Raising the Bar – Orion is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030

Orion has been working for years to reduce its carbon footprint – with success. It is now time to raise the bar and commit to an even more ambitious target: carbon neutrality by 2030. The Raising the Bar campaign sheds light on the actions behind this goal.

 

Environmental responsibility is one of the guiding principles of Orion’s work. It is a goal that can only be achieved through action. There is always room for improvement in sustainability work. This gave rise to the Raising the Bar campaign.

"We cannot afford to be complacent when we recognise that we can still do better. This applies to sustainability work in particular. Five years ago, we set a goal to reduce our emissions by 75% by 2025, and we have been highly successful in our energy efficiency projects, for example. Even though 2025 is still a few years away, we decided to raise the bar further," says Timo Lappalainen, President and CEO of Orion.

Carbon neutrality does not just happen somewhere out there on its own. Behind each solution and new idea, there are inspired and motivated people.

"Orionees are Orion. This campaign reminds us of the importance of everyone’s contribution to achieving our climate targets. We have people in various functions who all play a role in achieving carbon neutrality. I’m also keeping the goal at the top of my own agenda, of course," says Lappalainen.

Many of Orion’s successes are related to improving energy efficiency, such as the idea to use exhaust steam at the Oulu plant and the use of waste heat from cooling at Orion's facility in Turku.

"Please take a look at the other articles on this site, which describe how Orionees are raising the bar," says Lappalainen.

"The stories are examples of measures that play a significant role in achieving our emissions targets. However, we must continue to seek new ways of doing this, because technology is advancing all the time," Lappalainen points out.

 

Ella Junnila is the brand ambassador for raising the bar at Orion

In its Raising the Bar campaign, Orion decided to join forces with Ella Junnila, the holder of the Finnish record in high jump.

"Ella Junnila is a wonderful young athlete who keeps raising the bar. She is an excellent ambassador for this campaign that reminds people of the importance of setting goals and ambitions and working towards them. On behalf of Orion, we wish her great success in the European and World Athletics Championships in 2022," says Lappalainen.

Ella Junnila’s own interest in resolving the climate challenge inspired her to participate in the campaign.

"Finnish companies must lead by example and improve their sustainability performance. Orion’s willingness to raise the bar on their climate targets and environmental responsibility prompted me to take part in this campaign. I think a lot about sustainability in my everyday life, too – for example, when it comes to food, energy use, consumption, country of origin, and getting around," says Junnila.

Lappalainen promises that raising the bar at Orion will not end here.
"We are continuously seeking ways to raise the bar within the other themes of our sustainability agenda. Patient safety, care for Orionees and ethics at the core of our business are crucial aspects on which we will not compromise."

 

JUNE 2022 / CORP-208l(1)a