Courage to spark change.
Ahlström Collective Impact
Ahlström Collective Impact (ACI) is a responsibility initiative by The Eva Ahlström Foundation that joins together the foundation and the Ahlström Network companies Ahlström Capital, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Antti Ahlström Perilliset, Destia and Glaston. Ahlström Collective Impact is committed to creating change by investing in a better future for children in joint partnership with UNICEF Finland.
Vision
Our vision is a world in which societal problems are systematically being solved through strong collaborations, creating a better world for future generations.
Purpose
Our purpose is to, in partnership with UNICEF, inspire new types of mutually beneficial collaborations between businesses and their stakeholders in collectively channeling resources and know-how towards solving the most pressing challenges in today’s society.
Ahlström collective impact
Summary of Ahlström Collective Impact's and UNICEF's 2020 COVID-19 response published
These young girls are practicing safe handwashing in Odisha, India as part of UNICEF’s work against COVID-19. Last year Ahlström Collective Impact focused on supporting children’s wellbeing and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the investment of 240 000 euro, UNICEF could, for example,
- provide 50 healthcare facilities with supplies of water and sanitation equipment in Nepal, and
- provide 125 000 school children with access to remote learning programs when schools were disrupted in Guinea-Bissau, and
- reach 1 million people with urgent health and hygiene messaging through social media in Costa Rica.
Disruptions to society caused by the pandemic have had a heavy impact on children: on their safety, their well-being, and their future. As these services were compromised, UNICEF took action to prevent this health crisis turning into a child rights crisis.
Ahlström collective impact
The imperative of change
The Eva Ahlström Foundation and some of the Ahlström Network companies have been working with UNICEF for several years with projects in India and Zambia as well as with the Finnish peace broker, Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). In 2020, the Eva Ahlström Foundation proposed a new kind of co-operation model between the Ahlström Network companies and UNICEF, designed to result in targeted strategic investments that support the realisation of selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As a result of this co-operation, the Ahlström Collective Impact was born in August, 2020.
Covid-19
The UNICEF response to COVID-19
In 2020, Ahlström Collective Impact focuses on supporting the COVID-19 crisis aid to children, the hidden victims of the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has both short- and long-term impacts on the health, well-being and the development of children, and UNICEF is tackling these challenges by supporting governments worldwide in their efforts to secure basic healthcare and education for every child. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families as health systems buckle, borders close, and schools and businesses shutter.
Engaging employees
Co-creating the ACI logo
In addition to investing in the better future of children Ahlström Collective Impact seeks to find ways to engage and involve employees of the partner companies into responsibility matters in the future. A great example of this is the ACI logo and how it was created. During spring 2020 Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s creative team in Brazil co-created the ACI logo together with the ACI Steering group to symbolize global unity of ACI. “The process has been exiting, inspiring and fun, and a great example of how a global team of creative and engaged professionals can create something unique regardless of the physical distance of the people involved. We are truly a global one team with ambition to work together for this great cause”, says Tarja Takko, EVP People and Safety at Ahlstrom-Munksjö.
“I see our work very much as our great-great-grandparents Antti and Eva Ahlström did in the nineteenth century - we are investing in the future of society. Our ROI is a safe child who grows up to become a responsible adult who can contribute to the community. This supports the Ahlström family values of ambition and responsibility. The ambition is to be the best version of ourselves within a society that has given us so much.”
— Maria Ahlström-Bondestam, Chair of the Board at the Eva Ahlström Foundation
“As a family owned investment company Ahlström Capital develops its portfolio companies with a sustainable long-term approach. We are committed to promoting responsible business practices and to support the societies that enable our business today and in the future. ACI is a unique collaboration platform for AC Network companies and the Eva Ahlström Foundation. Together we can make a greater impact. We want to encourage all our portfolio companies to join this movement.”
— Lasse Heinonen, CEO at Ahlström Capital
“Ahlstrom-Munksjö is firmly committed to sustainability and has integrated sustainable practices throughout its value chain. It has a significant role in our business, building on sustainable and innovative fiber-based solutions, and it is a cornerstone of our company culture. The company is strongly committed to respecting the highest standards of human rights, and with Ahlström Collective Impact and UNICEF we leverage our long-term and global commitment while taking Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s strategic giving and donations program further.”
— Tarja Takko, EVP People and Safety at Ahlstrom-Munksjö
“Ahlström family through Antti Ahlström Perilliset Oy is very happy and proud to see how the family legacy in social responsibility and sustainable thinking lives strongly even today. Eva Ahlström Foundation’s bold initiative Ahlström Collective Impact enables in amazing and new-thinking way our businesses to be part of this journey. This initiative helps us in a new and effective way to reach our vision “A better world for future generations.”
— Anne Karell, CEO at Antti Ahlström Perilliset Oy
“Our operations of building, maintaining and designing traffic and urban environments have a significant and long-term impact on the society, the environment and our stakeholders. Our corporate responsibility work is guided by our values, ethical guidelines and our strategy. Although we mainly operate in Finland and in the other Nordic countries, a sustainable future requires a global outlook. We are building tomorrow’s infrastructure and that is why we participate in the Ahlström Collective Impact to support UNICEF and the children of the world."
— Minna Heinonen, Executive Vice President, Business Support and Development at Destia
“Enics is making an impact on the World, every day. As a major player in the industrial electronics manufacturing service field, Enics sees sustainability as one of the foundations of the development and the growth of the company – towards its customers, employees, partners, the entire electronics industry ecosystem, as well as the World we live in. True change is never built alone, but it takes a team. With ACI, Enics is a part of a true change-making community that has both vision, will and abilities to build a better future.”
— Susanna Kohisevankoski, Chief People and Culture Officer at Enics
“Responsibility is part of Glaston’s everyday activities. We seek to make a positive impact in the societies in which we operate and we are very excited to join ACI. In line with one of Glaston’s core values “together we build the future” the initiative gives us the opportunity to find ways to spark change and build a better world in collaboration with the other members of the initiative.”
— Taina Tirkkonen, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Human Resources at Glaston
"Sustainability is at the core of Suominen's operations and we are driving for a sustainable future. Being a good corporate citizen is one focus area in our sustainability agenda. We recognize our responsibility to the society and environment and want to make a positive impact locally and globally. With ACI we are part of a community supporting the important work of UNICEF."
— Klaus Korhonen, SVP, HR & Legal at Suominen
“We are extremely excited about this new, collective way of collaboration for achieving a better world. The private sector has a huge role in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ahlström Collective Impact brings together Finnish companies to collaborate for sustainability and a better future for children. It is a great example of new thinking that is needed in these times. We hope this partnership will inspire others also in the global level.“
— Marja-Riitta Ketola, secretary-general at UNICEF Finland
