Responsibility
Stara not only works to create a more comfortable Helsinki, but also a fairer world. Our work is guided by the City’s goals, values and ethical principles.
Environmental responsibility and quality of construction
Stara has an EcoCompass certificate as proof of achieving the goals of the environmental programme. We are an active operator in the Baltic Sea Challenge, a network committed to the protection of the Baltic Sea.
By following the principles of EcoCompass, Stara saves on waste, material, water and energy costs. The energy consumption of buildings, in particular, has fallen sharply in recent years. Every year, many Stara employees participate in eco-supporter training organised by the City. Teams of eco-supporters promote waste sorting and material recycling, give tips on saving energy and share information about the environmental management system, for example.
The Construction Quality Association RALA has granted the RALA Certification to Stara. The Certification is a procedure for the auditing and approval of the operating system of an organisation in the construction sector, through which the organisation’s operating system receives public validation. The Certification is an indication of the level and quality of operations.
Read more about Stara’s environmental responsibility in the annual report in Finnish
Photo: Veikko Somerpuro
In all their activities, the City of Helsinki and Stara emphasise honesty, fairness, equality and transparency. Good reputation is an important guiding principle. The global responsibility strategy takes into account the environmental and social impacts of procurement.
Stara has implemented social responsibility criteria in its procurements since 2013 and is a pioneer in rock purchases, in particular. Contractors who win Stara’s tendering are bound by international agreements on employment and working conditions.
In its daily work, Stara invests in the well-being of its employees and the development of their skills. One of the key principles of the City of Helsinki and Stara is to take care of their employees even when their ability to work deteriorates.
Stara employs hundreds of summer and seasonal employees each year, as well as vocational students with special needs. Stara offers rehabilitative employment and training to the long-term unemployed, those released from prison and underage people carrying out community service.
Stara operates on economic principles and always takes into account the overall interests of the City. The starting points of our operations are the City of Helsinki’s strategic programme, budget and its binding goals, as well as the City’s common values and ethical principles. We are a major employer, also through our extensive subcontractor network.
The fight against the black economy applies in particular to construction sites, from subcontractor selection to invoicing. We check that our contractors and framework agreement suppliers meet their legal obligations as employers. We want to act as an exemplary fighter against the black economy throughout the production chain.
As a public enterprise of the City of Helsinki, Stara conducts transparent decision-making and gives city residents access to information. The decision documents of Stara’s office-holders and Board are published online.
Documents arising from the operation are archived so that they can also be revisited years later. The documents are archived systematically, taking into account both information security and data protection. The archiving is governed by laws and regulations such as the Act on the Openness of Government Activities. As a rule, the documents generated in connection with Stara’s operations are public.
The City’s joint feedback system is also in use in Stara. The system smoothly directs the feedback to the right party, compiles statistics and monitors the responses. In this way, the feedback is gathered in one place and can also be used to support decision-making. With the feedback they provide, a city resident can influence the development of operations.