4 Introduction
1
CEO statement
“ Our sustainability journey continues . The combined effects of the pandemic , social unrest , political instability , and climate crisis have not only influenced our operations this past year but also created momentum . Conducting business " as usual " is no longer an option , constant and rapid adaptations to a changing world are required .”
Our continued journey is largely about leveraging the strength of the Group . We know our operations have the greatest impact on people and the environment in our production countries , and we must continue to focus heavily on our manufacturing suppliers to mitigate that impact . Our purchasing offices play a key role in this work - with strong local presence , we have the conditions to create real impact . Direct purchasing without agents and intermediaries creates the best conditions for close partnerships , monitoring of the flow of goods , and taking action to prevent , mitigate , and remediate potential sustainability risks . In addition , greater collective purchasing between subsidiaries enables a higher proportion of products and materials with sustainability attributes for more of the companies , which is one of several important tools in the transition to a more sustainable industry .
We also focus a lot on working with our processes and introducing support systems to be able to manage increased demands on information and transparency . And not least , preparing ourselves for upcoming legal requirements such as the EU ' s new law on sustainability reporting , the Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Directive ( CSRD ), and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation ( ESPR ).
Some days it can feel overwhelming for everything that is to come . But at the same time , we are reminded that we are not the only ones working for a systemic change , which keeps us inspired .
We see that working together with our partners and industry colleagues gives real results .
We see how our customers are reconsidering their choices and how innovations enable other ways to design , manufacture , transport , track , and consume products . The systemic change is not only possible - it is happening right now .
Torsten Jansson CEO