Corporate responsibility has been at the heart of VTT's activities for 80 years. In the future, the work will be guided by VTT's sustainability programme. It defines the priorities and steps for promoting responsibility matters in 2021–2025.
Content of research and solutions promoting sustainability are at the centre of responsibility at VTT. The focus areas of corporate responsibility include a sustainable foundation, thriving professionals, empowered customers and a resilient society. These priorities have been selected based on stakeholder surveys and materiality analyses.
“The surveys provided data on what stakeholders expect of us. In today's world, responsibility covers the company's all activities, and, in our case, the stakeholders particularly appreciated the sustainable foundation of our activities,” says Executive Vice President Jussi Manninen, who is responsible for sustainability matters at VTT.
VTT promotes sustainable business
The sustainable foundation of responsibility work means that VTT's activities are equally sustainable from the viewpoint of the environment, society and the economy. “This is the starting point for our responsibility work. In order for humankind to solve its biggest problems, the economic activity must be in balance with ecological and social sustainability,” Manninen says.
VTT aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 and last year shifted to using only renewable energy granted a certificate of origin in its premises. In the coming years, VTT will reduce the climate impacts of travel and procurements, among others.
At VTT, responsibility is strongly based on ethics and the uncompromising ethical principles of research. These themes are promoted through personnel ethics training and guidelines.
Diverse work community for thriving professionals
VTT's thriving professionals are one of the focus areas of the responsibility work. For its professionals, VTT wants to build the world's most meaningful place to work and a work community which cherishes diversity.
VTT has employees from more than 50 different nationalities. The age distribution of the work community is wide, and the gender distribution is even. “VTT has long been a workplace where everyone can be themselves. The sustainability programme makes these things visible: today, the diversity of the work community is clearly voiced,” Manninen says.
In personnel wellbeing, VTT focuses on leadership, health and safety. Wellbeing is monitored by means of personnel surveys, for example, and any issues that arise are addressed through communication and training. In 2022, particular emphasis will be placed on mental wellbeing and sense of belonging.
Sustainable growth and solutions to global challenges
VTT's corporate responsibility is generated through impact: research produces sustainable solutions for VTT's customers and society as a whole. VTT helps its customers develop their business and grow sustainably. These impacts are measured by calculating VTT's positive carbon handprint in future projects.
VTT supports the resilience of the whole society by solving the world's greatest challenges through research, co-operation and innovations. In accordance with the sustainability programme, future research projects will be linked to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). VTT can best influence the following SDGs:
- 7 Affordable and clean energy
- 8 Decent work and economic growth
- 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- 12 Responsible consumption and production
- 13 Climate action
Towards a sustainable future
VTT's sustainability programme is now ready, and one important milestone has been reached. Responsibility work, on the other hand, can never be fully done. The starting points for this work are good: the foundations are solid, and the sustainability programme provides clear guidelines until 2025.
