Our stakeholder engagement follows the principle of openness and the special requirements for public companies. We aim to address the expectations of all stakeholders, in particular concerning sustainability. We do understand, however, that different stakeholder groups may have conflicting requests, especially for corporate social responsibility.
Nokian Tyres’ stakeholders across our activities and business relationships are:
- employees and other workers
- consumers and other end-users
- B2B customers (business partners)
- suppliers and subcontractors
- governments
- shareholders
- local communities, especially in our factory locations
- media
- non-governmental organizations
- vulnerable groups
The group in the tire value chain that is considered the most vulnerable to negative human rights impacts is the natural rubber farmers and workers. Natural rubber is the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of families living in countries where the local legislation and working conditions have not been fully developed. In 2021, Nokian Tyres published its Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy to tackle issues associated with natural rubber supply chain. The company has also conducted sustainability audits in natural rubber processing plants since 2016.
Nokian Tyres conducts a material analysis every three years. As part od the most recent analysis that took place from September 2023 to February 2024, we conducted a sustainability survey, where our most important internal and external stakeholder groups defined their individual material topics and risks and opportunities in Nokian Tyres’ sustainability. The survey was conducted as an online questionnaire, comprising questions on the economic, social and governance aspects of sustainability, based on global benchmarks and topics relevant to the tire industry.
The table below shows the survey results with the topics prioritized by stakeholder group:
|
Stakeholder group |
Stakeholder expectations in the order of importance |
Company measures
|
|
Clients (B2B customers) |
|
|
|
Employees |
|
|
|
Suppliers and subcontractors |
|
|
|
Investors, owners, board members |
|
|
|
Authorities, media, NGOs, industry associations |
|
|
OUR MEMBERSHIPS
We follow the law in letter and spirit in every country of operation. Our Code of Conduct provides every employee with instructions on what to do in case they see something in our operation that may conflict with the applicable legislation.
As a public company, Nokian Tyres is bound by the statutory requirements and the rules of the stock exchange on the publicity of information which is relevant to the company’s business. In order to meet our stakeholders’ expectations, we have followed the requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative framework.
Nokian Tyres is a member of various industrial and employer organizations. Our participation depends on the current topics and our opportunities to offer our expertise. We are also a member of various communities and organizations that participate in the development of the legislation and political decision-making. Nokian Tyres is not involved in political activities, fundraising, or political contributions as per our Code of Conduct. Any new membership is evaluated with Nokian Tyres' Know Your Counterparty (KYC) process.
For us, the most important organizations are:
- Chemical Industry Federation of Finland
- Rubber Manufacturers’ Association of Finland
- ETRMA/European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association
- ETRTO/European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization
- National automotive and tire industry associations in various countries:
- USTMA, The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
- TRAC, Tire and Rubber Association of Canada
- STRO/Scandinavian Tire and Rim Organization
- International Chamber of Commerce
- Corporate Responsibility Network FIBS
We also support the following initiatives:
- Global Compact: Nokian Tyres has signed the United Nations' Global Compact initiative and registered as a supporting member as of December 2015.
- Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR): The tire industry together with other stakeholders formed an independent platform to lead improvements in the socio-economic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Nokian Tyres joined the platform in 2019 as a founding member.
Nokian Tyres is committed to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement. The company aims to ensure that lobbying activities and engagement with industry associations are consistent with its overall climate change strategy and sustainability goals. To do that, we conduct an annual review of the associations’ alignment with the company’s objectives. Sustainability experts also represent Nokian Tyres in some associations, such as the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland and ETRMA.
Some of the trade and industry association’s positions are aligned with the aims of the Paris Agreement. For example, the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland strives for the industry being carbon neutrality by 2045. Some associations are very technical in nature, and climate topics are not included in their scope. In some instances, the associations’ climate-related activities or commitments have not been clearly specified. Nokian Tyres will engage further with these associations to understand their positions better. Additionally, it is essential to consider other factors relevant to company interests, such as other sustainability topics or safety.
The table below presents the main trade and industry associations’ sustainability-related commitments that Nokian Tyres has engaged with.
| Association | General description of association | Sustainability-related commitments |
| Chemical Industry Federation of Finland | One of the key activities of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland is advocating important current topics regarding the chemical industry both at the Finnish and the EU level. The goal is to improve the competitiveness and the operating environment of the industry’s businesses in Finland. | The Chemical Industry Federation strives for carbon neutrality by 2045. |
| Rubber Manufacturers’ Association of Finland | RMAF is a trade association for Finnish rubber manufacturing companies. The main mission of the association is to promote the competitiveness and operational preconditions of its members in Finland. | For its part, RMAF supports the sustainability work of companies, especially in the monitoring and identification of legislative requirements and in the common priority areas of the industry recorded in the association's strategy: energy efficiency, development of rubber waste utilization opportunities and improvement of safety culture. |
| ETRMA/European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association | ETRMA supports the industry and cooperates with the legislators to create an enabling environment that will help the industry achieve the following goals: • Promoting the principles of better regulation: ensuring that policymaking is science-based and, once in implementation, effectively enforced; • Reinforcing sustainability and competitiveness; • Ensuring road and consumer safety; • Caring for the environment and its resources; • Promoting international cooperation. |
The following goals are sustainability-related: • Reinforcing sustainability and competitiveness; • Ensuring road and consumer safety; • Caring for the environment and its resources. |
| ETRTO/European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization | ETRTO's principal objectives are • To further align of national standards and ultimately to achieve interchangeability of pneumatic tyres, rims and valves in Europe as far as fitting and use are concerned. • To establish common engineering dimensions, load / pressure characteristics and operational guidelines. • To promote the free exchange of technical information appertaining to pneumatic tyres, rims and valves. |
N/A |
| International Chamber of Commerce | The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. ICC has three main activities: rule setting, dispute resolution, and policy advocacy. | ICC played a key role in advocating for the delivery of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and in shaping the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. |
| National automotive and tire industry associations in various countries: | ||
| USTMA, The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association | The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for tire manufacturers in the U.S. | USTMA member companies are committed to sustainable manufacturing practices in every aspect of their businesses. USTMA has a role in mitigating climate change throughout a tire’s life cycle. USTMA members are committed to: • Manufacturing products that reduce CO2 emissions; • Research and development of materials with lower carbon footprints; • Proactive measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing facilities; and • Advancing the circular economy for scrap tires. |
| TRAC, Tire and Rubber Association of Canada | The association represents the Canadian tire and rubber industry and advocates on matters of innovation, sustainability and safety with the industry stakeholders. | Advocates on matters of sustainability and safety with the industry stakeholders. |
| STRO/Scandinavian Tire and Rim Organization | The Scandinavian Tire & Rim Organization works towards establishing technical standards for application within the tyre, rim and wheel industry. | N/A |