’s great to see that Finland is at the forefront, but a little disheartening that Sweden is the worst of the Nordic countries that we have examined