Focus area: Environment in mind

The resources used in care have significant external impact on the environment and the climate. Attendo strives to make carefully considered environtmental choices in purchasing and use of various resources, and has a long-term ambition to move towards net-zero greenhouse gase emissions to the atmosphere.

Smart and effective choices for the environment

Attendo is a service company whose principal business is care provision. The environmental and climate impact that arises in our operations comes primarily from the energy used in buildings and transportation, as well as purchases of food and other consumables used in our local units.

Attendo’s environmental policy guides us towards making green choices in the areas of purchasing, transport, energy and water consumption, and waste management (including environmentally hazardous waste). The results include a travel policy in which rail is the preferred mode for trips of up to 500 km. Attendo continued to digitalise work processes in 2021 and to hold online meetings.

On the way to net zero carbon emissions

Attendo carried out a comprehensive survey in 2021 of the most important sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The survey shows that about a quarter of GHG emissions come directly from operation of Attendo’s local units (Scope 1 and Scope 2). This includes energy and fuel use in Attendo’s buildings and vehicles, based on factors including heating, electricity consumption and fuel for cars used in home care operations. Attendo has an express long-term ambition to achieve net zero emissions of GHG from its own operations.

The majority of carbon emissions generated by Attendo's operations arise from external sources (Scope 3) related to e.g., Attendo’s purchases of goods including food and consumables, investments and employee’s commutes to and from work. Attendo can affect these emissions indirectly, by improving the use of consumable supplies, reducing food waste and making climate-smart menus, for example, and by encouraging employees to use modes of transport with less climate impact for their daily commutes.

Attendo will further develop the calculations of climate impact from external sources in the next few years.

System for constant improvement

Attendo’s environmental management system complies with the ISO 14001 standard. The management system governs the initiatives we take, how they are carried out, the extent to which they are used and their results.

Improvements and new solutions are planned based on the conclusions. Of these, we select and implement measures and subsequently analyse the results. Thereafter, we go back to the drawing board. In this way, Attendo’s environmental work is developed and improved from one year to the next.

Attendo’s business areas implement their own projects and set environmental targets within the framework of the environmental management system. Within Attendo Scandinavia in 2021, actions included calculating the climate footprint of menus in nursing homes, measuring food waste, exploring and considering eco-labelled products and preparing a roadmap to a fossil-free vehicle fleet. A project has begun in Finland to review how energy use in the buildings can be redirected to renewable sources.

Purchases that reduce environmental impact

Attendo coordinates all purchasing to achieve synergies and ensure environmental benefit. Suppliers that qualify to be included in Attendo’s central purchasing system must be aware of and meet the requirements specified in Attendo’s environmental policy.

Attendo and EU:s taxonomy

The EU Taxonomy Regulation is an aspect of the Union’s efforts with sustainable investment. In its current iteration, it is aimed at determining which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable. As Attendo is a listed company that meets the criteria for non-financial reporting in terms of both turnover and workforce, the company is required to report in compliance with the EU Taxonomy Regulation.

For 2021, non-financial undertakings must report their exposure to EU environmental objective 1 pertaining to climate change mitigation and objective 2, climate change adaptation. The items to be reported are turnover, CapEx and OpEx that can be traced to economic activities listed in the Taxonomy’s delegated acts for the relevant objectives.

Classification of Attendo's operations according to the Taxonomy

The majority of Attendo’s sales arise from operations categorised within the economic activity 12.1 Residential care activities and which are listed under environmental objective 2. This includes all forms of care activities in nursing homes, group homes, treatment homes and daily activities programmes. Attendo has additional revenues that are not covered by the taxonomy, such as home care services and foster care, that are delivered in the customer or employee’s private home.

Goal 1 – Climate change mitigation

Attendo's operations are not included in the economic activities listed in the delegated acts concerning environmental objective 1. Attendo therefore has no exposure to the Taxonomy’s environmental objective of climate change mitigation.

Goal 2 – Climate change adaptation

In relation to environmental objective 2, Attendo must, according to the delegated acts for economic activities within area 12.1 Residential care activities, report CapEx and OpEx that can be directly traced to adapting operations to climate change. Attendo engages in active dialogue with property owners concerning adaptations to managing or responding to physical climate risks in the properties used by Attendo. As these CapEx and OpEx are incurred by the property owner, Attendo also has no exposure to the Taxonomy under environmental objective 2.