Environmental responsibility – working towards climate positivity in 2035

We build environmentally friendly infrastructure that serves people and businesses. We take nature values into consideration and operate sustainably. We engage in systematic efforts to improve our eco-efficiency, minimise environmental impacts and conserve biodiversity.

In 2021, we announced our carbon neutrality targets, which are the most ambitious targets in the infrastructure sector. We are committed to achieving carbon neutrality in terms of our own emissions by 2030 and being climate positive by 2035. By 2030, we will also reduce indirect emissions from third parties by 30%, using 2020 as the baseline. These indirect emissions include the greenhouse gas emissions from third parties’ fuel consumption and the production of concrete, steel and asphalt.

Our environmental work focuses particularly on low-carbon operations, circular economy and biodiversity. We use the best possible technology and develop our competence to ensure environmental safety.

Low-carbon operations

We are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and being climate positive by 2035. To reach this goal, we switched to electricity produced from renewable energy sources in 2021. We will gradually switch to fossil-free fuels by 2030.

Circular economy

We minimise the volume of transport by using nearby aggregate and soil, enhance the recycling of mineral materials and promote the reuse and recycling of construction materials. Our goal is to ensure that in the future we are able to make even better and more efficient use of materials made from waste and redirect any waste streams from our sites to recovery.

Biodiversity

We work to conserve biodiversity. We exclude protected areas of high natural value from our operations. We create ways to promote biodiversity – our well-designed measures and landscaping make it possible to create new habitats and broaden the diversity of species.

We promote environmental efficiency through an ISO 14001-compliant environmental management system and through separate instructions related to quality and the environment, which take into account practical plans, measures and follow-up. Our principles, practices and goals also apply to all of our partners and subcontractors. We monitor our performance at the project level as part of our customer work. Destia Oy and Destia Rail Oy’s services hold the international combined ISO 9001 and 14001 quality and environmental certificate.

Efficiency from work machine automation

We are a pioneer in the use of work machine automation. Work machine automation increases the efficiency of work, improves accuracy and reduces material waste on almost all our suitable earthworks-oriented sites. In our projects, we pay attention to operating practices and logistics planning to optimise material efficiency and fuel consumption. We also monitor the efficiency of fleet use in our railway business.