"More companies need to take their responsibility"

What was Coor’s greatest sustainability achievement in 2022?

“Despite the challenges and uncertainty created by the situation in the world, we continued to develop our sustainability management and delivered strong results in all areas. Environmentally, we reached a milestone when the SBTi approved our climate targets, and we received another gold rating from EcoVadis,” says Maria Ekman, Head of Sustainability at Coor.
Helena Söderberg, HR Director, agrees and adds:
“I am very proud that we are succeeding in turning our vision of becoming a truly sustainable company into reality. The basis for our CSR activities is that we are a stable and long-term employer that offers a safe and secure workplace. In addition, Coor offers a wide range of development opportunities for our employees, such as language tuition in the local language for new arrivals or vocational training courses. We also run the Coor Society Program where the focus is on local initiatives aimed at helping people who are far removed from the labour market or who need support in the form of mentorship or help with homework, for example.”

What were the standout developments in 2022?

“We faced regulatory pressure, locally in our countries of operation and from the EU. Requirements for corporate transparency and for action are being tightened. We are also seeing a growing focus on the social dimension of sustainability, which we welcome. Coor is a company of people for people. Social responsibility is therefore an integral part of our sustainability management,” says Maria Ekman.
“More companies have started to address social sustainability on a broader front, which is essential to the ability to attract and retain the best talent while at the same time contributing to positive social development,” says Helena Söderberg. She adds that in 2022 Coor produced a new diversity and inclusion policy that will help employees and managers to navigate these issues in their work. 

What challenges do you see when you look ahead?

“Although we have already made a lot of progress, there is more to do and we need to continue to work actively on these issues every day,” says Helena Söderberg.
“There are many examples of companies and organisations that are making a real difference, but to have a long-term effect more organisations need to take responsibility. For us, encouraging more companies to take action on sustainability issues is important. One example is that we now demand higher sustainability standards from our suppliers,” says Maria Ekman.