Our ESG strategy

We have been a member of UN Global Compact since 2020 and published our first sustainability report for that same year. We reported our first GHG emission calculation for the year 2021. In 2022 we followed up on initiatives and adjusted our Sustainable Development Goals

How we work with ESG in our company

We have been a member of UN Global Compact since 2020 and published our first sustainability report for that same year. We reported our first GHG emission calculation for the year 2021. In 2022, we followed up on initiatives and adjusted our SDG-related endeavours.

United Nations Global Compact

ESG is incorporated as a natural part of our overall business strategy. We have matured in our sustainability work since 2020. For example, when we restructured the business in 2022, we did not retain a defined sustainability team, but integrated sustainability goals, tasks and reporting into the business lines and departments. In doing so, we have enhanced sustainability ownership and quality in our day-to-day business.

Optimar’s board of directors is responsible for determining company guidelines and strategy , while the CEO is responsible for implementing the strategy.

Our top management are responsible for company compliance, and ensures that our reporting is compliant with applicable legislation and directives.

Our Sustainability Lead (SL) has overall responsibility for the preparation and follow-up of the strategy and goals. The SL coordinates the various sustainability initiatives driven by our departments and reports to top management and the board.

Our defined stakeholders

Through a variety of contact points, such as union dialogue meetings, exhibitions, supplier questionnaires, employee surveys and partnerships with non-government organizations (NGOs) and academia, our stakeholders have shown us which topics are important for them and what they need and expect from us as a company going forward.

Our commitment

Responsible business, plans, operations and investments are essential to achieving transformational change through sustainable development goals (SDGs). The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for achieving the agenda and targets set by UN Member States. Together, the SDGs signpost what needs to be done to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet. We have determined four SDGs where we assess that we have the greatest impact. Focusing primarily on these four goals will, however, also contribute positively to others of the UN’s 17 SDGs.

Goal 12

We wish to help reduce the environmental footprint of the value chain in which we participate, not only by reducing the emissions associated with our own production process but also those relating to customers’ use of our products, by making them more energy efficient and operationally robust.

Our equipment has a long service life and to extend it even further, we offer customers a rebuilding, reconfiguration and upgrade service for their pre-used machinery.

The design of our equipment and systems plays an important role in maintaining the high quality of the raw materials that are processed in the customers’ factories. High quality results in less food waste in the production chain, and more food with a high nutritional content. We are therefore constantly striving to further improve the design of our products and services.

Goal 8

When developing our factory solutions, we work for increased catch utilization and a higher quality end-product. This contributes to increased economic productivity among our customers and maximum utilization of our marine resources.

Fishing is generally associated with heavy manual labour. Our automated solutions assist the industry to provide better factory working conditions, and we focus strongly on health, safety and ergonomics both at our own production facilities and wherever our products are used.

Goal 14

Through design, engineering, automation and control we provide our customers with the opportunity to gather data that helps document their operations from a production, environmental and efficiency perspective. We are helping to develop an advanced fish sorting and grading system that will enable improved traceability and sustainability in the fishing industry. It will also facilitate better verification and reporting of harvested fish stocks as a means of reducing overfishing.

Goal 17

We are contributing our expertise and technology to partnerships with academia, public authorities, animal welfare organizations and marine clusters. We value our relationship with business partners and customers globally, and mutual cooperation ultimately leads to product designs based on worldwide experience.

Material topics

Based on our four main SDGs we have identified the following GRI topics as material for Optimar. It is in relation to these topics that we can reinforce ours, and the fish handling industry’s positive impact and reduce our and the fish handling industry’s adverse impacts. SDGs 2, 3, 13 and 15 are not our main goals but will be affected by our focus on SDGs 8, 12, 14 and 17.

Our potential impacts in the value chain

Our targeted goals

Based on our aim to deliver fish handling with care by improving the sustainability of food production, and the material sustainability topics we have uncovered, we have set ourselves strategic goals to ensure that we achieve our objectives.

Strategic Area SDG Topic

Growth SDG 14 Sustainable product development

SDG 17 Partnerships for sustainable development

SDG 8 Sustainable economic growth

Short term goal

Align our internal product development guidelines with our sustainability goals.

Be the chosen partner for the project CatchID in Norway.

Anchor plan for ISO 9001-certification with the board, top management and organization.

Operations SDG 12 Responsible supply chain Map and risk assess all suppliers.

Establish a Suppliers Code of Conduct.

Establish a policy for supplier risk management.

Renewable energy share Increase renewable energy share from 50% to 70%.

Emissions

People SDG 8 Occupational health and safety

Long term goal

Be an innovative contributor to the industry by challenging established solutions.

Be the chosen partner for sustainable development of the fish handling industry in cooperation with public authorities, non-profit organizations and academia.

Achieve ISO 9001-certification.

Audit process established and implemented, and auditors trained.

Establish full Scope 3 screening.

100% of the energy used in our factories is from renewable sources.

Net zero by 2050.

All employees to have downloaded and activated app for incident reporting in the new system Optimize.

Achieved ISO 45001-certification.

Sick leave total under 3%. Zero work-related sick leave. Attractive employer Re-establish regular employee surveys. Resignations < 3 per month.

Steady high score on employee surveys and 3 or more qualified applicants for each vacant position in the company.