Building Employee Capabilities to Meet Growing Customer Sustainability Expectations - Piloting with ARE
To further strengthen its sustainability efforts, ARE joined the Learnsys pilot project in spring 2025. The goal: to enhance internal sustainability competencies and engage employees across all roles and departments. Having already identified a need to assess the training needs of its workforce, the pilot arrived at just the right moment.
As customer expectations around sustainability continue to rise, ARE is committed to staying ahead. To be a forerunner in the field, the company aims not only to meet these evolving requirements but also to proactively support customers in reaching their own sustainability goals. Training plays a vital role in this effort as an informed and capable workforce is key to delivering meaningful impact both internally and externally.
The value of joining the pilot project
Through the Learnsys pilot, ARE is adopting a systematic approach to identifying training needs, gaining valuable insight into employee development areas, and mapping available targeted learning opportunities. In parallel, the company is exploring whether to introduce new internal training programs tailored for ARE employees or to expand existing courses (some of which are mandatory for all staff annually).
Sustainability expertise as a strategic advantage
ARE highlights that building sustainability expertise is critical for long-term business success. Companies must take responsibility for advancing sustainable development and contribute to achieving national climate targets. Compliance with evolving legislation is a baseline; proactively preparing for future requirements gives companies a competitive edge.
Sustainability is not just an internal priority. It directly influences financing conditions, and meeting set goals can lead to lower funding costs. It also plays a central role in meeting customer expectations, maintaining competitiveness, and fostering strong, trust-based relationships.
Moreover, sustainability competence must extend throughout the supply chain, reaching suppliers and subcontractors. With the right capabilities and forward-thinking vision, companies like ARE can also uncover new business opportunities in sustainability.
A strong starting point for the future
Kati Koikkalainen, ARE’s Head of Sustainability, reflects on the company’s sustainability journey:
“Participation in the project was a clear next step for us in developing our sustainability efforts. We are preparing for the requirements of the CSRD, and although the actual CSRD reporting will be handled by our parent company, the requirements also apply to us at ARE. We have updated our strategy, conducted a double materiality analysis and a GAP analysis, and calculated our emissions in accordance with the GHG protocol.
We are currently preparing a climate program, getting ready to commit to SBTi, and using the insights from our analyses to update our sustainability program. It is clear that the sustainability expertise across the entire organization must also be strengthened. The Learnsys pilot project gives us an excellent starting point and clear direction moving forward.”
