Two out of three large manufacturing companies consider ecological sustainability to be one of their key competitive factors. For large service companies, the share is about half. For smaller companies, it is slightly less, but ecological sustainability is still highlighted as a significant factor.
"Today, there is a lot of talk about climate targets being too ambitious and that they have to be postponed. However, especially for large companies, ecological sustainability has already become a genuine competitive factor, which is reflected in companies' operations in many ways," says Tuomo Alasoini, Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
The results are based on a survey on the twin (digital and green) transition and work conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Statistics Finland. The survey examined how ecological sustainability is reflected in companies’ strategy and operations and what part factors such as the level of digitalization, innovation activity, networking, foresight and employee involvement in companies play.
Ecological sustainability is highlighted in large manufacturing companies
The promotion of ecological sustainability is most evident in the strategies and measures implemented by large manufacturing companies. Large and medium-sized manufacturing companies are more likely to monitor ecology than small service companies.
Companies’ investments also differ with regard to competence development. Nearly 90 per cent of large companies have appointed people or teams responsible for environmental issues. Fewer than one in three small companies have done so. Large companies have offered training and recruited new experts, while smaller companies have acquired skills through learning in daily work.
"The role of ecological sustainability as part of companies’ strategy and operations differs greatly depending on the size of the company and the industrial sector. Large companies are clearly ahead of small ones, and the importance of ecological sustainability is emphasized more in manufacturing companies than in service companies," says Arja Ala-Laurinaho, Senior Specialist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Digital pioneers make the most green innovations
The survey also investigated companies’ innovation activity and green innovations, meaning new products and services aimed at promoting ecological sustainability.
Large manufacturing companies make significantly more green innovations than other groups of companies. They arise especially when ecological sustainability is a strategic competitive factor.
It was also observed that a company’s level of digital development is positively linked to innovation activity and the production of green innovations. Digital pioneers are significantly ahead of other companies in producing green innovations.
The use of artificial intelligence is also linked to greater innovation activity: companies using artificial intelligence implement green innovations more often than those that do not use artificial intelligence.
"Digitalization and the green transition are strongly linked in companies. Especially companies that are pioneers in digitalization have significantly more frequently implemented product and service innovations that are focussed on promoting ecological sustainability," says Alasoini.
More information about the survey
- The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health carried out a survey regarding the twin (digital and green) transition and work in collaboration with Statistics Finland, which was responsible for sampling and collecting the data. The results of the survey were analysed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
- The survey was sent to 4,500 companies and the response rate was 38 per cent. The analysis is based on the responses of 1,691 companies with at least 10 employees from different industrial sectors. The companies are examined by sector (manufacturing and service companies) and size (small, medium, large).
- The company survey complements the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s previous Climate Change and Work employee survey.
- The survey is part of the "Understanding and supporting the twin transition as part of well-being at work" research project. Read more about the project on the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s website:
https://www.ttl.fi/en/research/projects/understanding-and-supporting-the-digital-and-green-transition-as-part-of-well-being-at-work
Read the survey results
- Read the report in Julkari (in Finnish): Ekologinen kestävyys suomalaisyritysten strategiassa ja toiminnassa: Digivihreä siirtymä ja työ -yrityskyselyn 2025 tuloksia
Further information
- Tuomo Alasoini, Research Professor, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, tuomo.alasoini [at] ttl.fi (tuomo[dot]alasoini[at]ttl[dot]fi), +35850 564 6140
- Arja Ala-Laurinaho, Senior Specialist, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, arja.ala-laurinaho [at] ttl.fi (arja[dot]ala-laurinaho[at]ttl[dot]fi), +35840 562 090
