CSR Report 2009 - Gavlegardarna (English)

8/8/2019 CSR Report 2009 - Gavlegardarna (English)

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2009

CSR report


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Contents

What is CSR? 2

Company acts 4

Editorial 5

Social responsibility 6

Environmental responsibility 10Economic sustainability 12

Working with other interested parties 14

Good working environment 16

Denitions 18

AB Gavlegrdarna, 2010Production: Baringo reklam & kommunikation in cooperation with AB GavlegrdarnaPhotography: AB Gavlegrdarna, Albin Bogren (Baringo), and others


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What are Eurhonet and CSR?

European Housing Network, Eurhonet, is a network o almost 30 publichousing companies rom England, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.

Within Eurhonet, there is a strong will to work towards a sustainablesociety where the impact on our shared environment is minimised throughawareness and the implementation o active measures.

The social responsibility o the companies - or csris extensive.Corporate Social Responsibility, or which the English abbreviation csrstands, is basically about taking responsibility, not only or the impactsthe company has on society which are positive, but also or those

which are negative. It is about how we voluntarily integrate social and

environmental considerations into our activities in collaboration with otherinterested parties, all based on perspectives linked to social responsibility,environmental responsibility, economic sustainability and an ethicalapproach to our employees.

csris about being proactive, credible and transparent in issues aectingpeople and the environment. We publish this report to show to some o theexamples related to sustainability issues that our company is working on.

csrReport can, in principle, be translated as Sustainability Report.We have chosen the English name because the report is produced incooperation with other European companies within the network Eurhonet.

Sources: CSR Sweden, International Chamber of Commerce ICC, the EU White Paper from 2002, Strategic CSRCommunication, edited by Mette Morsing & Suzanne C . Beckmann


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Company actsab Gavlegrdarna is Gvles municipal housingcompany, ounded in 1917. The company is one o thelargest and oldest in Sweden, and it orms part o thegroup Gvle Stadshus which also includes all o theother municipally owned companies.

AB Gavlegrdarna acts

Turnover o SEK 950 million

200 employees15,500 ats30,000 tenants1,000 commercial premises

Vision

Home or youab Gavlegrdarnas vision is to managepeoples living environments by creatinghousing or everyone and a Home or you.

Business ideaab Gavlegrdarnas business idea is to provideaordable housing and commercial premisesin good environments within the Municipalityo Gvle.

Gavlegrdarnas business plan

Peoplessocialneeds

Sustainablelivingenvironments

Renewneighbourhoodsandhousing

Diversity


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EditorialFor the second consecutive year we are now presenting a csrreport. The reason or this report is that we want to showthat our operation is imbued with great social responsibilitylinked to the concept o sustainability.

As a public housing company, Gavlegrdarna mustbe benefcial to society and operate with business likeprinciples. Historically, this is how the company hasalways worked, but new legislation aecting the countrysmunicipal housing companies will make this even more oa ocal point. We will need to be even more commercial,but at the same time we must not lose ocus on socialresponsibility. One o the challenges that lies ahead or us isto reconcile social beneft with economic viability.

The companys social responsibility can be seen ineverything we do at the company. We aim to be climateneutral in a number o areas by 2015. We work hard atGavlegrdarna to ensure that we can maintain all o theproperties in our housing stock in such a way that we cancontinue to oer a high level o attractiveness together with

stable property values. We have been working or some timeon renewing and developing the districts that ormed partoftheMillionHomesProgramme.Wewillbecontinuing

with this work. Housing democracy and integration are twokey words or us on the subject o urban renewal.

We have developed the model or this report incooperation with Eurhonet. One o the advantages o thisis that we can compare our csrwork with that o othercompanies in the housing sector, in both Sweden and otherparts o Europe. Thanks to csrcooperation, we will havegreater knowledge and better opportunities to fnd new

methods and ideas, to develop the companys operationsurther, and at the same time to inuence the world aroundus into taking social responsibility.

Jan HuggManaging Director


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1Socialresponsibility

The home and its immediate surroundings are important when it comes

creating possibilities or people to lead good lives. Through CSR, we

are helping to create good living conditions as well as a sae and secure

environment or everyone who lives and works in Gvle.

Demandforapartmentshasincreasedsteadilyin

recent years and looks likely to continue to do so goingorward. The company must be constantly prepared to

change the type o ownership and the range o housingon oer in order to fnd the right housing mix. Thismeans having the right choice o housing available, andbeing able to meet the customers various requirementsand abilities to pay.

The company has types o housing to suit the majorityo tastes and requirements; everything rom ruralhomes out in the countryside to duplex apartments in

central areas to ats close to the sea complete with theirown moorings.


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Allocation o housing

ab Gavlegrdarna treats all customers equally andallocates vacant ats in three dierent ways:Torget (Marketsquare): The vacant ats here are oered

to those customers who have accumulated thehighest number o queue points.

Direkt (Direct): The vacant ats here are oered to thefrst fve who register their interest.

Frtur(Priority rental): The vacant ats here areoered to people with acute needs.These needs are based on our dierent perspectives:

- Medical- Social- Family division / separation- Local business

You can apply for priority on local business grounds if youhave found a job in Gvle and will be moving here for atleast six months.

Social responsibility in residential areas

The companys basic position is that diversity oers

opportunities, and the attitude is that conscientiouseorts must be made at all times to contribute to thediversity o housing. This means that no discriminationcan occur due to gender, disability, ethnicity, religion,age, or social status.

In the companys residential areas, our collaborativepartners work with various activities which aim tostrengthen social cohesion in the area. They might

work with anything rom childrens activities duringschool holidays, or example, to helping newcomersto make contact with such important organisations in

society as government authorities, local companies,and so on.

ActivitiesSome examples o activities the company runs in its

residential areas:

Language caf

Excursions

Help with homework

Cooking

Sewing studio

Activities for children and families

Musical and cultural events


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Social responsibility

Sel-administration

Sel-administration is an important part o beingable to inuence ones own accommodation andsocial community. It is important that the customersthemselves have the opportunity to get involved and thatthey can have an eect on, and take responsibility or,the district in which they live.

There are currently fve active sel-administrationgroups in the companys residential areas. These groupscover a total o 400 ats.

Neighbourhood Renewal

The renewal o the residential area ster is now virtuallycomplete. Work on the fnal stages o the operationstarted in 2009. The acades in the area have beenadorned with works o art depicting the residents in large

ormat. The undamental and most important successactor in the ster renewal project has been the work onhousing democracy. Customers now perceive the area as

sae and secure, and the comort and well-being actor ishigh.

The renewal o the stra Stra area also beganin 2009. Improved lighting, new acades, betterinsulation, rebuilt entrances and stairwells, as well asnew balconies, are some o the changes which eitherhave been or will be made. The windows, downpipesand bathrooms will also be renovated.

The objective is that stra Stra will be developed into:asecureandwellfunctioningdistrict

aneighbourhoodwhereresidentsfeelgoodandare

active tenants who eel secure and involvedadistrictinwhichdiversityisputtouseasaresource

and an opportunityanareathathasalowimpactontheenvironment

adistrictwithaffordableaccommodation

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stra Stra

The area consists of around

600 fats

The properties were built

between 1965-69

About 1,200 people live in

the area

ster

The area consists of around

741 ats

The properties were built

between 1968-75

About 1,700 people live in

the area


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Indicator Unit 2007 2008 2009 SKY average

Average area per type o residence 1 room + kitchen m2 40 40 43 37

2 rooms + kitchen m2 60 60 62 60

3 rooms + kitchen m2 77 77 79 78

4 rooms + kitchen m2

98 98 98 965 rooms + kitchen m2 116 116 104 118

> 5 rooms + kitchen m2 145 144 150 167

Average rent per type o residence 1 room + kitchen SEK/m2 902 903 944 1 017

2 rooms + kitchen SEK/m2 785 823 844 925




> 5 rooms + kitchen SEK/m2 729 810 838 845

Operational cost development* SEK/m2 395 414 414 473

Rental development SEK/m2 775 800 830 889

% 1,8 3,2 3,7 3,2

Moving within housing stock (excludesstudents) Total % 27,5 28,5 24 16,4

Internal % 7,8 8,1 10,7 7

Company operates a non-discriminatory hiringpolicy

Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Company works to increase social cohesion inits districts


Proportion o housing in the companys stock

suitable or elderly and disabled people

% 44 44 43,5 54,4

The company works with saety and securityissues on an ongoing basis


New construction o rental apartments Qty 11 62 - 122

% 0,1 0,4 - 0,1

* operational costs refer to operational costs, administrativeand overall business costs


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Environmentalresponsibility

2Investing in climate and environmental issues is a matter o course

or us. As a large company with a good economy, we have the natural

strength to be able to operate long term. However, we also have a social

responsibility, and our actions do have an eect on the climate.

ab Gavlegrdarnas ambition is to continually reduce these

environmental eects by fnding eective and environmentally

riendly ways o working. As one o Swedens largest municipal

housing companies, we have a responsibility to contribute to a

sustainable living environment.

The long-term goal is to be a climate neutral company by

2015. This means identiying all o the emissions (mainly

carbon dioxide) and giving priority to eorts to reduce them

where the impact is greatest.

Duringtheyear,thefocushasbeenonfollowingthe

structure o the companys environmental management system.

Among other things, a special orum has been created to address

issues that promote a sustainable living environment.

Focus areas or environmental work

Increasedknowledge

The companys customers have become more knowledgeableon such matters, as we have distributed inormation on,

or example, waste management and energy conservation.

Contractors and suppliers have also received more knowledge

and inormation at special meetings regarding the

environmental standards the company sets when procuring

materials and chemicals. Most o our employees have been

trained in eco-driving, the goal being that they drive in a

more environmentally riendly way.

Energyandwater

The goal is to reduce consumption o both water and energy.All types o oil heating have been phased out and converted

to, or example, district heating. Our buildings have had their

energy consumption analysed, leading to the implementation o

measures to minimise their use o energy. In new construction,

we set very high demands regarding energy efciency.

Transport

The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or example by

planning better when driving and using more environmentally

riendly vehicles. Employees contribute to this by car-pooling to

meetings and by using trains and buses more or business trips.

Waste

All customers have access to household waste separation

acilities nearby. Work on improving and developing waste

management is continuing with our business partners. We are

even reviewing the use o paper within the company, the goal

being to reduce the amount we use.

Indoorenvironment

All o our properties have now been checked or the

environmentallytoxicsubstancePCB.Energyinspectionshave

alsobeenperformed.Prioritisationplanshavebeendrawnup

based on what the companys customers think is important or

the indoor environment, such as temperature and ventilation or

example.

Chemicals

The goal is to minimise the use o environmentally hazardous

products and fnd environmentally riendly alternatives whereverpossible. Our Work Environment Ofcer is carrying out a chemical

inventory check which will result in urther improvements.


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Does the company work actively with environmentalimprovement measures


Does the company impose environmentalrequirements during public procurement


Amount o energy consumed by the propertyportolio

kWh/m 178 176 174 182

Amount o greenhouse gas emitted by the housingstock

kg/m 3,3 3,3 2,7 16,4

Proportion o renewable energy company uses % 95 98 95,3 83,6

Carbon dioxide emissions rom company vehicles Ton CO2/year 420 340 195 141,4

Development o water consumption in stock Total m/m 1,49 1,51 1,52 1,75

Hot l/m 492 500 500 594

Cold l/m 998 1 014 1 002 1 209

Company engaged in shaping public opinion regardingenvironmental concerns


Amount o waste produced in the housing stock Householdwaste

Ton - 4 170 4 187 -

Glass Ton - 333 225 -

Hard plastic Ton - 102 57 -

Sot plastic Ton - 133 83 -

Metal Ton - 89 54 -

Paper andcard

Ton - 365 420 -

Newspaper Ton - 1 776 1 776 -

Unit Gavlegrdarna Eurho average Best Organisation

Energy consumed by the housing stockkWh/m 174 176,4 102

GBGMannheim

GE

Amount o greenhouse gas emitted by the housingstock kg/m 2,7 30,8 2,7

AB Gavle-grdarna

Comparisons within Eurhonet 2009


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EconomicSustainability

3CSR involves responsibility or longterm economic sustainability

based on a broader perspective than the best o our owners and

customers. We see social responsibility as a natural part o the

issues we discuss and the economic decisions we take. The term

commercially benecial public utility ts our desired prole well.

CSR during the procurement process

As a municipally-owned company,ab Gavlegrdarna isgovernedbythePublicProcurementActwhichinturnis

based upon these undamental EU principles:

Theprincipleofequaltreatment,fromwhichitfollows

that the conditions necessary or potential suppliers toparticipate must be as equal as possible. For example,everybody involved must be supplied with the sameinormation at the same time.

Theprincipleofnondiscrimination,fromwhichit

ollows that it is orbidden to directly or indirectlydiscriminate against suppliers because o their nationality.

Theprincipleoftransparencymeansthatthecontract

must be characterised by both predictability andtransparency.

Theprincipleofproportionalitymeansthatthe

requirements stipulated must have a natural connectionwith whatever is being procured, and must be inreasonable proportion to it.

Theprincipleofmutualrecognitionmeansthat

certifcates and testimonials issued by competentauthorities in any o the other EU member countriesmust be accepted in all o the other member states.

Maintenanceab Gavlegrdarna increased its maintenance programmesubstantially during 2009. It was the sale o property

which enabled such major maintenance operations; overall,maintenance was increased by about SEK 40 million.Prioritywasgiventoareassuchassafetyandsecurity

measures, as well as to energy saving measures. Thecompanys rental income today is not sufcient to makesuch levels o maintenance easible, so additional undsmust be raised rom sales, or example, in order to keep up areasonable pace with renewal work in the residential areas.

Investments

Net investments or the year amounted to SEK 170.6(196.1) million. In addition to the usual improvementsin standards in conjunction with maintenance work,investments were also made in the ollowing major projects: Newhousingconstruction

Renovationandnewconstructionofshelteredaccommodation

Districtrenewalprojects

Renovationofhousingfortheelderly

Renovationofbathrooms

Workonfacadesandgardenareas

More choice

In April 2009, the More Choice system was introducedas a urther development o tenant-directed maintenance.Normal maintenance is included in the rent, just as

beore, but under More Choice the customers have moreopportunities to aect the appearance o their ats, or


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Working withother interestedparties4

We take a businesslike social responsibility and we would like to convey

this to our owners, partners, customers and any other interested

parties. Together we can set an example and take enormous collective

responsibility that will benet the whole o society.

abGavlegrdarna places great emphasis on issueswhich are benefcial to society, and believes strongly inparticipation and inuence. In addition to the act thatthere is legislation concerning tenant inuence, eort and

investment in such issues produces tangible benefcialeects in the orm o, among other things, ewer tenantsmoving home and an increased eeling o wellbeing.The company receives numerous requests to sponsoror cooperate in various activities each year. The goal isto work with great commitment with our collaborativepartners in areas such as sport, the environment, andculture. The ocus is on many dierent areas, such as sport,the environment, music, culture, and exhibitions.

One o the companys goals is to constantly fnd new

ways to create dialogue and meetings, which lead tocommitment rom the customers..

There are our dierent types o cooperation

agreement:

Collaboration

Cooperation that mainly benefts the children and

young people o the customers.Subsidies

Forcompaniesandassociationsthatworkforthe

beneft o society and especially or our companyscustomers.

Tenantinuence

Grantsearmarkedforvariousprojectsandactivities

that beneft customers in the companys residentialareas.

Profling

Activitythatstrengthensthecompanysbrandimage, where the company would like to be seenrom the perspective o being benefcial to society.

Customer satisaction index

A large customer survey is carried out within thecompany every year. The questions aredivided between, among other things,how the customers perceive thecompanys services, the condition othe apartments, and whether or not thecustomers eel sae. In 2009, a total o

93.8% o our customers were satisfedwith their housing.

93,8%o our customers aresatised with their

housing

Activities

Football

Hockey

Try different activities, such as horseback riding

Rafing tickets for major events in Gvle.


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The company sets up and carries out regular dialogue withthe tenants


Proportion o the companys tenants who are satisedwith their housing

Service-index

% 78,6 79,2 79,5 82,1

Security-index

% 74,8 75,3 77 78,4

The company is actively working with action plans aimedat increasing the satisaction o the residents


The company has, and ollows, a sponsorship policy Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

The company works to an established code o ethics Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

The company has long-term goals towards which tonavigate, derived rom the business plan Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Student fats

The Municipality o Gvle oers students a guaranteeo accommodation, which means that all students areguaranteed to have somewhere to live by the start othe new term. The Student Union is responsible or theprocurement o student accommodation.

Quantity:964studentats,196studentrooms.

Size: 1-4 rooms and a kitchen, and student hallaccommodation.

Housing or the elderly and or people

with special needs

The Municipality o Gvle has given the assignmento providing comortable and suitable housing or theelderly and sheltered accommodation or people withspecial needs toab Gavlegrdarna. A number o suchhomes were completed during 2009.


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Goodworkingenvironment5

I the personnel o the company are to show commitment and the

desire to do a good job, it is essential that everyone is happy and eeling

well. Good working conditions are a undamental part o a companys

social responsibility. This applies both at the individual level and rom

a broader perspective where employees work in accordance with the

companys common values and goals.

ab Gavlegrdarna sets great store by its

employees. That the employees are happy and

eeling good is a prerequisite or them eeling

involved and being keen to perorm their tasks

well. Just as the companys customers want to be

able to infuence their domestic environment,

the company would like its employees to have

infuence regarding their work. The company

encourages and strives or internal fexibility

and alternative career paths as ar as is possible.

Core values

ab Gavlegrdarna works according to our basic principles:

Solidarity, Heart and mind, Reliability and Ambition.Duringtheautumn,thecompanysemployeesheld

a meeting to discuss the organisations core valuesand exactly what they stand or. The goal is to havean organisation that sees both its strengths and its

weaknesses, and can get its sta to raise questions thatseem important or urther development. To apply andto live by our joint values is a process requiring bothparticipation and dialogue.

Committed employees

Every year, the company carries out a survey to fnd outhow the employees perceive their relationships with theircolleagues and managers, how much inuence they eelthey have and their assessment o the workplace.

In 2009, a total o 80.7% o the companys employees

responded that they were satisfed with their workplace.Among the things that were appreciated were thecompanys openness to new ideas and suggestions, andthe act that employees can inuence key decisions.The work with health-promoting activities was greatlyappreciated.

Health Promotion at Work

The employees are acutely aware how import health-promoting activities are or a healthy working lie. Thecompany was awarded a health diploma in 2009, the

justifcation or this being that Health is a part o yourorganisation and operation, where there are strategiesand activities dedicated to recreation and keeping ft.

80,7%o the companysemployees are

satised with theirplace o work


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Form o employment/ull time employee Permanent % 95,6 97 97 90Seasonal % 4,4 3 3 10

Is there a health and saety at work policy? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Proportion o employees who are satised withtheir work well-being index % 83,3 80,5 80,7 80,9

Education and training or sta * OutcomeSEK/

employee 9 804 10 101 10 362 8 227

Training hours per employee per year hours 32 32 32 24

Absence rom workWork-relatedaccidents % 1 0,9 0,5 -

Total % 4 3,6 2,6 -

Distribution o average monthly salary betweengender and category o employees

Oceworkers, male SEK/month 26 800 27 841 29 256 31 980

Oceworkers,emale SEK/month 23 035 24 146 25 030 27 223

Blue-collarworkers, male SEK/month 20 150 21 028 22 600 22 425

Blue-collarworkers,emale SEK/month 19 700 20 404 21 499 21 290

Special employment Trainee Qty 10 12 20 7,6

Percentage o women in manageme Board % 55 44 33 29,8

ManagementGroup % 31 25 31 23,5

* Course fees, excluding travel, hotel, and time off work

Some o the key players in this work are the companys

club Korpklubb and those members o sta who havetrained as health motivators. They have started up a projectentitled Health Kick, oering activities including, amongother things, personal development themes, how to deal

with stress, fnding balance in lie, and good nutrition.Group excursions, theatre trips and musical events duringpeoples leisure time have also helped to build a strongafnity.

Skills development with ocus

Among other things, activities during the year ocusedon the environment, via training in eco-driving, anddiversity. In addition to these, a number o additionalvocational training course were completed, in computing,personal electrical saety, housing rental law, and serviceprovision in English.

In total, there were our ull days o training peremployee during the year.


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Renovation

This concept reers to fats that

were, during the year, aected by

major maintenance work, renovation,

reurbishment or retrot measures.

Renovation is dened as changing abuilding, part o a building, or an installation

into a state that is, rom a unctionality

perspective, comparable to the condition

o new. The concept o renovation o

fats includes the replacement o waste

water downpipes, so-called relining,

improvements made to seals in the

bathrooms and kitchens, new kitchen

cabinets, etc. Normal maintenance, such as

wallpapering, painting, carpet replacement,

and the replacement o individual sanitary

products, is not included.

SKY-average

The average gures or SKY companies

in 2009 come rom data supplied by:

Bostads AB Vtterhem, rebroBostder

AB, Helsingborgshem, AB Stngstaden,

Gavlegrdarna

samt Familjebostder Stockholm.

Operating costs

Operating costs reer to operational,

administrative and overall business costs.

Denition o renewable energy

Renewable energy means a source o

energy that is constantly renewing itsel

and, as ar as we can tell today, will

not run out in the oreseeable uture.

Fossil uels are not considered to be

renewable. It is true that certain types o

ossil uel are renewable, but the process

takes a very long time; many millions o

years. Furthermore, they are being used

today at a rate ar greater than that at

which they are being renewed. Nuclear

power is not considered to be renewable

either, since its production is based on

nite resources. From the sustainability

perspective, it is o crucial importance

whether energy is, or is not, renewable.

Solar energy, biouels, hydropowerand wind power are sources o

renewable energy. Stored energy (ossil

uels) such as oil, coal, gas and uranium

are not renewable energy sources. This

means that electricity can be considered

to be renewable energy when it is

produced in hydro or biomass power

plants, but not when it is produced in

nuclear power plants or power plants

driven by oil or coal.

Other renewable energy sources:

Solarenergysolarcells,solar

heating, solar panels

Windpower-windfarms,wind

turbines

Hydropower-saltandwavepower,

tidal power, ocean thermal power

Terrestrialpowerheatpumps,

underground heating, geothermal

heating, water heat exchangers

Bioenergy-fuelpellets,biofuel

Defnitions


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CSR Report 2009 - Gavlegardarna (English)

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