Sustainability governance

Sustainability is part of the daily work at Hestra. To truly capture the opportunities and manage the risks, Hestra maintains a sustainability governance structure. 

Sustainability governance is managed by Hestra’s CEO and management team that reports to the Board of Directors. Over the last few years, sustainability has been integrated into the Board of Directors’ responsibilities and is addressed at board meetings.

The appointed Head of Quality and Sustainability is responsible for operational sustainability and gathers the company’s sustainability team that comprises representatives from different departments within the organisation.

Hestra maintains ongoing dialogues with key stakeholder as part of its day-to-day operations. In 2020/21, Hestra undertook a specific project to gauge its stakeholders’expectations on Hestra’s sustainability agenda, and conducted materiality and risk assessments, defined key performance indicators and prepared the company for sustainability reporting. In early 2022, Hestra’s sustainability agenda and reporting was analysed by students at the University of Jönköping, Sweden. 

Etical business conduct

Our business relationships are built on mutual trust and an ambition to conduct business sustainably. Many of our relationships with suppliers, employees and customers have lasted for decades. Ethical business behaviour is expected from all colleagues and business partners, and our expectations are outlined in our Code of Conduct, which is based on amfori BSCI’s Code of Conduct and its 11 principles. We meet with our materials suppliers regularly to establish whether the supplier share the same values as us. This includes aspects such as chemical management and legislation, animal welfare, social aspects and ethical business conduct.

The greatest risks of unethical business conduct in the industry, including corruption, occur in the interaction with the public sector in countries with weak rule of law. Examples include management of operating permits and interactions with customs. In 2021/22 there were no reported cases of corruption at Hestra or in our value chain.

Read the full report here.