Responsibility
The core mission of the Blood Service is to help patients together with blood donors and healthcare professionals. Responsibility is a natural part of our operations. We ensure that donating is safe and that the gift given by the donor is used as efficiently, appropriately, and timely as possible for the benefit of patients. We maintain stable finances that can withstand rapid changes in the operating environment. The asset managers we use are committed to the UN Principles for responsible investment.
We actively assess and manage the risks of our operations and ensure operational reliability both in normal conditions and anticipating exceptional situations. We actively develop our preparedness through cooperation with authorities, exercises, and preparedness planning. The Blood Service operates 24/7 and is ready to respond quickly to patient needs, such as in major accident situations. In 2024, we started plasma collection for medicinal raw material to improve plasma self-sufficiency in Europe. We also defined principles for the responsible use of artificial intelligence and established an AI working group to assess the impact of AI systems.
Regarding environmental responsibility, we implement the Finnish Red Cross’s climate sustainability policy by reducing the climate impact of our operations. The electricity contracts under the Blood Service’s responsibility are 100% renewable energy, and at our main office in Vantaa, we use recycled heat. In 2024, we further improved the energy efficiency of our main office through energy optimization. Additionally, we installed a solar power plant on the roof of our main office, which produced 127 MWh of electricity by the end of the year. The solar power plant will cover an estimated 12% of the electricity needs of our main office in the future.
During the year, we reduced air transport in collaboration with our hospital clients. In planned blood product inventory replenishments, air transport was reduced as much as 45% without compromising product availability. We also continued to support car-free commuting by offering company bike benefits and commuting incentive money.
The well-being of our work community is an important value to us. We support the well-being of our employees by offering comprehensive occupational health services. In 2024, we added low-threshold mental health services as part of our occupational health care. During the year, we also supported the resources and recovery of our employees at work through staff coaching. We created an equality plan and implemented DEI training for all supervisors, which helps us promote diversity, equality, and inclusion. We also adopted the Finnish Red Cross’s common model for preventing and managing workplace conflict situations. Additionally, we developed salary transparency by implementing a salary system reform for contract-based employees.