Good interaction with stakeholders

Good interaction with stakeholders

Today, with sustainability still developing in civil society and social media enabling immediate feedback, stakeholder engagement is more important than ever. Stakeholder engagement is part of our business, and it is guided by our internal instructions on stakeholder engagement as well as our ethical guidelines.

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.

In 2018, 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 table below shows the survey results with the topics
prioritized by stakeholder group.

Stakeholder group

Stakeholder expectations in the order of importance

Company measures

 

Customers
  • We constantly develop new, safe, state-of-the-art products
  • We provide personal service and communicate openly
  • We conduct business in a reliable and sustainable way
  • We respect the cultures and values of individuals and groups and promote equal treatment

Employees
  • We promote the well-being of our personnel by providing a safe working environment that motivates them
  • We commit our personnel to operational planning
  • We develop the personal competence of our personnel
  • We respect the cultures and values of individuals and groups and promote equal treatment
  • We regularly develop our leadership and supervisor work

Subcontractors and suppliers
  • Continuous development of the road safety of tires
  • Energy efficiency
  • Promoting the circular economy
  • Responsibility in material choices
  • Good governance
  • Human rights in the supply chain
  • We offer strong, long-term partnerships
  • We conduct business in a reliable and sustainable way
  • We contribute to ensuring a safe working environment for subcontractors in our units

Authorities
  • We comply with the laws and regulations
  • We maintain active, regular and open communication and reporting
  • We support decision making
  • We provide up-to-date information on corporate social responsibility on our website

Media
  • Continuous development of the road safety of tires
  • Responsibility in material choices
  • Reducing the rolling resistance of tires
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Energy efficiency
  • We communicate openly and actively
  • Our experts are available for comments on road safety and our products
  • We provide up-to-date information on corporate social responsibility on our website

OUR MEMBERSHIPS

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: 
    • RUTMA, Russian Tyre Manufacturers Association 
    • USTMA, The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
    • TRAC, Tire and Rubber Association of Canada
    • CRIA, China Rubber Industry Association
    • STRO/Scandinavian Tire and Rim Organization 
  • Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce 
  • International Chamber of Commerce 
  • AEB (Association of European Businesses) 
  • AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce in Russia) 
  • Tampere Business Campus 
  • Corporate Responsibility Network FIBS

We also support 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 Project (TIP) together with other industry 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.

We have promoted the demand for an ice grip marking

Nokian Tyres is involved in furthering the tire industry by participating in the work of relevant organizations and discussions in the industry. For example, we have promoted the demand for an ice grip marking in public discussion. In northern conditions, ice grip is the most important property for winter tires.

Currently, consumers in the market for new winter tires do not have any means of comparing tires in terms of ice grip, as the current markings only include a wet grip rating. Nokian Tyres has called for a mandatory ice grip marking for winter tires. The growth of online tire sales, used car imports, increase in low-cost products and emergence of new tire categories (all-season and all-weather tires) make it more difficult for consumers to know what kind of ice grip their winter tires provide.

As a result of years of work, the inclusion of the ice grip marking into the EU Tyre Label was finalized in the European Union. The renewal of the EU tire label is especially useful for winter tire consumers, as the tire label will now include information concerning grip on snow and ice. So far, markings related to properties required in demanding winter weather had been absent. The purpose of the tire label is to guide consumers toward tires that are more fuel-efficient, safer, and quieter. 

Ice grip test is currently undergoing standardization at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and snow grip is referring to the United Nations ECE regulations. The new label entered into force in May 2021.

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