The State Treasury instructs all central government ministries, institutions and agencies to report on their efforts to promote sustainable development using the central government’s common frame of reference. On this page, you will find information on the frame of reference and sustainability reporting in central government.
The State Treasury recommends that ministries, agencies and institutions annually prepare a sustainability report on their activities. The report can be drawn up at the administrative branch, agency or accounting unit level. The use of the central government’s common reporting framework makes it possible to produce summaries and compare reports between organisations.
The State Treasury recommends publishing all sustainability reports for the previous calendar year by the end of April. The State Treasury will then compile a summary of the reports, which will be published during the autumn of the same year.
REPORT 2023: SUMMARY OF ALL SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS (in Finnish, abstract in English)
The purpose of a sustainability report is to describe how the organisation has contributed to the achievement of 3–5 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the organisation has identified in its work. Each organisation must identify the SDGs on which it will report, and these are selected on the basis of which SDGs it can impact the most through its core activities. This impact can focus on, for example, society on a more extensive scale, the organisation’s stakeholders and clients, or the organisation’s operating environment. In addition to impact, the report describes how the organisation has acknowledged the direct effects of its operations on its operating environment.
Those who wish to explore the central government’s sustainability work in more detail can visit Exploreadministration.fi, which contains information on e.g. how many accounting units have reported on the sustainability and responsibility of their operations, and what sustainable development goals have been identified. Select central government organisations can also make use of the recently published carbon footprint assessment for 2020 and 2021.
The common framework for the central government’s sustainability reporting is based on the UN 2030 Agenda. Central government organisations are expected to use their reports to examine their activities in light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined in the Agenda. The most important part of the report is describing the ways and measures that have been chosen to promote the identified SDGs. The organisations must also describe the goals they have set for their own work, and how they have monitored the achievement of their goals.
By utilising the reporting framework, central government organisations are better equipped to communicate about their sustainability work to the rest of society and their stakeholders, while also making their work visible to their employees.
The State Treasury recommends that each organisation reports on the sustainability of its operations with the help of two separate concepts:
Handprint of activities: At the core of reporting are positive impacts on the SDGs the organisation has achieved through its work. Each organisation identifies the SDGs on which it can have the most significant impact through its activities.
Footprint of activities: An organisation can describe the direct impacts that its activities have had on its operating environment through its footprint. Its direct impacts can be divided into ecological, social, and economic impacts.
The current guidelines were issued in December 2024, and any updates to them will be announced separately.
The State Treasury organises events related to sustainability work and reporting that are open to all representatives of ministries, government agencies, and institutions. These events are arranged as workshops, morning coffee events, and webinars.
Remember to follow the event calendar on Valtiolla.fi to find out more about all current and future sustainability work and reporting-related events. And when you join the central government’s Sustainability Network, you will also receive a digest of current events directly to your inbox!
The Sustainability Reporting in the Central Government newsletter, which is published two to four times a year, provides up-to-date information on the central government’s sustainability work and reporting efforts.
The State Treasury’s Working Life and Sustainability Team maintains the guidelines for sustainability reporting, coordinates the activities of the central government’s Sustainability Network, and supports the sustainability work and reporting done by organisations. At the State Treasury, the Head of Development for sustainability and the Sustainability Specialist are responsible for the agency’s sustainability measures. You can reach them at kestavyys(at)valtiokonttori.fi.
Were you unable to find the information you were looking for on this site? Would you like to suggest a topic for a future event, or do you perhaps have other ideas that could help develop the central government’s sustainability work and reporting practices? The State Treasury’s team is open to all suggestions and ideas!
The State Treasury compiles a summary of the reports published by the central government. The summary provides an overview of the sustainability work carried out throughout the year, and it includes all reports submitted to the State Treasury by the end of May.
The first summary was published in October 2021, and it has since been published annually. The most important content of each summary is further summarised in an illustrated publication that you can use, for example, in your organisation’s communications. In addition, you can find recordings of the publication events for the first two summaries on YouTube.
SUMMARY OF REPORTS FOR 2023 (in Finnish, abstract in English)
VISUALISED ABSTRACT OF THE SUMMARY (in Finnish)
VISUALISED ABSTRACT OF THE SUMMARY
RECORDING OF THE SUMMARY’S LAUNCH EVENT 26 SEPTEMBER 2023 YOUTUBE (in Finnish)
VISUALISED ABSTRACT OF THE SUMMARY
RECORDING OF THE SUMMARY’S LAUNCH EVENT 5 OCTOBER 2022 YOUTUBE (IN FINNISH)
The third sustainability reports prepared by central government organisations using a uniform frame of reference concern the year of 2023. On this page, you can see the published sustainability reports by administrative branch.
For more information on a sustainability report, contact the organisation that prepared it. If your question concerns the central government’s sustainability reporting guidelines or reporting practices, you can contact the State Treasury by sending us an email to: vastuullisuusraportointi(at)valtiokonttori.fi.
The second sustainability reports prepared by central government organisations using a uniform frame of reference concern the year of 2022. On this page, you can see the published sustainability reports by administrative branch.
For more information on a sustainability report, contact the organisation that prepared it. If your question concerns the central government’s sustainability reporting guidelines or reporting practices, you can contact the State Treasury by sending us an email to: vastuullisuusraportointi(at)valtiokonttori.fi.
The first sustainability reports prepared by central government organisations using a uniform frame of reference concerned year 2021. On this page, you can see the published sustainability reports by administrative branch.
For more information on a sustainability report, contact the organisation that prepared it. If your question concerns the central government’s sustainability reporting guidelines or reporting practices, you can contact the State Treasury by sending us an email to: vastuullisuusraportointi(at)valtiokonttori.fi
The State Treasury’s guidelines on sustainability reporting in the central government was published in December 2024. This page contains additional material and information on sustainable development and its status in Finland and around the world. Please note that some of the material is only available in Finnish and/or Swedish. If you would like to suggest a publication or material that we should look at, please email us so that we can publish it on this page. You can reach us at kestavyys@valtiokonttori.fi.
Kestävyysarvioinnin toimintamalli: keskustelualoite (in Finnish)
Tulevaisuusselonteon 1. osan strateginen toimintaympäristöanalyysi (in Finnish)
Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan: Towards a carbon-neutral society in 2035
Strategy of the National Commission on Sustainable Development 2022-2030
The Sustainability Network brings together actors from the central government who are interested in sustainable development, sustainability, and responsibility. The network is a place for sharing experiences and good practices that provides ministries, agencies and institutions with support for promoting responsibility and sustainable development themes and for reporting on the work they have done. The State Treasury maintains and coordinates the network and its activities.
The network arranges a diverse range of activities on a regular basis.
Each month, the State Treasury organises a morning coffee event for the network, where different specialists and panels focus on the various dimensions of sustainability work. In addition to the morning coffee events, the State Treasury organises workshops for sustainability work and reporting.
The network’s workspace is also used to share up-to-date information current issues, such as those related to sustainable development and sustainability-related work and reports. The workspace also contains materials that can be used in your own organisation’s work.
The workspace is also designed for asking questions and having discussions with other members in the network. We use the workspace to send up-to-date information by email, so that you can always stay informed of upcoming events well in advance.
The network is primarily meant for employees of organisations in the central government who follow the State Treasury’s sustainability reporting guidelines.
If you would like to join the network, please email us at kestavyys(at)valtiokonttori.fi, and we will send you an invite. We hope to see you there soon!
