State Treasury’s Sustainability Report 2022

The State Treasury promotes UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels by securing the liquidity of the central government. This goal is driven by the following objectives:

• Responsible financial management to ensure the central government’s ability to raise funds. The ability to raise funds well is a key part of the central government’s liquidity. In 2022, the Finnish government was able to carry out its fundraising without issue even in an uncertain operating environment. Due to regulation and the growing investor interest, responsibility themes were also very topical in the sovereign debt market. In 2022, a section containing information and external data sources on the responsibility indicators concerning Finland was published and maintained on the Treasuryfinland.fi website.
• Efficient cash management. In addition to the ability to raise funds, efficient cash management is another important element in securing the central government’s liquidity. The cash flow forecasting system provides an overview of the central government’s revenue and expenditure, which in turn helps schedule government borrowing operations and optimise the size of its cash buffer. Cash management is a day-to-day effort that helps ensure the liquidity of the central government, the end result of which is a sufficient – but not excessive – buffer of funds to cover the central government’s payment obligations at all times.
• Payment services enable the movement of money. The State Treasury is working hard to automate the financial administration of the public sector to the furthest possible extent. This includes the use of e-payments and e-invoicing. We ensure that both the central government’s revenue and its payments to e.g. municipalities and citizens are handled in all circumstances and that central government’s payment transaction activities remain functional at all times.

The State Treasury promotes UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 Good health and well-being and 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all by providing high-quality compensation services. This goal is driven by the following objectives:

• Looking after war veterans and disabled veterans. The State Treasury pays compensation to disabled war veterans and distributes appropriations to wellbeing services counties for home help and rehabilitative services for veterans. Disabled war veterans receive e.g. medical care and rehabilitative services through the State Treasury. Looking after the well-being of these honourable citizens is very important to us.
• Responsibility for ensuring the legal protection of citizens. In 2022, the State Treasury’s Services for Citizens Division produced nearly thirty different services for central government customers in the areas of war invalid and war veteran matters, compensations for damages, representation of government interests and business cost support. The Division made determined efforts to ensure that its processing activities were appropriate and handled without delay at all times.

The State Treasury also promotes UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels by supporting a vibrant and renewed Finland. This goal is driven by the following objectives:

• Support for companies in emergency conditions. As in 2021, we continued the provision of business subsidies. In 2022, we implemented the following business cost supports: cost supports 5 and 6 related to the coronavirus pandemic, closure compensation, and support for uncovered fixed costs. We implemented a new form of support, fuel subsidies to the transport and machinery sector, as a response to the increase in fuel prices resulting from the war in Ukraine. The provision of business cost support was carried out in accordance with the State Treasury’s values and the expectations of Finnish society, and our main objective was to provide the best support for both our customers and society. The information on business support has been published as transparently as possible. The State Treasury’s statistics page presents key data on all applicants and the processing of applications.
• Good governance of Finland’s recovery and resilience plan. Finland will receive approximately EUR 1.8 billion of funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility for the implementation of key reform projects. More than 50% of the funding is allocated to the realisation of the so-called green transition. The funding is based on the implementation of the objectives of the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). In order to achieve the objectives and obtain the funding, the implementation of the plan must be managed well. The State Treasury provides centralised information system services for the implementation of the RRP and advises and guides the authorities granting RRP funding in the management of the use of the funding.

The State Treasury also promotes UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels by promoting openness and accountability in public administration. This goal is driven by the following objectives:

• Exploreadministration.fi brings openness to administration. The Exploreadministration.fi service, which is produced by the State Treasury, has been established to promote good and transparent public administration. It serves the central government, the municipal sector, wellbeing services counties, citizens, communities and companies, i.e. all government customers and stakeholders. The service promotes openness in public administration by providing up-to-date and easily accessible information to everyone.
• We promote the central government’s sustainability reporting practices. The State Treasury maintains and develops the framework for sustainability reporting in central government. To support the work of sustainability reporting and enable its success, we arrange various events, produce materials, and provide support to organisations.
• A common solution for a channel for reporting suspected abuses. The EU Whistleblowing Directive was implemented in Finland with the Act on the Protection of Persons Reporting Infringements of European Union and National Law (a.k.a. Whistleblower Protection Act), which entered into force on 1 January 2023. In 2022, the State Treasury tendered a joint technical solution for the central government to implement an internal reporting channel for its agencies. As the owner of the solution, the State Treasury is also responsible for its operation and development.

The State Treasury has been a Green Office workplace certified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since 2010. The State Treasury passed the WWF Green Office inspection on 20 May 2022, entitling it to the certificate for the following three years. The State Treasury has established an Eco Group for the purpose of handling matters related to the maintenance of the certificate. Example figures describing the State Treasury’s environmental footprint have been collected below.

Energy and water

According to information provided by Senate Properties and Helen Oy, the district heating and cooling provided to the State Treasury’s office building on Sörnäisten rantatie 13 in 2022 were produced using 100% renewable sources, and their emission factor was 0 gCO₂/kWh.

Mobility

In 2022, State Treasury employees made a total of 31,521 person-kilometres worth of work-related train trips. According to VR, all passenger train trips made in Finland are carbon neutral. In 2022, the State Treasury’s employees travelled a total of 259,083 kilometres by air.

Procurement

As part of its Green Office activities, the State Treasury monitors the amount of A4 paper that it purchases. In 2022, the amount of paper purchased decreased again by 80,000 sheets compared to 2021. Of the 140,000 A4 sheets purchased in, 110,000 were made from carbon-neutral paper. Based on its reporting data, the State Treasury’s consumption of A4 paper in 2022 was around 447,000 sheets.

Waste

Measured by weight, the proportion of recycled waste in relation to mixed waste was 27% last year. In 2022, the State Treasury’s Eco Group organised cardboard collection points in the break facilities at the Sörnäisten rantatie office. The numbers, locations and markings of other waste containers were also checked to make sorting and recycling easier for staff.

The term social responsibility refers to our responsibility for the impacts of the State Treasury’s activities on different people and communities. Below, we have listed some example figures that describe the occupational well-being and coping of the State Treasury’s personnel and the measures that support these.

Relevant work, meaningful tasks

Based on the responses to the annual occupational well-being survey, State Treasury employees rate the interesting and challenging nature of their work to a high degree. In 2022, the average rating was 4.27/5.

Management competence and self-management

A precondition for self-management is that the personnel must feel that they can influence the implementation of their own work and the means for achieving their objectives. The State Treasury’s employees reported their experiences highly. The rating for 2022 was 4.22/5.

Competence and its development

State Treasury employees feel that they have good opportunities for learning and updating their skills. In 2022, the average rating in the occupational well-being survey was 4.29/5. The State Treasury supports job rotations, study leaves and study-related reductions in working hours.

Health and good working condition

The State Treasury’s offices support commuting by bike, running and walking. The agency’s offices feature bicycle storage facilities, showers and dressing rooms. The offices also include gym and exercise facilities for personnel. In 2022, the State Treasury participated in the Kilometre Races for cycling and walking. Its cycling team biked a total of 10,420 kilometres, while its walking team travelled 13,635 kilometres, resulting in a staggering 24,055 kilometre total for both teams.