Sustainability strategy

The sustainability strategy, updated in October 2024, sets clear sustainability targets for the operations of Kesko and its three divisions. The focus areas of the sustainability strategy are climate and nature, value chain, our people, and good governance.

We create competitive advantage through sustainability. The effects of what we do spread far and wide through society.

  • Minimising impact on climate and nature. We respect planetary boundaries by minimising negative and maximising positive impacts on climate and nature.
  • Challenging suppliers and encouraging customers. We drive sustainability throughout the value chain and help our customers make sustainable choices.
  • Promoting the wellbeing and success of our employees. We create safety and wellbeing for our people. We foster diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace.
  • Ensuring good governance. We embed sustainability and ethical business practices in everything we do.

Vision

We enable sustainable choices for our customers and drive change throughout the value chain.

Focus areas and key actions

Climate and nature

Value chain

Ilmasto ja luonto-varjolla-K-Vastuullisuus-350 px.png Arvoketju-varjolla-K-Vastuullisuus 350 px.png

Reduce emissions in the value chain

  • Near-term scope 1 and 2 reductions by 2034
  • Net zero emissions by 2050
  • Challenge suppliers to set science-based climate targets




Ensure sustainability in the value chain

  • Require all our suppliers from risk countries to be audited for social responsibility
  • Broaden the scope of supplier social responsibility audits by moving from a risk-country approach to a risk-based approach
  • Ensure suppliers' adherence to the K Code of Conduct, sustainability policies, and other relevant standards

Promote biodiversity 

  • Prevent biodiversity losses throughout the value chain by following the biodiversity roadmap
  • Set goals for our biodiversity impacts

Enable sustainable choices for our customers

  • Increase the share of sustainable products of net sales
  • Make sustainable choices attractive through selections, data-based tools and communications

Take care of the water sufficiency

  • Mitigate water scarcity risks in the value chain through responsible water management and by encouraging suppliers to adopt water efficiency targets
 

Enhance circular economy

  • Create new circularity business models
  • Enhance waste management and recycling
 

Our people

Good governance

Ihmiset-varjolla-K-Vastuullisuus-350.png Hyvä hallinto-varjolla-K-Vastuullisuus-350.png

Increase the safety and wellbeing of our people

  • Support our people’s health, wellbeing and capabilities

Commit to the K Code of Conduct

  • Strengthen employee commitment to the K Code of Conduct and to increase awareness of it

Foster diversity, equity and inclusion for our employees

  • Diverse and inclusive workplace
  • Equal pay
  • Gender balance on all levels of the organisation


Strengthen sustainability competencies

Automate ESG data processes 


 

 

Key targets and performance indicators

Topic

Strategic target

Target

2024

Baseline 2023

KPI

Climate

 

Reach 50% scope 1 and 2 emission reductions by 2034

50% by the end of 2034

84,586 tCO2eq

77,947 tCO2eq

tCO2eq

Challenge suppliers to establish science-based climate targets driving reduction in scope 3 emissions

67% by the end of 2026

48.0%

32.0%

% of suppliers by spend have set science-based emission reduction targets

Sustainable sourcing

Ensure social responsibility in the directly imported goods from high-risk countries by achieving 100% appropriate audit level

100%

90.7%

97%  

% of factories of direct high-risk country suppliers audited

Sustainable products

 

 

Increase the proportion of sustainable products of net sales

 

-

 

 

Grocery trade: 40%

Building and technical trade: 18%

Car trade: 31%

% of sustainable products in net sales

Diversity, equity and inclusion

 

 

Promote gender equality in top and middle management

 

Top management: 40% by 2030

Middle management: 45% by 2030

27.7% women (top management)

32.8% women (middle management)

28.4% women (top management)

36.1% women (middle management)

% of underrepresented gender in top management

% of underrepresented gender in middle management

Read the news

To top