In order to be considered a sustainable business partner, it is our firm belief that we must do business in a responsible way. We do this by working with our three business responsibility topics that we have developed to structure our approach.
Our Code of Conduct is our guiding document to describe how we should act – both as a business and as individual employees. The code has shaped our three Business Responsibility Topics – Working conditions, Fair and ethical business, and Diversity and inclusion. These topics are presented in more detail below. Click here to read our Code of Conduct
Our Code of Conduct is aligned with our three pillars:
Rationality
Sustainability
Reliability
The code also includes two additional important topics:
Responsibility
Respect
In 2021, we recruited a new female president for China & Southeast Asia. With our aim to hire an experienced business executive with a passion diversity and inclusion, we found the perfect candidate in Dr. Aiying Wang. She was included on the 2021 Forbes Top China women in science and technology list and the 2021 China Fortunate Most Powerful Women in Business List.
We ask Dr. Wang for her thoughts on diversity and inclusion, why it’s important to Envac and where she sees the work going in the company.
Tell us about your take on diversity and inclusion?
Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. To be inclusive is not only the right thing to do to inspire the best from people, but it is also best practice for business. When people from different backgrounds with different ideas are heard and encouraged, better business results can be achieved. I personally have benefitted from inclusive work cultures, and I have progressed on my own inclusion journey as I learned to appreciate difference in people.
Why are diversity and inclusion important to Envac?
Envac’s mission to create a more sustainable society can only be fulfilled with an inclusive culture to embrace and appreciate the diversity of ideas and contribution.
What are your plans to further develop diversity and inclusion at Envac?
Going forward, I plan to further raise awareness of inclusion in my region by setting an example as an inclusive leader and coaching the Envac leadership team to have an open mindset in talent recruitment and team development. By integrating diversity and inclusion throughout our teams, we can better advocate diversity and inclusion in the communities we operate in – to inspire new leaders and young women to flourish.
Management approach
We have always tried to promote equality and inclusion among all our employees around the world, however the diversity and inclusion topic is a relatively new priority area for our sustainability work. We have robust diversity and inclusion policies in place but need to be better at communicating our good work and share good practice among our entities around the world. Going forward, we are committed to further strengthen our work with diversity and inclusion.
In 2021, female participation on our Global Executive Board increased from 0% to 20% as we welcomed two women to the Board. This included a female Regional Manager in Asia.
Strengthen our commitment and awareness of diversity and inclusion.
Finalise the Envac global Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
To be completed 2022.
Investigate and implement the advertising of new jobs to improve diversity and inclusion.
Investigate and implement by 2023.
Find solutions to anonymise the recruitment process.
To be implemented 2023.
Provide managers with diversity and inclusion training.
100% trained by 2024.
Management approach
We seek to promote good working conditions for everyone impacted by our solutions and operations. This includes our own employees, our customers and waste collection workers.
Manual handling is one of the largest causes of accidents in waste management as it involves carrying and heavy lifting. By removing these activities, we promote Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the waste collection industry and within waste and linen handling in the hospital sector. Envac’s ground rules for its own employees involve working safely and protecting themselves, their co-workers, the community and the environment.
In 2021, we recorded 4.1 lost time injuries per 200,000 hours worked in Region North Europe and Region South Europe & Americas. An accident is always one to many, therefore we always focus on preventive actions and our target is and will always be to achieve zero accidents.
During the year, we further developed our reporting tools for OHS incidents, which will continue in 2022, and we are updating our global OHS policy, which we aim to complete in mid 2022. We developed a new OHS KPI on a global level that measures accidents, serious accidents and near misses and was approved in 2022. In 2022, we are aiming to report at least 60 near-miss incident observations globally. We will do this by developing a reporting culture throughout Envac, which will be promoted through a new communications programme to inform all Envac employees on our safety culture and our updated OHS policy.
We continue to third-party certify each of our regional entities according to safety. In Octocber 2021 Envac Scandinavia became certified towards ISO45001.
Zero Accidents
Develop Occupational Health & Safety KPIs for our Group Executive Board (GEB) to follow up.
Update Envac’s Global OHS policy including a regional self-assessment tool.
To be completed 2022.
One company per region to be certified to an OHS management system.
To be completed 2024.
Communication on safety first to all employees.
To be completed 2022.
Improve Employee Net Promoter Score by 15% by 2025 compared to 2021.
Develop Occupational Health & Safety KPIs for our Group Executive Board (GEB) to follow up.
Update Envac’s Global OHS policy including a regional self-assessment tool.
To be completed 2022.
One company per region to be certified to an OHS management system.
To be completed 2024.
Communication on safety first to all employees.
To be completed 2022.
Management approach
Operating a fair and ethical business is crucial to Envac’s overall reputation and success. Business partners, including suppliers and customers, are crucial to our ability run a fair and ethical business.
In 2021, we decided to use an e-learning from our owner Stena AB to train our employees on the Envac Code of Conduct. In 2022, we aim for all our employees in Region North Europe and in Region South Europe & Americas to complete the e-learning, which would be equivalent to around half our global employees. In 2023, we will launch the training globally – with the target to train all Envac employees on our Code of Conduct by the end of 2023.
During 2021, we developed a global Supplier Code of Conduct. We aimed to launch the code in 2021, but it was delayed during the year and we hope to approve it in the first half of 2022. Our ambition is to ensure that at least half of our key suppliers sign our Supplier Code of Conduct before the end of 2022, and that all key suppliers are signed up by the end of 2023.
We worked to improve our whistleblowing process in 2021. In the first half of 2022, we plan to launch an improved whistleblowing process to offer anonymous third-party reporting. The process has been delayed and we are slightly behind schedule for providing it for internal use, but we hope to still offer external reporting in the coming years according to our long-term plans.
100% trained employees in Code of Conduct.
Decided on training programme for all employees.
Training of employees on our Code of Conduct.
100% trained by 2023.
Finalise our supplier Code of Conduct.
To be completed 2022.
Key suppliers sign up to our supplier Code of Conduct.
100% signed by 2023.
100% of key suppliers signed our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Decided on training programme for all employees.
Training of employees on our Code of Conduct.
100% trained by 2023.
Finalise our supplier Code of Conduct.
To be completed 2022.
Key suppliers sign up to our supplier Code of Conduct.
100% signed by 2023.
Envac AB
Fleminggatan 7, 3tr
SE-112 26 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 8 785 00 10
Corporate web site:
www.envacgroup.com