Sustainability

Sustainable development is a continuous and managed social change taking place globally, regionally and locally, with the goal of securing good living opportunities for current and future generations. This also means that the environment, people and the economy are taken into account equally in decision-making and operations.

Since sustainability is built into the operations of the government, it is also an essential part of the operations of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) as it carries out its statutory tasks for the benefit of the society. Ministries, agencies and institutions also have a responsibility to work towards the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of STUK’s operations is to protect people, society, the environment and future generations from the harmful effects of radiation.

This fits in well with the goals of the UN Global Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2030 Agenda. As instructed by the central government, STUK’s sustainability measures both increase STUK’s handprint and systematically reduce its footprint.

All government agencies publish reports on their work for sustainable development. This also helps with identifying areas that have room for improvement. In April 2024, STUK published its third sustainability report on 2023.

Read more about STUK's sustainability reports in Finnish:

Sustainability report 2023 (PDF)
Sustainability report 2022 (PDF)

STUK promotes several sustainable development goals

In 2023, STUK promoted several themes concerning sustainable development and responsibility in its regular operations. In particular, the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 7 and 16 and their sub-goals (3.4, 7.1, 16.6, 16.8, 16.a) are seen as naturally linked to STUK's activities.

STUK's footprint on its operating environment

From the point of view of responsibility, the footprint of an organization’s existence and operations consists of their negative ecological, social and economic impact on the operating environment. The aim is to reduce the footprint of operations.​​​​