Alma Media to join the city of Helsinki’s climate covenant

Alma Media Corporation      Press release      17 April 2012, at 9.30 (EEST)

ALMA MEDIA TO JOIN THE CITY OF HELSINKI’S CLIMATE COVENANT

Today, Alma Media, together with the other companies in the Climate Partners network, signed a climate covenant with Jussi Pajunen, the Mayor of Helsinki. In the covenant, the companies identify the measures they will take to control climate change in their own operations.

The aim of the Climate Partners is to bring a group of pioneers together around the same table and find new practices for fighting climate change through cooperation. Another aim is to strengthen the companies’ competitiveness and find new business opportunities.

Alma Media’s climate goals

“In 2011, we conducted a significant study on the environmental impacts of media, the results of which have already helped us not only reduce our own environmental impact, but also engage media users and advertisers in a discussion on how to reduce theirs. The Climate Partners network is also important because it shows how increased environmental awareness translates into concrete measures in the world of business” says Rauno Heinonen, Vice President, Corporate Communications.

Alma Media has agreed to build economically and socially sustainable media and to consider responsibility when developing its business operations. The company reports its own environmental impacts openly and encourages all media users and advertisers to reduce their own climate impacts derived from media use.

Alma Media aims to reduce emissions directly as follows: 

• Reduction of the CO₂ emissions of electricity consumed in own operations by 9% by 2015.
• Reduction of CO₂ emissions caused by operations in Helsinki by 4% by 2013.
• Reduction of CO₂ emissions of the Tampere printing press by 5% by 2013.
• Reduction of the average CO₂ emission of the Group’s car fleet by 11% by 2014.

A network of pioneers

The Climate Partners network, a joint initiative of the Confederation of Finnish Industries and the City of Helsinki, includes Alma Media, Forum Virium, Elisa, Helsingin seudun Kauppakamari, Kesko, Kiinteistö-Tapiola, Lassila & Tikanoja, Lemminkäinen, Logica, Martela, NCC, Nordea, Paulig, Siemens, Skanska, Sponda, Stockmann, VR Group, VVO and YIT.  The president of the Climate Partners is Pekka Sauri, the Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, and the network is coordinated jointly by the City of Helsinki Environment Centre and Economic Development.

In their climate covenants, the companies have set themselves goals, such as reducing CO₂ emissions, improving energy efficiency and developing new services.  The covenants can be found at www.ilmastokumppanit.fi.

Further information:
Riikka Poukka, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Alma Media Plc, tel. +358 10 665 2800
Rauno Heinonen, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Alma Media Corporation, tel. +358 40 861 9345

Alma Media in brief
Alma Media is a continually renewing media company whose better-known brands include Aamulehti, Iltalehti, Kauppalehti and Etuovi.com. Alma Media employs around 3,000 professionals.  Net sales amounted to EUR 316.2 million in 2011, and operating profit was 13.3 per cent of net sales.  Alma Media’s shares (ALN1V) are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange of the NASDAQ OMX.  Read more:  www.almamedia.com.

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