Kesko is the fifth most sustainable company in the world

KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 22.1.2015 AT 12.00 1 (2)

Kesko is the best food and staples retailer and rose to the fifth place in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Kesko is the only Finnish company included in the list every year since it was established in 2005.

For the Global 100 list, companies were assessed on 12 sustainability indicators in the areas of economic, social and environmental responsibility.

"Recent public discussion about grocery trade in Finland has focused on one issue only, the price of food, overshadowing many other important issues, such as trading sector operators' sustainable actions. We are proud that Kesko's long-term and determined sustainability work brings results and is appreciated worldwide," says Kesko's President and CEO Mikko Helander.

"The great rise in the Global 100 list can, for example, be attributed to the environmental indicators: the K-Group's energy consumption has decreased by over 7% from the previous comparative year and emissions have dropped by over 5,000 tonnes of CO₂e. Significant energy savings are achieved by energy-efficient solutions in retail stores, such as energy-efficient buildings, lids and doors on refrigeration equipment, recovery of condensation heat, refrigeration equipment that uses carbon dioxide, adjustable and directional lighting, and efficient transportation," Helander continues.

Kesko has long worked to take care of the products' high quality and the responsibility of the entire supply chain. Kesko has its own research unit which monitors the safety and quality of the groceries and home and speciality goods sold by K-food stores, K-citymarkets, and Anttila and Kodin1 department stores.

Over the course of 2014, Kesko's and K-stores' responsibility work has been made more visible to customers.

"We support Finnish work and local producers by participating in the Blue and White Footprint campaign. Improvements in online stores, click&collect services and other multi-channel services have made our customers' everyday lives easier. Nearly 1,800 young people have been employed by K-stores and Kesko thanks to the Youth Guarantee in the K-Group programme," says Matti Kalervo, Kesko's Vice President for Corporate Responsibility.

The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list for 2015 was announced at the meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January. The list is prepared by the Canadian Corporate Knights Inc. and based on a global assessment of around 4,600 listed companies. 

Further information available from Vice President Matti Kalervo, Corporate Responsibility, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 50 306 4081.