To reduce their environmental impact, companies must choose the right materials and production methods. We recommend the use of internationally recognized labels to our customers, as they send a visible message about environmental responsibility.

The Nordic Ecolabel

The environmental impact of printed products has been considered throughout the production chain, from paper manufacturing to the delivery of the finished product. The printed product fulfills the Nordic Ecolabel’s standards for forest management, pulp and paper manufacturing, printing and waste management.
Nordic Morning’s production plants have been granted the right to use the Nordic Ecolabel. The Group's net revenue from products carrying the Nordic Ecolabel was about EUR 1.4 million in 2013.

Guarantees of origin – paper

Forest certification ensures that forests are managed according to agreed criteria and that the wood fiber used is monitored from forest to finished product.

Ecological footprint

For several years, Nordic Morning has been surveying the environmental impact created by its printed products. This ecological footprint describes the environmental impact and carbon footprint of a printed product. We now have a software application with which we can calculate the carbon footprint of an individual printed product more accurately.

The forest management criteria apply to matters such as:

• compliance with national laws and international agreements
• respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and of workers
• maintaining the biodiversity of forests
• preserving forests with a significant environmental protection value.

The processes we engage in at Nordic Morning’s production plants to track down the source of paper are certified according to international reference standards. For this reason, our printing companies are entitled to use labels showing that our paper originates from a responsibly chosen source. The Group’s net revenue of printed products with Chain of Custody (CoC) labels was about EUR 1.3 million in 2013.

Supply chain

From the perspective of environmental responsibility, Nordic Morning’s most significant purchases are those related to the paper and electricity supply chains. We will not procure paper that originates from illegal felling or forests with a significant environmental protection value.

We adhere to the following principles when procuring paper:

• we will scrutinize the environmental responsibility programs and wood procurement principles of paper suppliers
• we will prioritize paper that carries the Nordic Ecolabel and is CoC certified
• we will increase the amount of CoC-certified paper procured year on year (2 200 tons in 2013)
• we will prioritize paper that is manufactured in the Nordic countries.
• Nordic Morning’s production sites solely use energy generated from renewable sources. The Falun and Västra Aros production facilities use hydroelectric power and wind power, and the Helsinki production facility uses hydroelectric power and wood-based biofuels. The goal is that all of the Group companies will use electricity generated from renewable sources.

Chemicals used in printing carry the Nordic Ecolabel. Before introducing a new chemical into the process, its right to carry the Nordic Ecolabel will always be checked with the organization that grants the right to use the label.

Offices

In office work, most of our environmental impact comes from energy consumption, paper usage and carbon-dioxide emissions caused by travel. In 2010, we began investing in determined efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the Group companies’ offices.

In 2013, the Green Office system was in use at Nordic Morning’s head office and Edita Publishing in Helsinki, the JG Communication office in Stockholm and Citat’s offices in Helsinki and Stockholm. Klikki offices in Helsinki, Stockholm and Piteå will implement the Green Office system in early 2014.

Printing houses

The environmental systems for our production activities ensure that our environmental work is systematic and focused on continuous improvement. The systems also ensure that we follow current environmental legislation. Nordic Morning’s production plants in Helsinki, Västerås and Falun are certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management.

In our production activities, the main sources of environmental impact are materials, energy, waste, and emissions. We began measuring our waste volumes regularly in the 1990s. In 2013, around 89 percent of the total waste volume was recyclable. Over the past decade, the volume of waste that has been sorted separately has increased, but it has become possible to recycle a larger range of materials.

We have positive cash flow from our waste disposal activities: the amount of waste sold brings in more funds than the amount paid for waste disposal.

Investments in improving energy efficiency continued in Edita Prima in 2013, with the lighting of the entire production room now based on motion sensors. Energy efficiency was also improved by making more efficient use of space. At Nordic Morning’s production sites, energy is used to operate machines and equipment, as well as for heating, lighting and ventilation of the premises. All of the Group’s production sites use district heating, and all Group companies use the municipal water supply as their only source of water.

Climate neutrality

In autumn 2008, Nordic Morning began measuring the Group’s total carbon-dioxide emissions. We set a target of reducing emissions by 40 percent by 2015.

One important step in reducing our carbon footprint has been the transition to electricity from renewable sources (green electricity) by all printing companies. In 2013, Edita Prima, Edita Västra Aros and Edita Bobergs were climate-neutral. They compensate for the remaining emissions by funding UN-supervised clean development mechanism projects in India.

As a company in the communications sector, we have a particular responsibility for promoting environmental awareness among our stakeholders. We aim to ensure that the day-to-day decisions made by the Group’s employees comply with the principles of sustainable development both at work and at home.

We help our customers find solutions that are as sustainable as possible. We use communications channels such as the www.ekojulkaisu.fi website to present information on how environmental issues should be considered in the various phases of designing and producing printed materials.

• our printing companies use electricity generated from renewable sources
• we increase the efficiency of our production and office facilities by merging sites
• we have discontinued the most carbon-intensive production operations
• we invest in improving energy efficiency, for example by replacing lighting systems

• we reduce business travel by using video conferencing
• we link workstations to a remote fire-extinguishing system
• we use leasing cars that are less harmful to the environment
• the Group travel policy encourages employees to make environmentally friendly decisions on business trips: the Group companies have offered employees choices such as subsidized public transport tickets and rental city bikes

• we compensate for carbon-dioxide emissions by funding UN-supervised clean development mechanism projects
• we use transport services in Finland that are environmentally compensated for
• we provide training on environmental issues to employees.