31.05.2024
Innovations and groundbreaking steps in sustainability
We want to be a workplace where everyone feels valued and safe and which offers room for professional growth. – Ida Saavalainen, Group CEO
Sustainability has been at the core of Ahola Group’s operations for decades. Our approach to taking the environment into consideration and promoting sustainable development boils down to the term ‘positive handprint’.
Our digital tools make it possible for us to measure and disclose our emission targets with high precision, which is essential for extending the monitoring of GHG emissions to cover all areas of our group. Our reporting, which focuses on real emissions, first and foremost benefits our customers. This is the first time that we included GHG emission figures in our sustainability report.
As the kokkola region is experiencing a period of strong growth and major investments, we organised Sustainable Logistics, an event that highlighted the opportunities of knowledge management and sustainable development in the logistics sector. The event was our way of showing that we want to support the region’s competitiveness and promote overall environmental efficiency together with other operators.
During the year, we installed solar panels in our Naantali and Kokkola locations. This supports our daily energy requirement with renewable energy sources and reduces our dependency on fossil fuels in all areas of our operations. Thanks to solar panel battery packs, we are able to ensure sufficient electricity supply also during consumption peaks.
We also continued developing innovative transport solutions. In November, we made the first international cross-border High Capacity Transport using an eTrailer to Sweden. An HCT-eTrailer combination with an electric assist axle and a battery pack that stores kinetic energy enables fuel savings of up to 10%.
We invested in Finland’s first GoodYear Checkpoint inspection system that measures the tyre tread depth, tyre pressure and axle loads and provides alerts of any problems. In addition to improving traffic safety, optimal tyre pressure helps reduce tyre wear.
One of the cornerstones of our sustainability strategy is people, because they are the enablers of Ahola Group’s success. We want to be a workplace where everyone feels valued and safe and which offers room for professional growth. The Ahola Way is a key document guiding our management and work.
For new drivers, we have developed the Ahola Academy training programme, which aims to offer a targeted fast-track training route into the industry. Our goal is for the first drivers to complete our in-house training programme during 2024.
We also built completely new staff facilities in the Trucker’s Village in Naantali, with our drivers’ wishes in mind. These improvements are designed to make daily life easier for drivers who sometimes spend several weeks away from home.
2023 was proof that at Ahola Group, sustainability is more than just words. Above all, the year was marked by a focus on employees and working conditions, as social responsibility themes became increasingly important alongside environmental responsibility. Sustainability is a series of concrete actions that we take in an effort to leave a positive imprint on our environment. We are determined to progress towards a more sustainable future where sustainability is at the core of every decision we make.