RELEX Environmental Policy
Last updated on April 10, 2026| Policy owner | Svante Göthe, Head of Sustainability |
| Policy sponsor | Johanna Småros, Co-founder & Chief Sustainability Officer |
| Effective date | 10th of April 2026 |
| Last approved | 7th of April 2026 by Chief Sustainability Officer |
Purpose and scope
The Environmental Policy (this “Policy”) applies to all employees of Retail Logistics Excellence – RELEX Oy and its subsidiaries (collective “RELEX Solutions”, the “Company”, “we”, or “our”, as applicable). This policy’s scope affects our company’s internal operations across all functions and our value chain including suppliers and customers.
The Environmental Policy was created to minimize negative environmental impacts in our internal operations and our value chain. Together with our Sustainable Procurement policy, it outlines our commitments to environmental responsibility.
Mechanism for policy review
This Environmental Policy is reviewed annually by the Policy owner. Next review is scheduled for March 2027.
The Sustainability team re-evaluates the environmental focus areas and goals annually, and the results of the re-evaluation are reflected in the updated Environmental Policy. The policy is also aligned with the outcomes of the most recent Double Materiality Assessment (DMA), which includes key stakeholder interviews to capture their interests related to environmental topics. The latest DMA was conducted in 2024. Information on the DMA methodology and outcomes is available in the latest RELEX Sustainability report (2026) published online.
The policy update process is led by the Head of Sustainability. The Chief Sustainability Office reviews and approves the final version of the policy.
Respected third-party standards
In 2024, RELEX joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and during 2025, set near-term science-based emission reduction targets. The targets are set in line with the SBTi guidelines and goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Our Climate Transition Plan has been updated accordingly. The targets were submitted to the SBTi during the 2025 financial year and have been approved by SBTi.
The Environmental Policy respects and follows the following third-party standards and initiatives: GHG Protocol for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory and reporting, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and contribute to the goal #12-3 on reduction of food waste and goal #13 on climate action.
To comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), we transitioned to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for our 2025 reporting. We also disclose our sustainability information to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the UN Global Compact through the Communication on Progress. In addition, we complete the EcoVadis assessment annually to obtain an independent evaluation of our sustainability performance.
Allocation of responsibilities
The most senior role accountable for the implementation of this policy is the Chief Sustainability Officer. Together with the Head of Sustainability, the Chief Sustainability Officer is responsible for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets, as well as monitoring the implementation of policy guidelines across the organization. Additionally, our sustainability reporting and targets are reviewed by the Board of Directors, ensuring appropriate oversight at the highest governance level.
Further responsibilities for implementing policy guidelines are distributed as follows. The Chief Technical Officer is responsible for public cloud and co-location data centres, including related services like servers and storage systems. The VP of IT has global responsibility for internal IT devices and their lifecycle. The Director of Workplace Services is responsible for RELEX’s office spaces globally, including sustainability targets of the office spaces and category-related procurement. The function leads are responsible for the implementation of responsible travel guidelines within their function. The Head of Procurement is responsible for the implementation of sustainable procurement guidelines, which are documented in a standalone Sustainable Procurement policy.
Contents
- Policy objectives and commitments
- Carbon emission inventory and key emission categories
- Resource use and waste in RELEX operations
- Environmental advocacy and awareness in our value chain
1. Policy objectives and commitments
We are committed to continuously reducing our negative environmental impacts, both in our internal operations and in our value chain. This policy sets our environmental targets, and lists the actions and guidelines that we, as a company and individuals, are undertaking to reach these.
At RELEX, we are proud to be driving a positive impact by helping our customers reduce their carbon footprints. Based on our estimates, the yearly positive environmental impact is over 1 600 000 metric tons of CO₂ calculated on food waste prevention in retail, food manufacturing and wholesale alone. That does not mean that we can overlook the impacts of our own operations, which in 2025 caused 10 355.3 tons of CO₂. For details, please see our latest Sustainability Report 2026.
1.1. RELEX Climate Transition Plan and key emission reduction targets
RELEX has set near-term science-based targets aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The targets are developed based on the guidance provided by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The targets were submitted to and approved by the SBTi during the 2025 financial year.
Our Climate Transition Plan explains the set targets and outlines the steps our company will take to reduce our corporate emissions by 2035, compared to our baseline year 2023. The main targets guiding our actions are:
- To reduce our absolute combined Scope 1 + 2 emissions by 63%
- To reduce our Scope 3 emission intensity (including beyond minimum boundary emissions) by 66%
Based on our latest GHG emissions data for the 2025 financial year, we are encouraged by the early progress we are seeing across both targets. Our Scope 1+2 emissions and Scope 3 emission intensity have both decreased compared to our 2023 baseline, and we will continue to monitor and report on our progress annually.
| Emission Scope | 2023 baseline | 2025 result | Reduction | % of target achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1+2 | 116.6 | 94.2 | -19.2% | 30.5% |
| Scope 3 | 36.8 | 28.5 | -22.6% | 34.2% |
The remainder of the policy outlines concrete objectives and measures (actions) in place for us to reach the set emission reduction goals. The policy tackles three focus areas: 1) carbon emissions inventory, 2) resource use and waste in RELEX’s operations, and 3) environmental awareness in our value chain. The policy objectives and actions are aligned with the Climate Transition Plan.
2. Carbon emission inventory and key emission categories
As a SaaS company, we mainly deal with non-physical goods and services. Scope 1 and 2 account for only 1% of our emissions, whereas 99% of our emissions occur in our value chain in Scope 3.
2.1. GHG emissions inventory practices at RELEX
RELEX is committed to conduct GHG emission inventory annually and publicly disclose the outcomes. Our carbon emission accounting practices follow the following standards. RELEX follows the guidelines of the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting, The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, and other relevant supplementing guidelines published by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The GHG accounting calculations cover all RELEX offices globally. We have adopted the operational control consolidating approach in RELEX’s GHG emissions accounting. The reporting period used for calculating GHG emissions is aligned with the company’s financial reporting period. Our emissions are calculated and verified by an independent external party.
2.2. Use of energy
As a software company, we rely on the use of energy to develop and offer our products and services to our clients. As our use of generative and agentic AI tools continues to grow, we recognize the significant energy demands these technologies carry, and we are actively monitoring their environmental impact to inform our approach going forward.
2.2.1. Optimizing energy use for cloud computing
Our objective is to minimize the climate impact of our SaaS offering by increasing the use of renewable energy for our software product and by engaging with our cloud infrastructure providers to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. We have already achieved our goal of using 100% renewable energy in RELEX Solutions’ co‑location data centers, and our target is to maintain this level. Our servers meet the EnergyStar and EU 2019/424 energy efficiency requirements.
We are committed to using co‑location data center service providers that either use renewable energy or purchase energy attribute certificates. If suitable providers cannot be identified in a specific geographical area, we will purchase the necessary energy attribute certificates corresponding to our consumption at that location and work with the data center provider to support an increase in their use of renewable energy. Through this approach, we have achieved 100% renewable energy use in RELEX Solutions’ co‑location data centers.
Our public cloud infrastructure providers are continually increasing their use of renewable energy — some have already reached 100%. All of them currently report their carbon footprints and water use, and they have established goals and roadmaps to further reduce their climate impact.
We also recognize that we can reduce cloud energy consumption and thus emissions by ensuring that we utilize cloud resources efficiently. In our Technology function we are increasingly incorporating GreenOps and FinOps practices to achieve both environmental and financial benefits.
2.2.2. Use of renewable energy in RELEX’s offices
We choose renewable electricity in all locations where we, as tenants, can do so. In some locations we reach this target by purchasing Guarantee of Origin (GO, REGO) and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC, I-REC). We have already achieved our goal of ensuring that 100% of RELEXians work in offices where renewable electricity is secured, and we are committed to maintaining this level.
Our future target is to ensure 100% renewable energy across all locations, including also heating and cooling of RELEX’s offices, if this is technically possible. We will work with our local offices to obtain the comprehensive data on the existing heating and cooling methods as well as evaluate our options for securing renewable energy.
2.3. Business travel and employee commute
Our objective is to foster a responsible travel culture among RELEX employees. Business travel is our most significant emission category, and it is also the category where individual RELEXians can have the greatest influence.
2.3.1. Business travel and flights
We are working to reduce our travel‑related emission intensity. In 2024, RELEX introduced a bonus component for the leadership team to incentivize reductions in business‑travel emissions, recognizing that travel is our largest emission category. Meeting the target results in a bonus component equivalent to 1% of base salary.
We encourage all RELEXians to be thoughtful when it comes to business travel. RELEX has issued a set of responsible business travel guidelines that apply to all employees globally.
Our travel guidelines acknowledge that face‑to‑face interactions are sometimes necessary; however, traveling on‑site for very short meetings should be avoided. When travel is genuinely needed, employees are encouraged to make the most of the trip — for example, by scheduling multiple meetings or visiting the local office to connect with other RELEXians. Train travel should be chosen over air travel whenever feasible. While air travel is often the only practical option, direct flights should be prioritized over flights with stopovers.
In addition, we acknowledge that internal events such as department kick-offs form a substantial part of our business travel emissions. The guiding principle is that events should be hosted where most participants are located. When organizing events from most or all RELEX geographies, the following aspects should be considered:
- The destination should be located on the continent where most participants are based.
- The destination should offer good flight connections, enabling participants to arrive with direct flights whenever possible.
2.3.2. Employee commute and use of office spaces
Our objective is to reduce emissions from employee commuting as well as from our use of office spaces. In addition to supporting hybrid and fully remote work, we aim to further decrease emissions by emphasizing 1) commuting-friendly locations, 2) Energy‑efficient buildings, demonstrated through certifications such as LEED or BREEAM, and 3) prioritizing buildings that operate on renewable energy in our new office lease assessments.
Our objective is to electrify the fleet of leased cars used by RELEX employees. Currently, 30% of the leased car fleet consists of electric or hybrid vehicles. We aim for 100% of all new leased cars to be electric or hybrid no later than the beginning of 2030.
We are relocating our largest by employee count office, the RELEX Solutions headquarters, to a more energy-efficient and accessible location by 2027. The newly built headquarters in Espoo, Finland, which is expected to be completed in 2027, is intended to serve as a flagship project for sustainable office design. Key principles of this project include:
- salvaging usable elements from the existing building, provided they meet requirements for usability, safety, and cost‑effectiveness
- designing the office for flexible use, ensuring that the space can also serve the needs of the local community
- maximizing the use of existing furniture, and prioritizing reused or upcycled furniture where feasible from both a usability and availability perspective
- achieving high energy efficiency, targeting LEED Platinum certification. This approach requires additional effort from our staff and extensive collaboration with our design, furnishing, and real estate partners, but it is a commitment we consider well worth making.
We are also committed to sharing information and lessons learned from this unique project, with the goal of helping and inspiring other businesses to take similar steps.
To minimize unnecessary commuting, RELEX supports hybrid work and provides resources for employees who choose to work from home. We supply IT equipment and home‑office furniture to help employees create an ergonomic and productive work‑from‑home environment.
3. Resource use and waste in RELEX operations
In our operations, waste is primarily generated from two sources: IT hardware and equipment that have reached the end of their life cycle, and general office waste. This section outlines our commitments to responsibly managing the waste produced in these two categories.
3.1. Lifecycle management of IT equipment
Our goal is to extend the lifecycle of electronic products and to ensure their proper end-of-use and end-of-life treatment. To support this objective RELEX has adopted a leasing model for personal IT equipment, including laptops, mobile phones, and monitors. Extending product lifecycles and securing responsible end‑of‑life handling remain key priorities in our IT asset management approach. Our procurement and IT functions regularly evaluate optimal lease periods for each category of equipment to balance sustainability considerations with operational performance needs. As an example, in 2023 we updated the lease cycle for mobile phones, extending it from two to three years.
Leased equipment is typically returned to the leasing company at the end of the leasing period, except in cases where equipment is purchased for extended use. End‑of‑life purchased goods are processed through Vendor Asset Resale & Recovery (ARR) services. Our leasing and equipment partners resell, reuse, or responsibly recycle returned equipment in compliance with local regulations.
We also ensure that servers reaching end of life are recycled responsibly and in accordance with the requirements of the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU.
3.2. Recycling at the office
Our objective is to promote strong recycling practices among RELEX employees across all offices. We have already achieved a high level of performance in this area, and our goal is to maintain and continuously reinforce these standards. In 2025, we introduced new recycling posters in numerous offices to support correct waste sorting and further increase recycling accuracy. These posters provide clear guidance to employees to help ensure proper waste separation. All RELEX offices use only reusable dishware and cutlery to minimize single‑use waste. In addition, our selection of RELEX merchandise includes products made from recycled cotton and recycled plastic.
Our objective is to foster internal business practices that enable us to operate efficiently while minimizing our environmental impact. To reduce paper usage, RELEX has adopted paper‑free business processes that rely on cloud‑based document management systems and e‑signature tools. The environmental benefits of these tools—such as DocuSign—stem from reduced paper use in business transactions and the opportunity to positively influence long‑term paper‑use habits across the organization.
4. Environmental advocacy and awareness in our value chain
We support our clients in their sustainability efforts by providing solutions that help prevent waste and reduce transportation emissions within their supply chains. In addition, we engage in dialogue with our value‑chain partners to raise awareness of environmental sustainability and to build shared capacity for meaningful and lasting improvements.
4.1. Our clients: carbon handprint
For years, RELEX has supported its customers in reducing waste across the supply chain. This is achieved through more accurate planning of demand, inventory, space, promotions, and manufacturing, as well as improved information sharing across supply chain partners. In addition to reducing waste, more efficient supply chain planning also contributes to lower transport-related emissions.
It is estimated that 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions originate from food waste alone, and we are proud of the results achieved in helping to reduce these emissions. Our solutions already support hundreds of food retailers, wholesale companies, and food manufacturers in reducing food waste by up to 40%. Even a 15% reduction across our customer base would mean preventing more than 470,000 kilograms of food waste annually, corresponding to a carbon handprint of approximately 1,600,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents in 2025.
Together with our customers, we can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. We are therefore committed to continuously developing our solutions and innovating new ways to support the decarbonization of our customers’ supply chains across industries.
4.2. Our internal operations
In 2024, we introduced a mandatory introductory course on sustainability for all new employees, with the objective of increasing internal awareness of sustainability issues among RELEXians. This basic course introduces new employees to RELEX’s carbon handprint and major carbon footprint categories and requires them to familiarize themselves with the Environmental Policy. In addition, our digital learning platform, RELEX Skills Academy, offers a comprehensive sustainability course for more in‑depth knowledge on the subject.
We expect all employees to read and comply with the Environmental Policy as part of the bi‑annual, company‑wide mandatory Business Ethics certification course. Our target is to maintain a 100% compliance rate among employees with the Environmental Policy.
RELEX encourages its employees to participate in charitable initiatives that are close to their hearts, including initiatives that address environmental issues. RELEX has adopted the Charitable Volunteering Policy, which allows all RELEX employees to use up to two paid working days per year for volunteering.
4.3. Supplier engagement and use of primary emission data
99% of our emissions come from our value chain. It is therefore crucial that our suppliers are committed to climate targets. In 2025, we started carrying out yearly vendor assessments of targeted vendors, with the goal of collecting more accurate emission data from our value chain.
Our objective is to build capacity by assessing the level of ESG maturity of targeted vendors, with a focus on climate measures and goals. We invite RELEX’s targeted suppliers to respond to an online questionnaire. Our goal is to achieve or exceed a response rate of 90% by 2028. Building on this foundation, we expect to collaborate with key suppliers by setting emission reduction goals and applying more rigorous assessment criteria for new vendors.
By adopting this measure, we aim to improve the data quality of RELEX’s GHG inventory and increase the availability of data obtained directly from suppliers on the emissions arising from RELEX’s use of their products and services. In the reporting year 2025, 27% of all emissions were calculated based on primary data, representing an increase of approximately 7 percentage points compared to the previous year.