Sustainability top of mind

“Sustainability is the foundation of Følsgaard’s business. A committed management and high involvement from all employees through workshops, training and clear division of responsibilities has completely integrated sustainability in the company and made it a priority. Sustainability is every employee’s responsibility; whether you are a  manager, product specialist, salesperson, technician, warehouse employee or something else, everyone plays an important role defining and accomplishing our sustainability vision for 2030”.

“I know we are on the right path when an employee comes over to me and tells me that she has goosebumps over a new project contributing to a better utilization of resources using a more sustainable material. Or when another colleague has arranged to change the packaging of a product to eliminate plastic bags and instead packing in bulk saving resources, space and CO2, and I could go on and on. Every idea, however big or small counts and is taken into consideration.

“As a global company we not only have a great opportunity but also the responsibility to contribute to sustainable development and this goes for the entire supply chain. 76% of what we do is either customized our own brands and it is our obligation as value adding technical partner to know our customers special wishes and requirements and to communicate these to our suppliers and manufactures making sure we find the best and most sustainable solutions. The entire process is being considered - from customer’s wishes and demands, to wellthought out solutions and to our suppliers and OEM partners’ options for a more sustainable production and transportation.

80% of our purchased volume is from assessed suppliers having signed our Code of Conduct. It is our responsibility that all parties then abide by this agreement. If they do not comply, we can terminate the cooperation, but it is of course better to influence a change in behavior making a better outcome for the supplier, us and indeed the environment.”

“Sustainability is part of the agenda when talking to our customers and suppliers about how we can jointly strengthen our efforts. Through close cooperation with our global partners and customers, we aim to find and develop new sustainable solutions and products and to inspire and create awareness about the importance of taking care of our planet for the sake of our future generations but also to survive as a company.

All the information we collect on customer demands and sustainability visions, supplier self-assessments, audits, new innovative ideas, targets etc. are reported in our CRM system. Thus, we have an ever-growing content hub on sustainability matters enabling us to not only document and monitor our progress but also to identify new opportunities.

“The sustainability consciousness is high and focus on sustainability increases day by day from customers and suppliers, so does the demands. There is no such thing as a standard solution when all parts of new solutions are subject to requirements, and where the specification barrier is raised every time. This means, of course, that we are constantly on our toes to design and deliver better and more optimized sustainable solutions. And practice makes perfect. For us, it has become part of everyday life and we thrive on it quite well”.

“Følsgaard joined UN Global Compact in 2012 and have been publishing an annual  COP report ever since. The report takes stock of Følsgaard’s efforts within the company the past year. The report is available on our website www.hf.net but is also distributed to both customers and suppliers. This results in numerous dialogues on how we can help each other to improve a joint effort. It has been an advantage that we started the journey back in 2012, since we have been able to keep up with the increasing focus, awareness and market demands.

“Our vision for 2030 does not come out of the blue. It requires of everyone to make an effort, and we measure ourselves continuously via scorecards. I think we are doing well, but of course everything is not just a walk in the park. We can improve even more, and we see it as a learning process. Everyone in the company has been trained and taught in sustainability, so each one of us has a tangible idea of what it is all about and how to implement it in our daily work. Management takes the lead and our vision for 2030 is always on the agenda. It is just top on mind with all of us. If you perceive sustainability simply as a marketing task and not as a culture, then you will not succeed in a future world of sustainability”.

Billions must be invested in green transition and virtually all projects in the future are filled to the brim with demands for “green technology”. If you are not riding this huge wave, then you are simply stranded

“A green transition does not appear by magic overnight. It is a commitment that spreads like rings in the water because it becomes a sport to think “out of the box” and because it is basically common sense and decent business. Money talks, but sustainability drives the business, making it a true a win / win”.