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Sustainability report 2021

Luke's sustainability report compiles examples of Luke's activities and results, focusing on 2021. The nature of our research activities means that achievements have often been worked on for years and usually in cooperation with other research organisations and businesses.

The goal of our sustainability report is to tell citizens, decision-makers, the research community and the business community about our research and solutions, tying them to 5 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our management team updated Luke's 5 most essential SDGs for reporting in 2021.

The report also includes a new goal: SDG 12 'Responsible consumption and production', and its subgoal 'Sustainable and efficient use of natural resources'. A large group of programme managers and researchers suggested examples of the selected SDGs for the use in the report. These examples aim to present Luke's research and other activities as comprehensively as possible, in accordance with the SDGs.

Research programmes, researchers, and our Research Infrastructure unit, which is responsible for starting a new environmental programme, were also involved in the work. In addition, Finances and facilities, HR and the Research and Customer relationships units participated in the content production. Going forwards, we will publish the report every year.

From the CEO

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Johanna Buchert, President and CEO of the Natural Resources Institute Finland
Johanna Buchert, President and CEO

Our new research programmes were launched in 2021. Through the programmes, we develop the profitability of primary production, the adaptability and resilience of bioeconomy, a climate smart carbon cycle and a circular bioeconomy.

The mission of our research programmes, government and expert services is to produce sustainable and responsible, research-based solutions that enable overall sustainability in the use of natural resources. The official natural resource statistics produced by Luke also contribute to this goal. Our operations are central to several challenges and goals of sustainable development.

Expectations of sustainability on the rise 

The expectations of our customers and partners, our own personnel, and society and taxpayers towards the sustainability of our operations are growing. We have seen a need to develop ethical guidance for Luke’s operations. In late 2021, we made the decision to establish Luke's own Ethical committee on empirical research related to natural resources. The committee began work on 1st of January 2022 and is responsible for supporting Luke's management in evaluating, preparing and decision-making regarding collaboration initiatives. It evaluates ethical issues related to funding sources and use of research results.  

In 2021, Luke also set a goal to create an environmental programme that will launch in 2022. In the first phase, the environmental programme will cover Luke’s experimental research infrastructures. It will include our environmental goals, environmental objectives specifying the goals and the measures necessary to achieve them. As part of the programme, Luke calculates the carbon footprint of experimental research environments and sets targets for reducing their carbon footprints.  

Desire to do meaningful work unites those who apply to Luke 

In 2021, 350 new Lukeans joined us. To our delight, we were again the most attractive employer among the natural sciences in the Universum rankings, according to professionals and students alike. Our meaningful work is enticing.  

Despite working remotely for a long time, job satisfaction remained at a good level for the fourth year in a row. As a responsible employer, we want to further develop Luke's leadership and management culture, ways of working and operations. We have launched a well-being programme which focuses on these topics. The aim is that processes are more efficient, management practices are streamlined and every Lukeans well-being at work has improved after the programme. 

Johanna Buchert, President and CEO

Combating climate change, halting biodiversity loss, and developing sustainable and profitable primary production requires impressive solutions.

Five selected goals for sustainable development

Luke has identified its 5 most important UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which we contribute to through our research and other activities. We are committed to monitoring progress on the selected goals until the end of the current strategy period, in 2025.

UN Sustainable Development Goals that are most relevant for Luke: Zero hunger; Responsible consumption and production; Climate action; Life below water; and Life on land.

As a research and expert organisation, our most important means of influencing the selected SDGs is to provide reliable, research-based information and solutions related to them. We monitor progress towards these goals by annually measuring the number of research publications related to each objective and the proportion of these publications that have been published in accordance with the principles of open science, (i.e., open access).


We also monitor the number of related policy recommendations. These recommendations to policy makers and experts address current issues in a concise and reasoned manner and help policy makers make informed decisions.

Luke's handprint and footprint in 2021

Luke's handprint and footprint take into account research, environmental, social and financial responsibility.