Initiatives and commitments

Sampo plc has assessed the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the underlying targets to identify the SDGs to which Sampo Group can contribute the most. During the project, all 17 SDGs and 169 underlying targets were evaluated in relation to Group’s businesses and sustainability themes.

According to the assessment, Sampo Group has a strong impact on SDGs 3, 5, 8, 12, and 13. Therefore, Sampo Group has chosen to focus on these goals. Sampo Group aims to contribute to the SDGs positively through, among other things, by improving the Group’s own operations, by being active in its respective communities, and by engaging with the value chains.

Sampo Group can also negatively affect the SDGs, for example, through the environmental impacts of its own operations and by enabling negative impacts through investee companies or insurance operations. To manage the possible negative impacts, investments are screened against sensitive sectors and international norms and standards. Sampo Group also seeks to be an active owner and to influence the companies it invests in. In terms of insurance operations, Sampo Group, for example, works together with its suppliers and other business partners to ensure sustainable supply chains, and use norms-based screening to ensure sustainable business practices among corporate clients.

Sampo Group makes donations to and takes part in humanitarian efforts to support the communities the Group and its employees are part of, with the primary aim of making a change in society. At the same time, donations can, for example, offer reputational benefits for Sampo Group, help attract and retain employees, and provide possibilities to engage with current or prospective customers. The group-level stakeholder engagement framework has three themes (Climate and environment, Health and wellbeing, as well as Safety and education) that guide the Group’s donations and other humanitarian efforts. With donations and other humanitarian efforts, Sampo Group also wants to support the selected UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Every year, the Sampo Group companies decide which initiatives they wish to support and what types of humanitarian efforts they want to engage in. The Group offers a wide range of support to charities and communities, and the company continues to receive requests for a variety of support and donations every year. Requests are considered on the basis of ensuring that the donations benefit local communities and that the support given aligns with company ethics. The collaborations can range from one-off activities (e.g. donations, disaster relief) to long-term projects (e.g. multiyear partnerships). In addition, Sampo Group offers employee engagement initiatives, such as matched donations and employee volunteering.

Monitoring and evaluation of donations and other humanitarian efforts is done on a subsidiary level (e.g. by Sustainability, HR, Communication, and Marketing units as well as management). Each activity and partnership is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with criteria depending on the nature and scope of the cooperation (e.g. financial contribution, number of employees participating, time spent, and number of items or amount of funds collected). Sampo Group is committed to further improving the work year on year, for example, by developing reporting and measurements, creating new initiatives, and increasing employee participation.

Related information:

• Stakeholder engagementinternal link
• Sustainability key figuresinternal link