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Veidekke intensified its HSE efforts throughout the ‘90s, setting new and leading standards for the industry. We did this not only because we wanted to create a good and safe workplace for our employees, but also because we know that succeeding at HSE is ultimately important for achieving good results in several areas. But being a leader is not something your just are, but it is something you can become.
Putting HSE at the top of the agenda
In other words, you must work constantly to achieve it. In that respect, 2009 was a year in which we were well reminded of the importance of constantly putting HSE at the top of every agenda. In accidents on two of our sites we lost three colleagues. Two of them worked one of our partners, and one was employed with us. This is tragic and this must not happen again.
Arrange daily life in a manner which protects the whole person
2009 was not a winning year for injuries either. We must now see that several competitors have surpassed past us in this area; something we cannot be comfortable with. The leader of Veidekke Entreprenør, Dag Andresen, put HSE in proper perspective when he said: “We do not have the right to use up our people”. It means that we must of course avoid injuries, but it also means that we must arrange daily life in a manner which protects the whole person. We have also realised that if we are to again raise HSE efforts so that again we become leader in our industry, we must also take a much greater responsibility for our subcontractors. We must ensure that they are trained and operate on the same standard as Veidekke. This task I expect us to focus on and I want to see improvement both in 2010 and in the years to come. This is our common task and our common responsibility. Safety is first and foremost a value choice, but it is also an increasingly important competitive factor that we are measured by.
Stakeholders are keenly following Veidekke’s social responsibility
One trend significantly stronger in 2009 than previous is that more and more of our stakeholders, particularly on the investor side, are keenly following Veidekke’s social responsibility. This relates to risk management in that we must be able to clarify it everything we do. In addition, it’s important to show that our social responsibility is also about documenting sustainability in all parts of the business. Taken one step further, it is important to demonstrate that social responsibility can also lead to business opportunities. The best example of this in Veidekke is in environmentally friendly construction. For years, Veidekke has been working out our own concept for environmentally friendly buildings, called TellHus. Our first TellHus project in Mälerdalen in Sweden, was almost completely sold out after its first open-house viewing, and since Veidekke Bostad has decided only to build housing according to this standard.
The philosopher's football game
The environmental question is like so many other questions; it’s a matter of doing, not just talking. In this sense one of the best examples is the legendary Monty Pyton’s Flying Circus’ philosopher’s football game. Everyone is on the pitch and everyone is talking about the ball, but no one understands quite how to get it. Through its decision, our Swedish property operations has taken the ball and run far ahead of both society’s and public authority’s requirements - precisely because we see that environmental challenges create great business opportunities. But then, we must take the ball and use the playing field that exists around us to our advantage.
Creating one of the most energy efficient buildings
Another example of how we gained ground in 2009 in environmental responsibility is the construction of KLP Eiendom’s new eco-building in Trondheim. When the building process began, we didn’t have a complete overview of which solutions should be used. But the goal of creating one of the most energy efficient buildings was clear - and during the process, using participative planning, we delivered a building which requires only 83 kWh/m2 of energy (by comparison, new regulatory requirements stipulate 165 kWh/m2). Today, we have begun work on new buildings, including the new headquarters of the environmental organisation Bellona, for which energy needs will be reduced even further.
Ethics
A third condition on which we have full focus, and which I always have in mind, is the question of ethical conduct. The industry’s experience with collusion in the early 2000’s, has shown me that poor ethics is bad for business - something you pay for in terms of reputation lost for many years. It is unacceptable, and it is illegal. Today, we have clear warning signals, but are they good enough? Is it clear enough to the whole organisation that it is not welcome? Is the threshold for reporting undesirable behaviors low enough? It is here that I as leader, play a central role. The only thing that helps is to maintain a consistent and clear focus. No one should feel that this is an issue I or we take lightly, and we must repeat and repeat, practice and practice. In 2009, Veidekke launched a new ethics portal from where we provide anyone, both in Veidekke and from outside, the opportunity to practice and learn about ethical dilemmas. We have chosen to leave our training program as an open solution so customers, suppliers and other stakeholders can take advantage of the training too, and at the same time understand the standards we in Veidekke seek to live by.
Gain new ground
CSR is important for Veidekke. We’re constantly improving, both in our traditional corporate social responsibility and in our ability to identify the opportunities that social responsibility is creating for us. I am convinced that 2010 will be a year in which we gain new CSR ground.