Wärtsilä Group's first Environmental Report was ranked the best separate environmental report in 2001 alongside M-Real's report in a competition held in Finland annually to judge the environmental and social responsibility reporting of Finnish companies. The prize committee commented on Wärtsilä's Environmental Report as follows:
The Wärtsilä report is the first report to be published by a Finnish mechanical engineering company. It has been prepared with highly ambitious objectives, adopting the model of the Global Reporting Initiative. The report describes the company's products and their environmental impact. The whole reporting competition, comprising the report, Internet pages and annual report, was won this year by the wholesale and retail chain Kesko Oyj.
Wärtsilä Group published its first Environmental Report in June 2001. Its content concentrates mainly on Wärtsilä's research and development activities although it also gives considerable attention to the operations of Wärtsilä's factories and their environmental impacts. Wärtsilä's Environmental Report, which is written in English, applies the new Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines for environmental reporting. The next report will be published in two years.
Wärtsilä companies gain environmental certification
Wärtsilä's aim is to certify the environmental management systems of its largest companies in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard.
These certificates are awarded by independent international classification and certification societies. Many of Wärtsilä companies have achieved this certification: Wärtsilä Deutschland GmbH, Wärtsilä Sweden AB, Wärtsilä Pakistan Ltd., Wärtsilä Philippines Inc., Wärtsilä Singapore Pte Ltd., Wärtsilä Technology Oy, Wärtsilä Finland Oy, Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd., Wärtsilä Australia Pty Ltd., Wärtsilä Ibérica S.A., Wärtsilä China Ltd.,
Wärtsilä Danmark A/S, Columbia Energy Operations SA and Khulna Power Operators Ltd.
ISO 14001 is an international environmental standard that is already thoroughly familiar to Wärtsilä's stakeholders. It plays a central role in safeguarding the quality and competitiveness of Wärtsilä's products in both the marine and power plant markets. Wärtsilä's marine engines comply with the environmental requirements of the International Maritime Organization, while the emission levels of its power plants fall within the strict limits imposed by the World Bank.
Research and development is integral to the environmental system. The thrust of Wärtsilä's R&D efforts is to manufacture engines that impose the least possible impact on the environment. The most effective way of doing this is to raise total engine efficiency and at the same time develop
emission reduction technologies.
ISO 14001 environmental certificates are recognition of the systematic efforts on behalf of the environment undertaken in Wärtsilä's companies. This work has involved all employees in these companies. Besides meeting legal and other requirements, the aim of Wärtsilä's environmental management system is to prevent pollution, anticipate environmental risks, control emissions and achieve cost efficiency.
To gain environmental certification a company must continuously improve its environmental performance and this is monitored in practice by audits performed by a third party. Environmental management systems are audited every year and various parameters are used to monitor improvements in Wärtsilä's environmental performance such as engine efficiency and criteria to determine the environmental impacts of its operations. These are described in detail in Wärtsilä's Environmental Report.