The priorities set for corporate responsibility

The Port of Helsinki practises sustainable, profitable and responsible port operations together with its customers and partners. In 2018, the Port of Helsinki Ltd defined the key elements of its corporate responsibility. These are financial, social and environmental responsibility.

Financial responsibility

The Port operates in a financially sustainable manner and creates national and regional well-being. At the same time, it creates the opportunities for socially and environmentally responsible operations.

  • The taxes and statutory payments of the Port of Helsinki in 2018: 6.9 million euros.
  • Dividends to the City of Helsinki: 5.3 million euros.
  • Interest and rent of the Port of Helsinki: 19.6 million euros.

In procurements, the Port of Helsinki uses the Tilaajavastuu service.

Social responsibility

The Port of Helsinki conducts socially responsible business, and we aim to clearly bring out its effects on Finnish everyday life, society and security of supply.

As an indicator of national and regional well-being, it uses impact assessment reports that assess Helsinki port operations’:

  • impact on the national economy: overall financial impact approx. 2.6 billion euros per year
  • employment impact: taking into account the multiplier effect, 15,100 people per year.

Source: The Port of Helsinki impact assessment completed in 2017 by the Brahea Centre at the University of Turku (in Finnish)

The Port of Helsinki engagse in active cooperation with educational institutions, companies and our harbours’ local residents.

  • In 2018, the Port of Helsinki organised and hosted several educational institution visits, supervised theses, participated in resident evenings of the City of Helsinki and organised public events within its operational area. In addition to this, the Port kept in close touch with the Katajanokka, Vuosaari and Jätkäsaari neighbourhood associations, among others.

As an employer, the Port of Helsinki aims to ensure the well-being, competence and equality of its employees. One aim is to reduce the number of instances of sick leave, with another aim being for the number of occupational accidents to be zero. The results of the occupational health survey conducted every two years (last carried out in 2017) and the yearly workplace well-being survey are used as tools for the development of the equality, well-being and motivation of the work community.

  • Based on the 2018 workplace well-being survey, job satisfaction at the Port of Helsinki is at a moderately good level. On a scale from 1 to 5, the average was 3.76 (2017: 3.90)
  • Frequency of occupational accidents, see Enthusiastic and skilled employees

Environmental responsibility

The Port of Helsinki manages and minimises the environmental impact of harbour operations and wants to act as pioneers in environmental matters in the harbour industry. All harbours in Helsinki have the environmental permits required by law, which steer their operations. All companies operating in the harbour area must adhere to the conditions of the permit, which regulate the levels of noise and emissions, as well as waste management. The Port of Helsinki also has an operating system that fulfils the requirements of standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

Like its owner, the City of Helsinki, the Port of Helsinki is also committed to the goal of achieving a carbon neutral Helsinki by 2035 as defined in the City strategy. From the beginning of 2019, the Port started creating its own strategy and action plan. It places the improvement of energy-efficiency in a key role. The Port of Helsinki also adheres to the recommendations of the energy reviews performed by authorities every four years.

The Port of Helsinki aims to influence the environmental impact of our interest groups, for example, with environmentally based price incentives.

  • In October, Port of Helsinki joined the joint Climate Partners network of the City of Helsinki and businesses. In the commitment, the Port defined the concrete actions it will take to mitigate climate change: We will deepen the Vuosaari Harbour fairway. We will promote measures such as the bunkering of vessels that run on liquefied natural gas and also survey the refuelling possibilities of other low-emission fuels. We will promote the use of onshore power. We will continue the pricing pilot started in 2017 that will enable environmental discounts on vessel charges. We will improve our own energy-efficiency.

Port of Helsinki joins Climate Partners

  • In 2018, the Port of Helsinki granted liner traffic vessels discounts on vessel charges based on reducing environmental impacts. The implemented environmental actions reduced air emissions and noise at the harbour or improved the environmental efficiency of the vessels.

Reducing the environmental impact of vessels in the harbour

  • The Port of Helsinki decided to steer the growth of truck traffic from urban ports towards Vuosaari Harbour through pricing measures starting from the beginning of 2019. The aim of the one-year trial is to reduce the environmental impact caused by congestion in the city centre.

Port of Helsinki steers the volumes of truck traffic through its pricing

  • The Port of Helsinki monitors the condition of its nearby marine region by participating in the annual joint monitoring of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s marine regions and impact monitoring regarding water construction. In 2018, the Port voluntarily expanded the monitoring analysis selection regarding metals, nutrients and bathing water bacteria. The hygienic state of the water area at Vuosaari Harbour is good. In addition to this, the Port of Helsinki facilitates and organises mapping of non-native species in the Port’s water areas.

The Port of Helsinki enables a flexible harbour infrastructure for both the use and provision of energy. We take customer feedback into account and develop our infrastructure in a more environmentally friendly direction. We are also involved in the key interest and cooperation groups in the industry.

  • In October, the international Green Shipping Summit presented the Port of Helsinki with the award for Greenest Port of the Year.

Port of Helsinki voted as the greenest port of the year

  • The Port of Helsinki is participating in the joint Baltic Sea challenge of the cities of Helsinki and Turku.
    In 2018, the Port also participated in supporting the chair of the Economics of Baltic Sea Protection at the University of Helsinki. The Port also financially supported the Baltic Sea Action Group’s Hyvä Happi project.
  • The Port is participating in Wärtsilä’s three-year Seabin project by managing the operation and maintenance of the floating rubbish bins in Helsinki. The summer of 2018 was the second summer during which the floating bins were tested in Helsinki. The floating bins are a concrete way of grabing the city residents’ attention and raising awareness of the littering of the seas. The project highlights education, research and technology.

www.wartsila.com/finland-100/seabin-project