Ympäristökriteerien

Ympäristökriteerien, meaning environmental criteria in Finnish, refers to standards or benchmarks used to assess the environmental performance or impact of a product, service, process, or organization. These criteria are developed to guide decision-making and promote environmentally responsible practices. They can be applied in various contexts, including procurement, investment, product design, and environmental management systems.

The development of environmental criteria often involves scientific research, stakeholder consultation, and consideration of relevant legislation and international standards. They aim to provide a measurable and objective basis for evaluating environmental aspects such as resource consumption, emissions to air and water, waste generation, and biodiversity impact. Common examples include criteria for energy efficiency, recyclability of materials, and the use of sustainable sourcing.

In public and private procurement, environmental criteria are used to select goods and services that have a lower environmental footprint. This encourages suppliers to develop and offer more sustainable options. In finance, environmental criteria are integrated into investment decisions through concepts like sustainable investing or ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors, where environmental performance is a key consideration for assessing risk and opportunity.

Environmental criteria can be established by governmental bodies, industry associations, non-governmental organizations, or individual companies. Their adoption contributes to raising awareness about environmental issues and driving positive change across different sectors of society.