Nolato’s new Head of Sustainability

Sustainable development is one of the most important aspects of running a business today. It’s about continually reducing the company’s negative impact on people and the environment, or simply taking on our share of responsibility. Not just today and tomorrow, but every day that follows.

Sustainable development has long been an important area for Nolato, both in our day-to-day operations and our long-term, strategic planning. 

“We now have a very clear sense of our business’ impact on people and the environment,” says Nolato’s President and CEO, Christer Wahlquist. “We’ve been making sure we take responsibility for many years, not just in terms of environmental impact but also in relation to social, ethical and economic aspects.

“Sustainability has long been integral to our way of running the business, both in the short and long term. We always consider environmental factors in our day-to-day production operations and in discussions with customers.” 

Environmental impact is also a key element of discussions and decision-making in the Board’s long-term work. Nolato’s Board has therefore appointed a Board member with special responsibility for monitoring the Group’s sustainable-development efforts and maintaining close contact with management on these matters.

New Head of Sustainability

Nolato’s new Head of Sustainability, Glenn Svedberg, recently joined Group management to ensure sustainability issues are always specifically integrated into the Group’s business operations.

“The climate threat is now our biggest challenge, which is why it’s a priority for us,” explains Glenn Svedberg. “We will of course continue to review our own impact from processes and energy usage. But the greatest benefit we can contribute is to support our customers in opting more for recycled or renewable plastic raw material in their products. 

“So we work with raw material suppliers and are actively involved in evaluating the low-carbon materials that are being deve­loped. Testing, trying out and ensuring commercial availability of these raw materials allows us to provide our customers with specific business proposals and an opportunity to consider the sustainability aspects,” says Glenn. 

“Our customers are very keen to be part of this change. The threshold is slightly greater in highly regulated segments such as medical technology, but we are beginning to see opportunities in these areas too.”

A few key questions for the new Head of Sustainability

What are the principal areas for Nolato?

The climate threat represents a major challenge for the whole of society and is high on our agenda. The environmental impact of the use of plastics is also a priority area. Other significant issues concern creating conditions for a safe and stimulating work environment, and ensuring we apply sound business ethics.

What are Nolato’s environmental targets?

It’s over 10 years since we established our first sustainability targets, and we’ve raised the bar considerably ever since. Our targets cover everything from the environment to business ethics, and seven of them are linked to the UN’s Agenda 2030 and sustainable development goals.

What about carbon emissions?

Under our emissions target, Nolato aims to achieve an 80% cut in its carbon dioxide emissions from energy usage by 2025. We’ve been measuring our emissions for the past 12 years, so we have a strong baseline to enable comparisons with 2011/2012. We’ve made considerable progress so far through energy efficiency improvements and by phasing out fossil fuels and buying fossil-free electricity. We need to do more to hit the target by 2025 and one important step is the purchase of renewable electricity in China, which began this year. Similar programs will be introduced in the US.

Nolato has joined a number of global ­initiatives and adopted standards. Why?

Many years ago, Nolato decided to certify its production units to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. Certification is good for our environmental efforts and is now much in demand from customers. The Group is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, a global sustainable-development network. We also adhere to international standards and guidelines on sustainability and financial reporting. All of this bolsters Nolato’s sustainability work and supports communication with our stakeholders. 

Want to find out more about Nolato’s sustainability work?  Visit nolato.com/sustainability