Sustainability
Environmental, Social and Governance
Sustainability is a key component of Nokia strategy and purpose. We believe digitalization and connectivity solutions are critical to resolving many of the global problems facing society today – environmental, social and economic.
The solutions we provide can help the world decarbonize and dematerialize, reducing waste, limiting the use of natural resources and driving the reuse of materials to combat climate change; can help restore failing productivity through digitalization of industries and society, and can bring more inclusive access to opportunity and basic social services.
This is what we mean when we say we create technology that helps the world act together. We take a two- pronged approach. We maximize our handprint while minimizing our footprint across environmental and social issues, supported by robust governance and responsible and ethical business practices.
We realize we cannot do this alone, and we call for accelerated digitalization and enhanced connectivity, greater multi-party, multi-discipline collaboration and the establishment of sustainable platforms that encourage innovation.
Maximizing our handprint
We enable other industries and society to digitalize and capture the full environmental, social and economic benefits of the technology we provide. We aim to make asset intensive industries more efficient, creating less waste and encouraging greater reuse of precious resources and materials, and making workplaces safer, more secure, more connected and more productive. Our solutions connect the unconnected to the services and opportunities they need to thrive and develop. We contribute to enabling the new world of hybrid work, and provide the solutions that can support safer, more secure operations across the value chain and in everyday life. This is the unique handprint of our technology and solutions.
Minimizing our footprint
We also have a duty to ensure we do everything we can to minimize any potential negative impact of the solutions we provide – from design to sourcing to manufacture and delivery and on to use and end of life. We constantly drive for our products and solutions to be as energy and material efficient as possible and as safe and secure as possible. We are diligent in knowing where and how our products and solutions are made and the source of the materials, and drive to deliver and maintain them in the most sustainable way and ensure they are responsibly taken care of at end of life. And we work hard to ensure the products and solutions we provide are not misused to do harm and are used for their original intention. This is our footprint and we strive to continually minimize it.
Improving lives
The benefits of the technology we provide to society far outweigh any potential negative impact. We connect the unconnected and support digital skills to close the digital divide, helping to provide access to opportunity. We provide the critical networks that can enable digital access to healthcare, education, employment, social services, business, and markets. This is the handprint our solutions leave on society.
The potential to run a business digitally, especially for micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can provide not only a lifeline in times of crisis, but also access to potentially greater market opportunities. We also implement social programs that promote shared value and sustainable change with key expert organizations.
Climate
Climate change provides perhaps the greatest challenge of our times and requires collaboration, innovation and accelerated action at all levels of industry and society. Our dual approach to combatting climate change begins from maximizing our positive handprint on industry, society and the planet through digitalization and enhanced connectivity solutions. This is supported by actions to continually minimize our environmental footprint across our product portfolio which is our greatest environmental impact. We also minimize the footprint of our own operations and thirdly we work with our supply chain to help minimize their emissions.
We were the first telco vendor to have our Science Based Targets (SBTs) accepted in 2017 by the SBT initiative and we reset this target in line with a 1.5°C global warming limit by 2030 and net zero by 2050. We aim to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 across our value chain – Scopes 1, 2 and 3 – against a baseline of 2019 reported emissions. Read more on our actions to combat climate change and protect the environment.
Circular
We have 25 years of well-established circular practices and processes that use the full value of products as the original equipment manufacturer. We apply a circular approach, reducing the environmental impacts of our operations and products during the design, creation, transportation, use and end-of-life phases. Using circular practices we reduce waste, increase reuse, recovery and recycling, and further refurbish for new use. We maintain closed loop processes that keep products at their highest value and quality for multiple uses and the longest time possible.
We offer a Circular Products and Services portfolio that includes Asset Recovery, Refurbishment services, circular products and parts, and recycling.
Nokia and Orange made a first frame agreement to increase the use of refurbished equipment in telecoms infrastructure. Refurbished network equipment will be offered by Nokia to all Orange subsidiaries via BuyIn, the procurement alliance of Orange and Deutsche Telekom. Read more on the Orange refurbishment agreement by clicking the image to the right
Integrity
Ethics
Nokia’s Ethics and Compliance team is committed to continuously enhancing our culture of integrity. Our Code of Conduct (Code) reflects our values and sets the foundation for everything we do. Robust policies and procedures help us to detect, prevent, and remedy violations of the Code, policy, and law.
Key elements of our program include:
- a comprehensive risk assessment process
- keen focus on digitalization
- strong anti-corruption program
- internal controls
- investigations and remediation processes
- and a vibrant speak-up culture
Human Rights
We fundamentally believe that connectivity and the technology we provide are a social good that can support human rights and we acknowledge the responsibility that comes with this. Upholding human rights is a complex issue that covers not only the technology we provide, but our partners, suppliers and our own operations. Therefore, we strive to continuously learn and improve, and believe that engaging with the broader stakeholder community to drive dialog is the best way forward.
The Nokia Human Rights Policy outlines our commitment to respect and support Human Rights based on the principles and values laid out in international principles. These principles and values are embedded in our Code of Conduct that every employee is required to follow and are reflected in our commitment to the principles of the UN Global Compact and in our participation in the Global Network Initiative. We also expect our suppliers and business partners share these values to ensure that communications technology and our business respects and support human rights. We believe that delivering our products and services to our customers in an ethical and socially responsible manner can be a true commercial differentiator.
Building a sustainable supply chain
Supply chains are famously challenging to monitor and really get to know in detail. As a telco equipment company we have over 10 000 suppliers with whom we have a business relationship in over 100 countries across the world. Making our supply chain more sustainable and accountable is our continuous focus, ensuring that we do not only follow what is legally required, but apply industry best practice and standards when it comes to working with our suppliers.
Our supply chain due-diligence activities involve online and onsite audits and assessments around labor conditions, health and safety, climate, waste, ethics and sourcing practices. We set clear performance expectations on suppliers and evaluate sustainability as part of business performance evaluation. We have set up high aspirations for ourselves as a company on some of the most challenging topics today, such as climate or circularity, and we also aim to learn, collaborate, and co-create with our suppliers on these topics.
Our people
Our people ambition states what we aspire to over the next three to five years. We look to be innovators, revolutionizing technology, and acting together for a sustainable and inclusive world. We put our people firmly at the heart of everything we do and work to further embed the Nokia essentials into our daily actions and behaviors. We work together to align personal and professional growth with the need to sustain Nokia’s business growth. Our leaders create a working environment in which people can be open, fearless, and empowered, developing themselves and their teams. We have a sense of belonging at Nokia and feel personally connected to our colleagues and our work. and our daily experiences enable each of us to be ourselves, free to focus, create and innovate.
Our targets
We set ambitious targets covering short-, medium- and long-term goals that are then operationalized with actions and roadmaps across the organization. Many of our key ESG targets are set in conjunction with recognized external organizations and initiatives in order to drive transparency and verification. And we continually drive improvement in our ESG practices and procedures and integrate learnings into our activities in order to further develop.
Download a summary of our 2021 targets and results and our future targets
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