Browsing by Subject "EU-taksonomia"

The European Union classification system for sustainable activities obligates companies with more than 500 employees to report their EU taxonomy alignment from 2022 on. The purpose of the study was to find out what kind of action companies have taken in preparing for the EU taxonomy classification and reporting. In addition, the aim was to map companies' views on the challenges and benefits of EU taxonomy and environmental responsibility in general. The study was conducted as a case study, and the material was collected through an online survey. The target group was corporate finance and environmental managers from companies employing more than 500 people in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. Forty-two people answered the survey, 28 of whom say the EU taxonomy affects the company they represent. Most of the respondents were representatives of large Finnish companies operating in the industrial sector. The data were examined by comparing the means and correlations of the responses. According to the survey, 97% of respondents said that their represented company was prepared for EU taxonomy. There were negative correlations between internal preparations and external support based on the data. Finding the EU taxonomy challenging, in turn, positively correlates with the acquisition of external support. Only a small proportion of the respondents said that companies they represented had calculated their own EU taxonomic eligibility or were willing to report on them. Most respondents assessed that their company was a pioneer in environmental responsibility. Based on the results, companies can be divided into two groups in preparation for EU taxonomy. Companies either seek to operate with internal resources or outsource the work. The respondents found that the most significant benefit of EU taxonomy was an improvement in the company's reputation. Topics related to EU taxonomy reporting and determining the company's taxonomic eligibility were identified as the most significant challenges. Companies that did not respond to the survey might not consider EU taxonomy a clear or preferred topic. This fact may also explain the high level of environmental responsibility of the companies that responded to the survey and their good preparation for the challenges posed by EU taxonomy. The role of EU taxonomy in promoting sustainability in companies is remarkable.