Ylva Raises Flag for the Sustainable Development Goals on September 25th
25.9.2024
Ylva is participating in a global flag-raising campaign on September 25, 2024, to remind everyone of the importance of the UN’s Agenda 2030 goals. At the current pace, the goals of the global program will not be achieved.
SDG Flag Day is a worldwide flag-raising campaign held on September 25th, the anniversary of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were established nine years ago by UN member states. Time is running out to achieve these goals, as only 15% of them are currently on track globally.
Today, Ylva is raising the flag for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Old Student House to demonstrate its commitment to promoting sustainability, to raise awareness about the UN action plan, and to accelerate change across different sectors of society.
Ylva’s work towards sustainability is still ongoing, but in honor of this flag-raising day, we want to share our key goals:
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being
In challenging economic times, our goal is to support health and well-being, especially among students. We offer affordable, responsible, and healthy lunches to students and city residents at 18 restaurants across Helsinki.
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Our goal is to be a great workplace for our employees and to cultivate a thriving work culture. We are committed to promoting a positive work environment and the well-being of our employees, which has earned us the prestigious Great Place to Work certification in our employee survey. However, our impact extends significantly beyond our own staff: our ongoing construction projects provided over 200 person-weeks of employment, and we led the sites toward a more equitable work environment through the pilot of an inclusive construction site initiative.
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
Our goal is to be a forward-thinking urban developer that promotes sustainability through our buildings. A major project this year includes the renovation of the New Student House, Hotel Seurahuone, and Hansa Building, resulting in the opening of a new high-quality hotel in Helsinki that respects historical heritage. The same building also provides space for student gatherings. Our projects that have most significantly transformed the Helsinki cityscape include the Lyyra block in Hakaniemi and the NH Collection Grand Hansa hotel project, which, as a cultural responsibility initiative, also restored historic buildings to their former use and glory.
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
Our goal is to make our business’s material flow sustainable. We have improved responsible procurement by focusing on identifying and replacing high-risk raw materials, sourcing certified products, and increasing the recycling rate in our properties. In addition, we encourage choosing vegan lunch options at our restaurants, and we have reduced the price of vegan dishes to further promote their selection. In 2023, vegan lunches accounted for 45 percent of all lunches sold in our restaurants.
SDG 13 – Climate Action
Our goal is to conduct business in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target. This means that we will not slow down our climate efforts, even though our properties already operate with zero-emission energy. We have continued to reduce emissions from waste management and improve energy efficiency. In our restaurants, we emphasize plant-based food to further reduce the carbon footprint of our lunches.
SDG 15 – Life on Land
For the first time, we assessed our ecological footprint and have incorporated the results into our procurement guidelines. We are now more precise in avoiding purchases from regions suffering from water scarcity or where biodiversity loss has the most devastating impacts. We conducted this research as one of the first companies as part of the UN Global Compact.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
The sustainability transition for businesses is a shared challenge. Companies should push each other forward. Through our Irresponsibility Report, we have openly discussed the challenges we face and fostered a culture of open dialogue on corporate responsibility.
More information:
Eelis Rytkönen
Chief Impact Leader
+358 40 550 2477
eelis.rytkonen@ylva.fi
