Sustainability Program 2022–2025
In accordance with the new sustainability program for 2022–2025, Bittium has four focus areas
Sustainability Program 2022–2025
In accordance with the new sustainability program for 2022–2025, Bittium has four focus areas: innovative and developing people; confidential customer relationships and secure products; corporate citizenship and sustainable business practices; and environmental sustainability.
Bittium monitors the progress of each focus area using selected indicators in accordance with its sustainability program and continuously develops its operations and performance.
The most important resources of Bittium’s business are highly competent people, a diverse work community free of discrimination, and taking care of employee well-being and competence. Bittium provides its employees with challenging and motivating jobs, and is committed to supporting their development and investing in their well-being.
Bittium is a reliable operator for all of its stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is guided by good corporate governance as well as the company’s ethical principles and Code of Conduct. In customer relationships, sustainability is reflected in the way of working, the quality of products and the trust that characterizes the company’s customer relationships. Trust is the starting point for Bittium’s operations.
Sustainable business practices are a cornerstone of Bittium’s operations. It provides a solid foundation for risk management and represents a core value as well as a competitive advantage. Sustainability helps the company with long-term value creation.
Responsibility for the environment, the mitigation of climate change and resource-efficient solutions are key aspects of Bittium’s operations and their development. By maximizing the service life and recyclability of products, their total life cycle impact can be influenced. The company also strives to minimize the environmental impacts of its operations. The company’s performance is monitored through the environmental program.
Materiality Analysis
Bittium conducted a materiality analysis on sustainability in 2019. The aim of the analysis was to establish an understanding of the stakeholders’ views regarding the previously selected focus areas in sustainability. To support the materiality analysis, we carried out a stakeholder survey in the form of an online questionnaire for customers, partners, investors, employees, the management, and other stakeholders. A total of 125 people completed the survey.
The survey assessed the significance of Bittium selected sustainability focus areas for the company’s business and evaluated the content of each focus area to assess the company’s performance in taking each focus area into consideration. In addition, it was assessed whether there were any other areas of sustainability that were previously not included in Bittium’s selected focus areas, and that the company should take into consideration in its operations.
To increase the understanding of the stakeholders’ perceptions of Bittium’s sustainability, the respondents were asked to compare Bittium with other companies from the perspective of sustainability. Bittium’s average score was 8.3 on a scale of 1–10.
The participants were also asked to indicate their willingness to recommend Bittium as a sustainable company (Net Promoter Score, NPS). The stakeholders gave Bittium’s sustainability an NPS of 37, which can be considered to be a good score. NPS scores range from -100 to +100, and all scores above 0 are considered good.
After establishing the priorities of the identified material aspects, the final outcome of the analysis was a materiality matrix confirmed by the Management Group and the Board of Directors. The matrix summarizes the views of the company’s internal and external stakeholders regarding Bittium’s material aspects of sustainability as well as the company’s impacts and areas of development. After the priorities had been determined, the materiality matrix was approved in discussions held between Bittium’s Board of Directors and the Board’s Audit Committee.
The materiality analysis conducted in 2019 was also used for the basis when updating the sustainability program for the years 2022–2025.
As part of the preparation for the entry into force of the EU’s new sustainability directive, Bittium will implement a dual materiality determination in 2024. The analysis evaluates both external effects (the effects of the different stages of Bittium’s value chain on society and the environment) and internal effects (risks and opportunities affecting Bittium’s performance and business that may affect the company’s value now or in the future). Based on the definition of materiality, the company will update its responsibility program.
Alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Bittium has evaluated the themes associated with the focus areas of its sustainability program with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and identified the goals that it has already taken into consideration and promotes in its operations. Based on the selected focus areas of sustainability, the following UN SDGs are of particular relevance to the company:
- 3 Good health and well-being
- 8 Decent work and economic growth
- 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- 12 Responsible consumption and production
- 16 Peace, justice, and strong institutions
- 17 Partnerships for the goals
The Focus Areas in Sustainability at Bittium
#1 Innovative and developing people
- We promote an open, equal, and diverse working culture
- We take care of the well-being of our employees
- We invest in the development of competencies and leadership skills
#2 Confidential customer relationships and secure products
- We meet the special sector-specific and technological requirements of our customers (quality and security)
- We invest in innovative and agile product development
- We ensure the sustainability of our procurement chain
#3 Corporate citizenship and sustainable business practices
- We engage in open dialogue with our stakeholders and support the local communities in which we operate
- We conform to sustainable business practices
- We create added value for our stakeholders through profitable and sustainable business operations
#4 Environmental sustainability
- In accordance with the objectives set out in our environmental program, we strive to minimize the environmental impacts of our operations.
- We aim to optimize the service life and recyclability of our products.