Sustainability – a prerequisite for long-term profitability

We are convinced that sustainable companies, in terms of both business idea and operations, are profitable and create long-term value. This applies to both Ratos’s parent company and the work carried out as an active owner in the Group companies. This is why sustainability is an integrated part of Ratos’s business strategy.


Ratos in the community

Corporate governance and sustainable value creation

In Ratos’s decentralised ownership model, management teams and boards carry the ultimate responsibility for sustainability work, but sustainability permeates all work in the company. Sustainability issues are integrated into Ratos’s processes for corporate governance. Ratos does not differentiate between sustainability risks and business risks, but rather regards them interconnected.

Sustainable value creation is about understanding how the major societal challenges affect business in the short and longer term. It is also about investing in the transition towards a more sustainable society in general and working to reduce one's climate footprint in particular.

Read more about how Ratos contributes to solutions to the energy crisis HERE.

Mutually beneficial value

Ratos’s greatest contribution to society is serving as an active and responsible owner that builds long-term successful and sustainable companies that create mutually beneficial value. We create jobs, respect humanity and the environment, and deliver high-quality products and services. Ratos also makes a difference in that our principal owners are foundations that promote research and thus long-term positive community development.

Ratos has a long tradition of social commitment, primarily through support for research and education. Ratos’s principal owners are the Ragnar Söderberg and the Torsten Söderberg Foundations, two of the country’s largest private investors in scientific research within economics, medicine and law. In 2022, 17% (SEK 67m) of Ratos’s dividend went to these research foundations.

Ratos’s community involvement focuses on three themes: research, education and social inclusion
In 2022, in addition to the dividend to the foundations, Ratos provided support to selected partners, including Inkludera Invest and the Stockholm School of Economics. This support was both financial and through engagement in boards. Ratos also donated a total of SEK 2m to the Red Cross for emergency crisis relief to Ukraine during the year.

Image source: © Hagströmerbiblioteket


Foundation for Ratos’s sustainability efforts

Ratos sustainability effords is based on the UN's global goals for sustainable development in Agenda 2030.

A double materiality analysis and stakeholder dialogue were used to identify which sustainability areas Ratos needs to focus and report on. The double materiality analysis forms the basis for how Ratos prioritises its most important sustainability issues.

Ratos uses double materiality, which entails evaluating different sustainability topics from two perspectives: Ratos’s impact on the world and the world’s impact on Ratos.

Ratos’s double materiality analysis includes:

  • Surveying and analysing relevant sustainability issues for Ratos and its portfolio companies.
  • Surveying typical risks and external factors, such as relevant regulations.
  • Dialogue with key stakeholders.

Ratos defines its most significant sustainability issues based on the issues deemed most material. For each of these issues, Ratos develops targets and action plans to carry out and develop its sustainability and to strengthen its long-term value creation.

 

 

Policy framework and risk management

Ratos has a structured approach to managing and addressing relevant risks. An important tool is Ratos’s policy framework, consisting of:

  • the Code of Conduct
  • the Policy for Sustainability and Responsible Investments
  • the Environmental Policy

The above policies are published on Ratos website. The policy framework is based on the UN Global Compact’s ten principles for responsible business. Sustainability at Ratos is based on the UN SDGs and Principles for Responsible Investment, which are based on the established concept of ESG.

Significant sustainability issues

According to the materiality analysis, the following sustainability issues were deemed the most material for the Ratos Group.

ENVIRONMENT

  • Climate impact, energy consumption and other environmental impact from existing buildings such as offices, production facilities and logistics properties, but also from other activities.
  • Impact on the ecosystem and water.


SOCIAL

  • Working conditions and a good working environment that promotes health, safety and well-being also in the value chain, not least for migrant workers.
  • Safety in the product and service offering.
  • Ability to attract, develop and retain competence.

GOVERNANCE

  • Compliance with laws and regulations in all home markets.
  • Anti-corruption.
  • IT security and data integrity.
  • Automation and digitization.
  • Constraints in the supply chain.

Whistleblowing

You have an important role in raising your concern if you suspect behavior that is not in line with our ethical guidelines. This gives us the possibility to prevent or correct any wrongdoing. If you feel you cannot be open with your information you can report anonymously using our whistleblowing service. It is managed by WhistleB.

“WhistleB provides a third-party whistleblowing service that ensures the whistleblower’s anonymity when communicating with the employer. The service is completely distinct from the employer’s IT systems and web services. WhistleB does not maintain IP addresses or other data that could trace a whistleblower.” Gunilla Hadders, Founder, WhistleB.

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