Auris Energy Sustainability
At Auris Group, we believe that the most effective way to transition to a zero-emission society is to help companies reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and increase their energy efficiency every day. For companies to remain competitive, and for society as a whole to move towards a cleaner future, we need continuously better and comprehensive energy efficiency, and the cleanest possible energy that can always be relied upon. This guides the operations of our Group today and in the future.
In 2024, Auris Energy continued its determined journey towards becoming a more sustainable, service-oriented, and versatile energy company.
The year 2024 was significant for the
Auris Energy Group in many ways.
Our business developed steadily, and we continued our strategic investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. During the year, we secured over 100 million euros in funding for industrial electrification investments and the development of sustainable energy infrastructure in Finland.
In business development, we focused particularly on increasing biogas production and developing hybrid systems that combine multiple energy sources, supporting our goal of building a lower-carbon future.
In energy services, we continued investments in heat pump technologies and energy recycling, enabling us to offer more cost-effective and sustainable energy services to our customers.
In our gas business, the challenges of 2024 included a particularly cold winter and market impacts caused by the sabotage of the Balticconnector gas pipeline, as well as the additional balancing costs that followed. However, the security of supply in our gas business remained high throughout the year, and our customers could rely on our services.
Mäntsälän Biovoima’s investments and expansion projects strengthen our position in the biogas market.
We made the decision to expand the biogas plant’s production, and the construction of a new production line is progressing as planned. The growth of biomethane production capacity supports our green transition goals. At the same time, we have prepared for the tightening requirements of sustainability reporting, including conducting a double materiality analysis. We will transition to CSRD-compliant reporting starting with data from 2025.
Our employees play a key role in building our success. During the year, we focused on safety culture, employee development, and job satisfaction, which is reflected in an excellent NPS score (58). Our development activities and risk management were also strengthened through new recruitment and projects.
Thank you to our customers, partners, and employees for your commitment and good collaboration during 2024. We continue on our determined path towards an even more sustainable and ESG-driven energy future.
Anni Sarvaranta
CEO of the Auris Energy Group
ESG Progress in 2024
Auris Energy operates sustainably and with a focus on ESG for the benefit of its customers, the environment, and society. In 2024, we made several concrete steps forward in all areas of sustainability and ESG.
Environment
- Our goal is to achieve carbon neutrality for our own operations by 2035.
- In 2024, we reduced our Scope 1 emissions by about 19% compared to 2023. This was mainly due to an increase in electricity-based energy production. By the end of the year, a large portion of Auris’ energy service sites already utilized electricity-based production methods, such as heat pumps, either independently or combined with gas.
- We reduced methane leaks in our gas distribution network by approximately 12%. The leak percentage was under 0.06% of total distribution, reflecting the good tightness of the network and continuous development.
- Additionally, we increased the amount of biogas sold and supported our customers’ emission reductions by offering energy-efficient solutions for buildings and industrial needs.
- We also made a significant investment decision. The capacity of the Mäntsälä biogas plant will be doubled in its expansion project starting in 2025.
Social Responsibility
- We invested in employee satisfaction and the employee experience, which was reflected in a high NPS score (Net Promoter Score) in our employee survey.
- During the year, we hired eight new employees, bringing our total workforce to 47.
- We also offered internship and thesis opportunities for energy sector students to support the future workforce of the industry.
- Workplace safety remained at a high level, and we continued to develop it. No workplace accidents occurred for our own employees, and there was one for contractors.
- The number of safety walks grew significantly. We conducted 70, up from 29 the previous year. Additionally, we made 228 safety observations.
- Our sickness absence rate remained low, at just 1.5%.
- Customer satisfaction also remained high. In customer surveys, our NPS score rose to 66.
Good Governance
- We developed the 2024 sustainability report with reference to the GRI standard and had it verified by EY. This ensured the transparency, reliability, and comparability of our reporting.
- We conducted our first double materiality analysis in accordance with the EU’s CSRD directive. At the same time, we developed risk management and data collection to meet the requirements of the new regulations.
- We assessed ESG risks and opportunities related to our business as part of our sustainability management development.
- In 2024, ESG themes became even more central to our governance. We included ESG metrics in the overall evaluation of the executive compensation system, so sustainability goals will have a clearer impact on management’s compensation.
- The implemented whistleblower channel provides all stakeholders with a safe way to report unethical conduct. No cases related to bribery or corruption were reported during the year.
- We continued our active participation in several industry cooperation networks, including the Finnish Energy Industry Association, Finnish Biocycle and Biogas Association, Gas Association, Hydrogen Cluster, and WEC Finland.
