Happy Earth Day 2023! At SALTO, sustainability is so important that it influences our decision-making process every day.
Happy Earth Day 2023! At SALTO, sustainability is so important that it influences our decision-making process every day. We constantly ask ourselves whether what we buy is sustainable, if we are wasting too much, and debate if our products are sustainable enough. Can we slow down or even reverse global climate change?
We’re committed to protecting our planet and reducing our impact on the environment. SALTO Systems has undergone a profound transformation towards an increasingly sustainable model to mitigate our environmental and social impact, address our planet's main challenges, and be a part of the green revolution. Today, we want to highlight some of the sustainability actions we’ve undertaken across the globe to help accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous, green economy for all and the progress we’ve made so far.
Our forestry projects
We’re proud to back initiatives that aim to protect and restore forest ecosystems. By offering our support, we’re contributing to the fight against deforestation – a significant driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. It’s a complex subject, but we work hard to offset our CO₂ output yearly. We support various projects in Europe, neutralizing our entire legacy carbon emissions, effectively reducing our output emissions:
- We have supported the Olive Tree initiative in Spain, contributing to the maintenance of 50 hundred-year-old olive trees in Oliete (Teruel, Spain) while promoting the economic revitalisation of the municipality. This has the potential not just to help society, but also protect and preserve native biodiversity – these trees provide a habitat for different species of flora and fauna. Over time, birds and insects coexist in the trees’ bark, protecting them from pests such as olive flies, which feed on the trees. They also provide nesting places, while the soil has bacteria and insects that provide organic matter, encouraging growth and maintaining the good health of the olive trees. Ultimately, this translates to higher-quality olives. According to the LIFE Olivares Vivos report, it’s estimated that protecting and maintaining traditional olive groves would contribute to the recovery of bird, ant, bee, and plant populations by up to 35%.
- We have participated in the forest restoration of the Etxolazarreta farm, in the Bidasoa neighborhood of Irun, Spain, within the Aiako Harria Natural Park. In an area damaged by forest fire in 2021, this project seeks to improve the capacity of vegetation and soils to act as carbon sinks, enhance their ecological functionality, and preserve the environment's biodiversity.
- In our factories in Spain, we will soon create a garden for pollinating species. In particular, we aim to help the local populations of butterflies, bees, and other species critical for biodiversity. We've all heard how important they are, but do you know why that is? According to the FAO, more than 75% of the world's food crops depend, to some extent, on pollination. Bees, butterflies, birds, moths, beetles, ants, wasps, and even bats help plants reproduce and bear seeds and fruit. The main pollinators feed on pollen and, when moving from one flower to another, they transport it from the stamens to the stigma. Sometimes this happens by chance, as an insect passes between flowers and transports pollen without realising it. We encourage you to plant a garden to encourage pollinators at your own homes too!
- Rewilding of Swiss upland moorland. The rewetting of an upland moorland not only stores CO₂ in the soil, but also improves flood protection, helps water pollution control, and benefits microclimate and the landscape. Moors are hotspots of biodiversity, and intact moorlands provide habitats for rare and endangered animal and plant species.
Our ocean projects
We understand the impact that plastic and other forms of pollution have on our oceans. To contribute to the fight against ocean pollution, we support projects that aim to clean up these water bodies and protect marine ecosystems. By doing so, we are helping to preserve the health and beauty of our oceans for future generations.
More than 640,000 tons of fishing nets end up at the bottom of our oceans every year. Environmental responsibility begins with our activities and our collaboration in projects that help maximise the use of resources – all under the sustainability and circular economy criteria. SALTO Systems accomplishes this hand-in-hand with Real Sociedad Fundazioa, the Gipuzkoa Netting Association, and with the underwater section of the Spanish football club Real Sociedad.
Towards carbon neutrality
We’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and have implemented several initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality across all our locations and manufacturing facilities. SALTO Systems achieved our goal of becoming 100% carbon neutral in 2021. Since then, we have invested in renewable energy sources, installing renewable energy power-generation systems, purchasing certified 100% green electricity in many of our facilities.
We’ve also optimised our energy use, offsetting our emissions through verified carbon credits that prioritise local projects which remove CO₂ already in the atmosphere. By doing all this, we’re playing our part in addressing the global climate crisis.
Our recycling policies
We understand the importance of reducing waste, and we’ve implemented recycling policies in all our operations and workplaces. We encourage our employees to recycle and provide them with the necessary tools and resources to do so. We also work with our suppliers and customers to minimise waste throughout our supply chain.
Sustainable products
At SALTO, we’re committed to developing, designing, and manufacturing sustainable products based on best-practice eco-design criteria. We strive to reduce our products' environmental impact throughout their life cycle, moving towards a circular economy and reducing the amount of waste they generate.
Education
We believe that education is a key component of sustainability. We educate our team on best practices and provide them with the necessary knowledge and tools to reduce their environmental impact.
More and more people are working from home, so it’s important that they understand that their way of life also has a big impact. So we’re providing them with valuable information and some simple tricks, go paperless, conserve energy, and encourage sustainable transportation car sharing for employees commuting to the office or cycling or walking to work. – helping us extend our reach as a sustainable employer. By doing so, we’re empowering our employees to make a positive difference in their personal and professional lives.
Our commitment to the SDGs
In September 2015, all 193 United Nations member states agreed to adopt the 17 official Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2020, SALTO Systems joined their ranks, making a commitment to promote progress by becoming a member of the UN Global Compact.
This pledge signifies a promise to align our operations with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor-safety standards, the environment, and the fight against corruption. With this move, SALTO joined thousands of companies worldwide in carrying out corporate actions, policies, and practices that help to create a better world.
