Developing society to be more sustainable is more relevant and exciting than ever before
Sustainable solutions are at the heart of our business
The transition towards a more sustainable society requires effort from individuals, businesses and the public sector. Together with our clients and the collective knowledge of our specialists, Sweco plays a key role in co-creating solutions that address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make our societies more sustainable.
As the leading engineering and architecture company in Europe, we promote the achievement of the sustainable development goals and the mitigation of climate change in all our business sectors: industrial and energy solutions, urban planning, mobility and construction, resource efficiency and biodiversity, and strategy work.
The sustainable development have never been more topical, courageous or inspiring than right now. The ambitious goals can be achieved with the help of Sweco’s best professionals and the latest digital technologies.
Strongly committed to sustainability
Sweco’s goal is to achieve climate neutrality in its upstream value chain and own operations by 2040 and halve the company’s emissions by 2030.
In 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated and approved Sweco’s near-term targets for 2030: we commit to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent and Scope 3 emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 from a 2020 base year.
We invest in our personnel’s sustainability expertise, promote diversity and manage responsibility openly. We comply with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and international sustainability commitments as part of our responsibility strategy.
Sustainable urban development supports our wellbeing
Sustainable urban development supports our wellbeing
Following urbanisation, an increasing number of people will be living in cities in Finland and elsewhere. In 2020, 72% of people in Finland lived in cities, and this percentage is expected to rise to 79% in 2050. This means that planning and building sustainable cities is more important than ever.
Sweco’s multi-professional urban planning teams work on low-emission cities of the future. Construction solutions are energy-efficient and make use of renewable energy and the opportunities of circular economy. The land use planning and buildings of future cities are adapted to climate change by taking increased rainfall and heatwaves into account, for example.
Urban residents’ everyday wellbeing is supported by proximity to nature and user-friendly public transport which allows people to move around without a car, in addition to safe opportunities for cycling and walking. Sustainable cities promote equality and social responsibility.
Industrial planning by sustainable development
Industrial planning by sustainable development
Finland aims to be the first fossil-free welfare society by 2035. A fossil-free future requires that emissions are reduced faster in all sectors. The energy sector and sustainable industry play a key role in the total emissions reductions and climate change mitigation.
Through the energy transition, we move towards a system built on renewable energy. Sweco is actively involved in the energy transition and sustainable and resource-efficient industrial planning. We design flexible systems for energy production and storage and boost the use of renewable energy sources.
Our solutions not only aim to minimise the carbon footprint of industry and construction, but also to produce positive climate impact – to increase the carbon handprint. This may involve materials and measures that enhance carbon capture or circular economy solutions that support the sustainable use and recycling of materials. At the same time, we can build new business that follows the principles of sustainable development.
We pay attention to biodiversity in all projects
The goal of the Finnish Biodiversity Strategy is to stop the loss of biodiversity and restore the weakened species and ecosystems by 2030. In addition to restorative measures, the strategy aims to discover the root causes of the loss of biodiversity.
At Sweco, we work actively with our clients to find ways of improving biodiversity. In each project, we aim to measure the current status of biodiversity, assess its potential change during the project and minimise the risks involved.
Check out Sweco’s biodiversity services
Towards a truly sustainable society through a sustainable development strategy
The transition towards a more sustainable society requires that we work together with stakeholders and listen to them during the planning, build new competencies and create functional ecosystems. Sustainable development solutions require social, commercial and technical expertise.
Sweco offers strategic planning services for sustainable business and early-stage strategic consultation for all sectors related to the built environment and industry. The transition towards a more sustainable society includes measures to mitigate climate change, circular economy solutions and support for biodiversity. Preserving vitality is at the core of our sustainable and responsible design and planning work.
Data model based carbon footprint calculation guided the design solutions of Ruskeasuo depot
Data model based carbon footprint calculation guided the design solutions of Ruskeasuo depot
Ruskeasuo depot is one of the major infrastructure projects in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, and both Skanska and Sweco have extensive responsibilities regarding its low-carbon solutions. Skanska utilised the carbon footprint calculation tool developed by Sweco for comparing its alternatives.
Urban Insight – Views on urban development
How do different urban structures respond to people’s needs and aspirations, and how does this affect the way we design and implement sustainable and attractive urban areas?
The theme for Urban Insight 2023 and 2024 is Resilience.
To become resilient special measures to ready our environments and communities need to be taken. Experts share insights on steps towards resilience – going from reactive to proactive.
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