2/2012 - Fingrid

The compilation work was undertaken,because the fragmentedprinciples pertaining to land useand environmental matters needed to beput together and given a concrete substance.“The basic idea was to make itwork right from the outset so that everythingis reallywell thought out.No wishy-washystatements, butthings we canvouch for,” Ilkka Alm points out.Even though the land use and environmentalpolicy principles were toa large extent already in place, it wasnot an easy task to record them. “Whenwe build and maintain transmissionlines, we usually work on other people’slands, so the very starting point is fairlyunenviable. What we do and how wedo it are under strict scrutiny, which iswhy we need to think especially carefullywhat we say of these things.”The land use and environmentalpolicyis part of Fingrid’sCode of Conduct,which has also beenrecently published asa separate publication.“Even thoughwe are in a certaintype of a special positionbecause we arethe Finnish transmissionsystem operator,it is really important tous that whatever we dois socially acceptable inevery way. We want todevelop all of our activitiesin this direction – and also serve asa trailblazer here.”Into practice right awayThe practical application of the landuse and environmental policy principleswill begin with the company’s ownpersonnel in the autumn. The personnelwill be arranged for example groupwork sessions, where each businessunit can consider the importance of theprinciples and their implementation asregards their own work.Another major target group are Fingrid’spartners, contractors and serviceproviders. “Forus, this is themost challengingtarget group,because they arethe very people with whom landownersand our other stakeholders commonlycome into contact.”In the future, the land use and environmentalissues will be incorporatedmore closely into Fingrid’s contractterms. The relevant matters will also bebrought regularly to the agendas of sitemeetings. “We intend to monitor thatthings make progress as agreed. Therewill also be more regular environmentalaudits at the worksites than before.”All these efforts stemfrom a genuine desire toenhance the company’sAll efforts stem from a genuinedesire to enhance the company’senvironmental policy.environmental policy.“Land use and environmentalissues giveus more feedback thanany other sector,” saysIlkka Alm.This is why, he adds,it is of paramount importanceto make allthe partners committedto the implementationof these principles.“No matterhow strong our strategicintent is, we can never reach asituation where everyone would alwaysbe happy with the way in which wework. And of course we sometimes givecause for criticism – but so that we cando something about it, we need to knowabout the problems. Therefore, it is veryimportant for us to receive feedback.”Whenever transmission lines are constructed,the goal is always to produceas little inconvenience as possible tothe environment, landowners and localresidents. This is why the heaviest constructionwork on arable land is preferablyscheduled for the winter season,when the ground is frozen and the workcauses less damage to fields. However,this is not always possible, but sometimesthe timing of construction work isdetermined for example by power plantoutages. “The most important thing is ofcourse to ensure uninterrupted electricitysupply,” Ilkka Alm says.Wisdom of forethoughtThe changes in Fingrid’s ownership lastyear have also increased the need forenvironmental reporting. Ilkka Alm issatisfied that the process to launch thereforms was started in good time – infact, even before there was any knowledgeof the coming changes. “The stateowner requires from us accurate environmentalreporting. We had some sortof wisdom of forethought, so now wecan be really satisfied.”The long-term goal is to progresstowards more comprehensive environmentalmanagement – one where theenvironmental matters are perceived asa natural part of all corporate managementand operations. This requires thatthere is genuine commitment to thegoals, throughout the organisation. “Weworked on these principles for over ayear. There were some 15 persons activelyinvolved in the work, includingthe executive management. Of course,much more have been able to give theircomments, so all who have been willingto contribute have certainly had theirvoice heard,” Ilkka Alm sums up. Fingrid’s land use and environmentalpolicy can be found on our website atwww.fingrid.fi under Environment.FINGRID 2/2012 | 15