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Sustainability - Finland

Updated 12/2012

Legal requirements

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility refers to a voluntary act where companies take into consideration social and ecological matters when conducting business.

  • Social and corporate responsibility suomi

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy and Finnish Business & Society ry collect and share information and links on the subject.

  • Finnish Business Society r.y suomi

Responsible entrepreneurship encourages businesses to go beyond statutory requirements, investing more in human resources and the environment. The area is regulated by, for example, the Act on Social Enterprises and the Act Amending the Act on Social Enterprises.

  • Social enterprise suomi

Standards

A standard is a uniform solution to a recurring event. Further information on standards is available from the Finnish Standards Association, where you can also buy them.

  • Finnish Standards Association suomi

ISO 14000 series standards relate to environmental matters.

  • Environmental systems and management suomi

It is possible to certify systems under standard ISO 14001. Certification may be awarded by a certification company.

  • Environmental management systems suomi

The law requires businesses to comply with minimum social and environmental rules.

Administrative procedures

Certification of standards

Quality management standards

Quality management is handled by the ISO 9000 series of international standards and guidelines.

  • ISO 9000 standard series suomi

Environmental management standards

The ISO 14000 series of international standards, which deals with environmental management, is used worldwide as the basis for environmental management.

  • ISO 14000 standard series suomi

Occupational safety management standards

With a health and safety management system, an organisation can manage health and safety risks and improve the level of its health and safety activities. For the time being, there is no international ISO or European EN standard for health and safety systems.

  • Occupational health and occupational safety management suomi

Resources

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy website contains information on responsible entrepreneurship.

  • Social and corporate responsibility suomi

The Employment and Economic Development Office can provide information about corporate social responsibility.

  • Corporate social responsibility suomi

The website of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health provides information relating to occupational healthcare services. It gives access to various tools, useful documents, research results and related links.

  • The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health suomi

There is information on environmental standards on the website of the Ministry of the Environment.

  • Environmental management systems suomi

FINAS maintains a list of companies eligible for certification. The FINAS accreditation service acts as the Finnish national accreditation body, and its task is to offer accreditation services according to international criteria.

  • FINAS suomi

The Finnish Standards Association has further information on standards, which may also be purchased there.

  • Finnish Standards Association suomi

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Act on Implementation on the Legislation on Environmental Protection 4.2.2000/113 suomi
    • Act on Social Enterprises 1351/2003 suomi
    • Act Amending the Act on Social Enterprises 13.4.2007 suomi

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Further help

Finnish Business & Society r.y (FiBS) is a network of companies that encourages companies to voluntarily engage in responsible business, providing advice and support to companies to promote their social responsibility.

  • Finnish Business Society r.y suomi

CSR Europe is a network of countries and organisations interested in corporate responsibility.

Regional State Administration Agencies' industrial safety units advise employers and employees in dealing with matters concerning employment law and collective labour agreements.

  • Industrial safety related liabilities of the Regional State Administrative Agency suomi