Resource Efficiency: Don’t waste the future
Impacted SDGs
Key megatrends
Resource scarcity
Population growth
Energy transition & climate change
We are facing an existential environmental crisis…
Climate action failure
0.5 - 0.7 bn People living in areas under water by 2100 without further action
Natural resource crisis
3 million km² of tropical forest (size of India) lost by 2050
Biodiversity loss
28% of animal species at risk of extinction in the next 50 years
Resource efficiency sees opportunities across most of human activity…
Live
1 Circularity & waste
Move
2 Green mobility
Eat
3 Healthy low-carbon diets
Produce
4 Sustainable industry
Plug-in
5 Net zero energy
- Waste management
- Recycling of materials
- Circular products
- Sustainable packaging
- Water treatment
- Alternative biomass use
- Electrification power of power trains
- Low carbon shipping and aviation
- Next-gen batteries and fuel cells
- Energy infrastructure and services
- Shared mobility
- Aquaculture
- New farming methods
- Crop preservation
- Food waste reduction
- Sustainable and healthy foods
- Green materials
- Energy efficiency
- Sustainable buildings
- Carbon capture,
utilisation and storage - Natural capital & offsets
- Renewables
- Hydrogen / green fuels
- Distributed energy
- Waste-to-energy
- Energy storage
- Smart grid
Source. World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2021; UN Global Resources Outlook 2019; WEF Nature Risk Rising 2020; University of Arizona; Munia et. al -Future Transboundary Water Stress and Its Drivers Under Climate Change: A Global Study (2020); WWF; Engelmann & Busch -The Future of Forests: Emissions from Tropical Deforestation with and without a Carbon Price, 2016–2050
Exit case: Sortera
Investment snapshot
- Summa signed an agreement to sell Sortera to Nordic Capital in March, deal closed in April 2021
- Topline growth five folded during ownership period through organic growth and M&A
- Two new divisions added: Materials and Industry1
- Geographical expansion to Finland and expansion to cover 75% of the Swedish market
SDG value creation impact
Exactly five years after acquiring Sortera, Summa signed an agreement to sell Sortera to Nordic Capital. Throughout the ownership period, the company has displayed an impressive growth story with active value creation through add-ons, organizational improvements, and a focus on sustainability.
Since entry, Sortera has grown from 95 employees in 2016 to 400+ in 2021 and achieved +89% Adj. EBITDA growth2, 2016A-2020A. Despite the recent pandemic, Sortera saw a revenue increase of 12% in 2020, demonstrating a very resilient business model.
The SDGs are firmly rooted within Sortera’s business model, and they are continuously developing their approach to ESG matters. Sortera has increased its positive impact on society as the recycling rate and their ability to handle more waste have evolved. Although recycling, material waste management, and industrial waste services naturally generate emissions, the processes also provide significant emission avoidance.
- Sortera’s core business lines and product offerings include Recycling of construction and industrial waste, Materials (purchasing, selling, and trading waste), and industry (high pressure services within rinse, industrial cleaning, asbestos removal, and vacuum blowing)
- Pro-forma adj. from 2016
- Sustainable Brand Index: https://www.sb-index.com/sweden-b2b#sb_index_SE_download_official_report_2019_b2b
- The Project is part of a broader Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI), which is a research-led joint effort by the Global Steering Group (GSG) and the Impact Management Project (IMP). https://www.hbs.edu/impact-weighted-accounts/Pages/default.aspx
- SBTi: Science Based Targets Initiative: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/
- Sortera’s core business lines and product offerings include Recycling of construction and industrial waste, Materials (purchasing, selling, and trading waste), and industry (high pressure services within rinse, industrial cleaning, asbestos removal, and vacuum blowing)
- Pro-forma adj. from 2016
- Sustainable Brand Index: https://www.sb-index.com/sweden-b2b#sb_index_SE_download_official_report_2019_b2b
- The Project is part of a broader Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI), which is a research-led joint effort by the Global Steering Group (GSG) and the Impact Management Project (IMP). https://www.hbs.edu/impact-weighted-accounts/Pages/default.aspx
- SBTi: Science Based Targets Initiative: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/
Sortera - turning waste into resources
Revenue
SDG alignment
Tons of waste processed
Material & energy recovery
Tons CO2 avoided
No. of employees
% Female 2020
-
Total
19% -
Management
11% -
Board
50%
Staff turnover rate PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
Sortera at a glance
Sortera is a complete environmental services provider and one of the leading niche providers of construction and industrial waste solutions in the Nordics. The company is divided into three business areas: Recycling (construction recycling services), Industry (Industrial cleaning, excavation, pressure washing etc.) and Materials (handling of heavy masses and water treatment).
Sortera is currently active across Sweden and Finland, with sites in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Helsinki. The company also operates under the brands BIG BAG, Åkerisäcken, Vaihtolavacom, EnvyTech and MTIB.
Key developments in 2020
During 2020, group revenues grew by 12% vs. 2019, with growth across all divisions and limited impact of Covid-19. Sortera also closed two add- on acquisitions in 2020: Vaihtolavacom and W.A.C. Recycling. Vaihtolavacom is a Helsinki based construction recycling services company and was Sortera’s first acquisition outside of Sweden. W.A.C Recycling, handles industrial waste in southern Sweden, further strengthening the Materials Division.
In Q1 2020, the Deputy CEO took over the role as CEO, while the former CEO transitioned into the role as senior advisor to the firm and remained asmember of the Board.
New sustainability reporting standards and systems have also been implemented during the year, in addition to the recruitment of a Head of Sustainability.
- Backfilling, Energy Recovery and Material Recycling
- Estimated by Normative, based on data on the
tonnage of the various waste categories handled.
Impact dimensions
The challenges we face
While resource scarcity is a growing challenge and GHG emissions are rising globally, the European construction sector generates ~30% of all European waste, requires substantial raw material extraction and causes high GHG emissions.1 As a result, the European Commission has implemented measures to increase industry recycling levels, meaning that construction firms must take action now to meet the new requirements.
ESG goals
Sortera has worked to track and improve ESG targets since they published their first Sustainability Report in 2017. At that time, they defined a long-term goal for 100% of their handled waste to be recycled or reused. 4 years later they have nearly reached their goal as 98% of the waste is recovered. They have aligned their ESG goals with the UN SDGs, which include targets to increase diversity in their organization and to increase their positive impact on the environment.
What is the outcome?
Through its operations, Sortera is collecting, sorting, recycling and processing materials to help facilitate a circular economy. The company’s services enable increased use of old materials in new construction, reducing the need for virgin materials and hence GHG emissions. The part of Sortera providing maintenance services (such as maintenance of heating plants, sewers etc.) contributes to longer life spans of these basic societal functions. Sortera also works with soil remediation and water treatment, continuously adopting innovative solutions within this field. This helps reduce the environmental debt for future generations.
Who are the stakeholders
Sortera is active across Sweden and Finland, with recycling sites as well as soil and water treatment services in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, and Malmö. The company's services benefit the local environment and communities by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and helps the planet through reduced need for extraction of primary materials. The latter results in significant avoidance of GHG emissions. To its customers in the construction industry, Sortera offers increased flexibility, high reliability, short lead times, excellent quality, and great customer service.
How big is the effect, and does it last?
Sortera handled 1.6 million tons of waste in 2020, across energy recovery, material recovery and backfilling operations. 98% of materials handled are recovered through one of these avenues. Sortera’s operations result in CO2-equivalent avoidance of 66.6k tons yearly. This is equivalent to not using 154k barrels of oil or taking 14k passenger vehicles off the road for a year.4
If Sortera didn’t exist…
Without Sortera’s services, extraction of raw materials could be higher, putting increased strain on finite resources. Extractive processes are also carbon- intensive, meaning GHG emissions would be higher. The recycling rate of materials in the building sector would be lower and result in more waste goingto landfills instead of being recovered. Without Sortera there would also be less efficiently treated land and water. Basic elements of societal infrastructure, such as sewers and heating plants, would not be maintained as efficiently.
Impact risk: what can go wrong?
Efficient recycling or reuse of waste is contingent upon the quality of received materials. High quality materials have value and can be traded for profit,whereas low quality materials may end up in landfills and incur costs to the company and the environment. Managing the inflows and improving processes is therefore critical to the sustainability of the business model. In addition, Sortera operates 150 large trucks and several industrial facilities. These contribute to a significant environmental footprint which lessens the net positive impact of its recovery efforts. To minimize the environmental impact of the trucks, Sortera currently keeps the average fleet age below four years. A last important risk is related to HSEQ, due to working with heavy machinery and equipment. To mitigate the risk, Sortera continuously focuses on having good HSEQ routines and guidelines.
- A new circular economy action plan, European
Commission, Brussels 11.03.2020 Available at:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/
TXT/?qid=1583933814386&uri=COM:2020:98:FIN - https://www.scb.se/contentassets/9eb07fe802b74ac98b71f8c7ab5a3d92/
mi0305_2018a01_br_misambr2001.pdf - EU Construction & Demolition Waste
Management Protocol, September 2016 - EPA, 2018. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
Kiona - Putting an end to wasted residential energy
Revenue
SDG alignment
Sqm served (Egain)
kWh saved (Egain)
Tons CO2 avoided²
No. of employees
% Female 2020
-
Total
14% -
Management
16% -
Board
20%
Staff turnover rate PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
Kiona at a glance
Kiona is the leading platform in the market for smart energy solutions. The group was formed in 2021 as a result of the merger between IWMAC (2001), Egain (2003) and Cebyc (2002) - with multiple ongoing acquisitions contemplated.
The key segments are retail & industrial refrigeration, multi-residential buildings, and public & commercial buildings. The merged group also provides several ancillary software services to their customers, such as communication, analysis, and intelligence.
Kiona is market-leading in their core segment. They have an unparalleled contractor network in Scandinavia with 90 partners in Norway and Sweden.
Key developments in 2020
The initial pro-forma figures of IWMAC, Egain, and Cebyc showcase strong financial development in 2020 with 8% total topline growth with a near fivefoldincrease in EBITDA to a margin of 10%. The group expects multiple sources of synergies going forward.
Impact dimensions
The challenges we face
Buildings account for ca. 40% of Europe’s energy consumption and 36% of Europe’s emissions. 75% of buildings in the EU are energy inefficient.1 In 2050, 95% will still be in use. One third of all produced food is later wasted, making food waste the third largest emission of greenhouse gases.3 Meanwhile, electricity consumption is set to increase in the next 20 years with close to 60% being used in buildings. Today, despite the fast growth of “prop tech”, only a tiny fraction of the 40 million facilities in the world are benefiting from this technology, and already connected buildings suffer from different types of legacy equipment from differing vendors.
What is the outcome?
Kiona’s solutions can connect buildings, give insight into energy usage, and optimize consumption through a full- fledged SCADA solution and ancillary offerings. Once the customer is connected, the company offers real- time measurement and management, visualization, analytics and algorithmic optimization to enable property owners and grocery retailers to operate their assets in a significantly more sustainable manner, reducing emissions and consumption, and saving on property overhead costs and mitigating food waste issues.
Who are the stakeholders
It is not only the property owners who benefit from increased sustainability and cost savings. Tenants can be reassured
of a reduced carbon footprint if their building is optimized by Kiona, and they also benefit from a more stable indoor climate. Finally, through peak load control, energy providers will be under less strain and lighter energy infrastructure can support a larger population. Finally, the refrigeration control solutions provided by IWMAC help to reduce food waste, benefits that not only help the climate but may also bring down food refrigeration expenses.
How big is the effect, and does it last?
Customers can save 10 – 15% of their energy consumption (12 kWh average savings per sqm per year), reducing CO2equivalent emissions by 1.5kg per sqm per year. Kiona already covers 300 000 apartments in 11 countries, with up to 80 000 sqm per building. The current installed base covers the indoor climate of approximately 800 000 people. Kiona offers a highly scalable software platform and can in essence cover an infinite number of buildings. As Kiona’s user portfolio increases and gathers more data, it also becomes better at optimizing, anticipating, and supporting energy-saving decisions.
If Kiona didn’t exist…
Without Kiona, or a similar service, property owners and tenants would be forced to bear the externalities stemming from unnecessary increases in energy consumption, slow progress on sustainability and increased real estate operating costs. 75% of buildings in Europe are currently energy inefficient and since they cannot all be torn down and replaced, retrofitting is a beneficial solution to the challenge.
Impact risk: what can go wrong?
Data handled by Kiona is not particularly sensitive, but there are unpredictable threats. Issues can arise in the form of data breaches or system malfunctions. Also, if the company experiences technological disruption or superior competing solutions, the current product portfolio may not achieve its full impact. Kiona continuously invests considerable amounts of capital and effort in R&D to counteract these risks.
- Statistics from the European Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/focus-energy-efficiency-buildings-2020-feb-17_en#:~:text=Today%2C%20roughly%2075%25%20of%20the,materials%20when%20constructing%20new%20houses. Estimates of European food waste levels, FUSIONS (2012): https://www.eu-fusions.org/phocadownload/Publications/
- Estimates of European food waste levels,
FUSIONS (2012): https://www.eu-fusions.org/
phocadownload/Publications/Estimates%20of%20
European%20food%20waste%20levels.pdf - Swedish Environmental Research Institute (2020). https://www.ivl.se/english/ivl/our-offer/research-projects/circular-flows/refresh---towards-less-food-waste-in-europe.html#:~:text=Around%20100%20million%20tons%20of,every%20year%20within%20the%20EU.&text=Calculations%20show%20that%20food%20waste,impact%20from%20the%20food%20system.
Lakers - Making water work
Revenue¹
SDG alignment
No. of serviced pumps
No. of sold pumps
Tons CO2 avoided²
No. of employees
% Female 2020
-
Total
12% -
Management
8% -
Board
0%
Staff turnover rate PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
Lakers at a glance
Lakers is a North European aftermarket service provider of maintenance, service, rental, and technical consulting of water pumps, pumping stations, electrical motors, and related components. Water pumps serve as a key component in the infrastructure to transport water. Lakers also offers its customers niche products including pressure vessels, water filters and other related products. Lakers has since Summa’s acquisition in October 2018 grown into a market leader in the Nordics and has recently started its expansion into the UK and Germany, with the ambition to become a leading Northern European player. Today, Lakers operates through 22 entities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the UK, and Germany.
Key developments in 2020
Despite Covid-19, Lakers has performed well during 2020, achieving organic growth of 3%, supported by resilient demand amongst public customers and critical investments in water infrastructure. In 2020, Lakers has worked with a range of initiatives to drive organic value creation and geographic expansion. The company has initiated cross-selling across the group and has further professionalized the platform by strengthening the group function and implementing a new IT system to become more data-driven. Lakers has successfully executed on M&A, acquiring two new companies under 2020, and reached a new milestone by entering Germany. Lakers has continued the strong momentum into 2021, where Lakers reached yet another milestone by entering the UK through the acquisition of Pump Supplies. Lakers has a continued strong pipeline ahead with a focus on expansion in Northern Europe.
- 2018 financials are not pro-forma adj.
Impact dimensions
The challenges we face
The water infrastructure in Northern Europe is aging and underinvested with large inefficiencies. Population growth, urbanization and a changing climate continue to put pressure on water systems. Alongside increasing regulatory standards, this will drive the need for maintenance and upgrades. Pumps account for approximately 10% of the world’s total electricity consumption and about 90% of these works inefficiently. If all pumps were switched to high-efficiency ones, this could save 4% of global electricity consumption1 and reduce yearly water supply loss.
What is the outcome?
Lakers plays a key role in improving the infrastructure in Northern Europe (SDG 9) by solving challenges within the water systems. Well-working water systems are critical to ensure clean water and sanitation in our society (SDG 6). Furthermore, by servicing pumps and increasing their energy efficiency, Lakers could help save a large amount of energy consumed.
Who are the stakeholders
Lakers provides critical services for Public and Private customers in Northern Europe, such as municipalities, businesses, and private individuals.
How big is the effect, and does it last?
In 2020, Lakers sold nearly 8 300 and serviced over 14 200 pumps, ensuring a safe and stable supply of water for its customers. Demand for Lakers’ services is considered resilient given the critical nature of the business.
If Lakers didn’t exist…
In the Nordic market, there are few players of Lakers’ size and with its capacity and capabilities. Lakers has an unmatched competence level and is a trusted natural go-to partner for professional advice for many of its public customers. Lakers is increasingly expanding its footprint outside the Nordics with the ambition to become a leading North European competence house within water pumps. Lack of Lakers’ services could imply a lower supply of critical service and upgrades in the region it is located, potentially resulting in an increased number of breakdowns and a deteriorated state of the water infrastructure.
Impact risk: what can go wrong?
Lakers' footprint mainly comes from metals and the manufacture of parts and products used or sold by the company. Obtaining a full overview of the impact of the supply chain is challenging, and thus, there is a risk of not fully accounting for the consequential impact of this part of the value chain.
ESG goals
Lakers have recently committed to a set of ESG goals. Among the social targets, they aim to work towards a more equal workforce in their organization. Lakers’ primary climate goal is to decrease their impact on Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions. Specifically, they aim to increase their share of renewable energy sources (Scope 2) with the long-term ambition for all facilities to use 100% renewable electricity. The goals will be tracked and reported in an annual Sustainability Report.
Norsk Gjenvinning - There is no such thing as waste!
Revenue
SDG alignment
Tons of waste processed
Material recovery
Tons CO2 avoided²
No. of employees
% Female 2020
-
Total
14% -
Management
18% -
Board
43%
Staff turnover rate PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
NG at a glance
The Norsk Gjenvinning Group (NG) is Norway’s largest provider of recycling and environmental services, serving more than 40k commercial and municipal customers. The company manages 2.1 million tons of waste per annum, which is close to 20% of all waste in Norway, and additionally has a growing presence in Sweden and Denmark.
Key business areas include commercial waste management (Recycling), metals recycling, household collection, demolition services, industrial services, security shredding, downstream sales, waste trading and depot.
Key developments in 2020
NG experienced a dip in revenues of -1% vs. 2019, due to Covid-19. However, the company delivered positive EBITDA growth during 2020 (26%), demonstrating company resilience and operational flexibility in a tougher macroeconomic environment caused by the pandemic. The Group also continued to deliver on its buy and build strategy, through the acquisition of Saneringsteknikk. During 2020, NG received broad recognition for the important work the company does for the Norwegian society and circular economy, through awards such as «Green Company of the year», «Norwegian Lean company of the year» and «Norway's Smartest Industrial Company».
Impact dimensions
The challenges we face
Global waste generation is expected to grow by 70% by 20501, while the supply of natural resources is scarce. With a rapidly growing population, we have no choice but to recover and reuse materials through a circular economy.
What is the outcome?
NG is a critical part of the Norwegian infrastructure and an enabler for the Norwegian circular economy. Through its activities, NG ensures recycling of materials and recovery of energy in waste, which conserves resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Who are the stakeholders
NG serves 40k private and public customers in both ends of the value chain, whom the company helps in two main ways:
#1: Providing superior services for recycling and reuse, which improves customer sustainability and profitability through efficient resource management, future-proofing their products/services and gaining market share from less sustainable competitors.
#2: Ensuring an efficient and smooth customer journey by delivering tailored customer and industry concepts, hassle-free delivery models, and a digitalized customer interface.
Other important stakeholders are the planet (conserves resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions), employees (ensuring a safe workplace and strong employer brand), and government and authorities (catalyst for circular economy).
How big is the effect, and does it last?
NG manages 2.1m tons of waste per year, at a recycling and recovery rate of 96%, of which 52% is recovered as new raw materials. This is far above global figures of 19% recycling rate1, as well as national figures of 73% total recycling and recovery rate and 33% material recovery rate. Through material and energy recovery, NG contributes to CO2-equivalent savings of 577k tons yearly, equivalent to 1 336k barrels of oil or taking 125k passenger vehicles off the road for a year³.
If NG didn’t exist…
Without NG’s services and solutions, 2.1 million tons of waste could receive suboptimal treatment and largely end up in incinerators, landfills and unauthorized disposal sites, severely increasing CO2 emissions and the need for extraction of virgin raw materials. Furthermore, the waste could end up at depots that do not obey international regulations for environmental protection and human rights which NG has thorough control systems for.
Commercial businesses, as well as municipalities, would lose a major contributor and innovator to ensuring true sustainability, and national and local authorities would lose a major contributor to the Norwegian circular economy and a critical part of the Nordic waste management infrastructure.
Impact risk: what can go wrong?
HSEQ is a top priority for NG, due to the inherent risks related to working with heavy machinery and risks of fires in the processing plants. To mitigate these risks, NG has strict guidelines and safety routines to ensure a safe working environment and reducing the risk of fire.
In addition, NG’s activities entail a significant risk of environmental damage in the form of air, soil, or water pollution. To reduce this risk, NG has control systems and barriers to ensure that all employees and all facilities operate in accordance with regulations and permits. Comprehensive training is provided and performed, as well as both internal and external audits and inspections. In this way, NG improves the company’s environmental impact and ensures that external and internal requirements are complied with.
- What a Waste 2.0, World Bank Group, 2018, Available at: https://datatopics.worldbank.org/what-a-waste/trends_in_solid_waste_management.html
- https://www.ssb.no/avfregno
- EPA, 2019. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
Milarex - Convenient, high quality seafood for all
Revenue
SDG alignment
Raw materials with sustainability certificate
Conversion ratio raw materials to edible products
Tons of edible product
No. of employees
% Female 2020
-
Total
65% -
Management
39% -
Board
20%
Staff turnover rate PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
Share of recyclable plastics in consumer packaging PORTFOLIO AVERAGE 8%
Milarex at a glance
Milarex operates within the secondary processing part of the value chain, focusing on salmon value-added products. The company was established in 2016 and has in a short time taken a leading position within value-added processing of salmon globally, producing 21m kilos of edible products in 2020. The company is headquartered in Norway with manufacturing and other operations in Poland as well as sales and distribution offices across Germany, Italy, UK, and France. In 2021, Milarex expanded to North America through the acquisition of its exclusive distributor, Ultco. Milarex operates one of the world’s most advanced salmon processing factories, which is well invested and has ample room to cater for growth going forward.
Key developments in 2020
Milarex has performed well during 2020, delivering 25% top-line growth supported by strong demand in the retail segment. The company has experienced high growth in markets such as Italy, France, and North America, where Milarex expects continued strong momentum going forward.
Milarex has taken a leadership role in sustainable practices in the salmon processing industry. They have set ambitious targets and have in 2020launched a fish traceability platform, introduced fully recyclable plastics in its consumer brand Arctic Fish, and launched a sustainable best practice product ‘Pure Green’ under the same brand.
With the recent acquisition of the US distributor Ultco, Milarex is well positioned to further ramp up its efforts in North America, representing a new growth chapter for the company.
- Several additional SDGs are part of Milarex' strategic considerations and diligent work on sustainability. We here seek to highlight a few core positive contributions directly related to Milarex operations. It is an integral part of Milarex' strategy be best-inclass on acting to avoid harm to marine ecosystems through sourcing sustainable raw materials. Milarex seeks to challenge suppliers and peers to move the industry forward in terms of sustainability.
Impact dimensions
The challenges we face¹
The world population is estimated to reach 8.6 billion people by 2030, implying a demand for 35% more food than what we have available today. On a global basis, more than 1.9 million adults are classified as overweight2, representing a need for a healthier diet to combat the disease. Also, of the total GHG emissions that we have today, approximately 14.5% is due to livestock3. These challenges represent opportunities for healthy protein producers, such as Milarex, to step up by increasing volume and improving the efficiency of food production.
What is the outcome?
By providing a safe, healthy, affordable source of food protein6 and achieving a high ratio of fish-in-food-out (yield), Milarex helps cover the world’s growing nutrition needs (SDG 2, SDG 3). Farm-raised salmon are amongst the healthiest and most nutrient-dense protein sources and is often described as a “Superfood” (Harvard Health Publishing). Its benefits to human health are well-documented (SDG 3).
Replacing other, more carbon-intensive, protein sources, such as livestock, with salmon, reduces GHG emissions. Milarex promotes a sustainable production cycle from sourcing to delivery: The company acts to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12) by sourcing sustainability-certified salmon (93% of the company’s raw materials in 2020). Milarex is also reducing packaging, has introduced recyclable plastics and will switch to 100% green electricity at its factory during H2 2021.
Who are the stakeholders
Milarex mainly sells its products to consumers through retailers in Germany, Eastern Europe, Italy, UK, France, North America and Australia.
Salmon is a healthy and premium protein; increasing the availability through affordable solutions makes salmon more accessible for more consumers.
How big is the effect, and does it last?
Milarex sold around 21 m kilos of edible products in 2020. Going forward, the company expects a continued stable demand for salmon on the back of increasing health and sustainability awareness amongst consumers.
If Milarex didn’t exist…
By improving consumer access to healthy, safe, sustainable, and affordable proteins, Milarex has a meaningful impact on our society. Milarex strives to be the benchmark for safe and sustainable salmon processing by its strong food safety culture and sustainability commitments. Through selling processed fish with a longer shelf life, and utilizing the whole fish by selling by-products, Milarex contributes to reducing food waste.
Impact risk: what can go wrong?
The quality of Milarex’s products is dependent on the quality of sourced raw materials.
Though regulations of salmon farming are strict, the industry still has challenges in biology, animal welfare and sustainable farming practices. Salmon farmers have always faced challenges head-on by using science-based approaches to continue to improve their operations and average product quality.
- Future of Food. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/474831468186561685/future-of-food-shaping-the-global-food-system-to-deliver-improved-nutrition-and-health
- WHO, 2018. Obesity and overweight. http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
- FAO, 2013. Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock. http://www.fao.org/3/i3437e/i3437e.pdf
- FAO, Key facts and findings: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/
- SINTEF, 2009. Carbon footprint and energy consumption of Norwegian seafood products. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301694542_Carbon_footprint_and_energy_use_of_Norwegian_seafood_products_-_Final_report_2009
- Substituting seafood for red meat is thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for example, which maps to SDG subgoal indicator 3.4.1.
