The foundation’s vision and purpose
The foundation’s purpose is to build an ecologically sustainable future. The purpose is distilled in the foundation’s Latin motto Pro aere aqua terra – for the good of air, water and earth. The foundation’s vision is to act as a trendsetter for environmental research and an ecologically sustainable future.
The basis of all our operations is defined by the bylaws of the foundation, according to which the purpose of the foundation is “to promote research that develops environmental protection”. The bylaws enable the purpose to be realised through many different means.
In the current strategic period 2023–2027, the purpose of the foundation is more significant than ever before in its 50-year history because we are living in the decade of decisive action in terms of solving the ecological crisis. At the same time, it must be noted that many other actors are also promoting an ecologically sustainable future. In order for the foundation to act as a trendsetter in accordance with its vision, it must focus on its role in society right now.
Today’s environmental challenges are complex, interwoven global issues, the understanding and solution of which requires systemic thinking and the grasping of larger concepts. Society’s various sectors must change to take into account the carrying capacity of the planet and humanity’s dependence on natural systems during the current decade so that we can respond to the ecological crisis.
Change requires a sustainability transformation. During a transformation, society as a whole and all its parts – politics, companies and organisations, cities, countryside, people and ways of thinking – undergo rapid changes.
In order for the foundation to best fulfill its purpose in this time, it supports research and activities in the current strategic period that promote the sustainability transformation that protects natural systems. The focus is not only on generating new information as a basis for solutions, but especially on how researched environmental information is implemented in society as a new way of operating that takes into account the requirements of the planet’s natural systems. In addition to conducting research, this requires active communication, interaction and cross-sectoral encounters.
The foundation’s mission
The Nessling Foundation’s mission is to seek systemic solutions for an ecologically sustainable future by supporting research and providing opportunities for encounters and researched information for the use of society.
The three methods selected for the strategy period 2023–2027 to promote the foundation’s purpose are not separate but linked to each other and mutually supportive.
1. We offer support for research
We believe that a researcher can change the world. We promote research that has an impact on society, is active and participates in the promotion of the sustainability transformation.
- In the general grant call, the foundation looks for innovative projects and active researchers who promote the sustainability transformation that protects natural systems. The foundation especially supports researchers in the early stages of their career.
- Every applicant and funded researcher is important to the foundation. The foundation invests in customer service that takes into account the researcher’s challenges from the beginning of the application process and supports the funded researchers in their goals through, among other things, training and events.
- The foundation is looking for significant research initiatives that promote the sustainability transformation, in which it acts as a driver or as a reliable and competent financial partner.
- The foundation rewards effective solutions based on researched information and raises the value of such information and working as a researcher in society through awards.
2. We provide opportunities for encounters
Promoting the sustainability transformation requires a rapid cultural change in society. We facilitate this by implementing the goal “making the general opinion favourable to research that promotes environmental protection and its objectives” mentioned in the foundation’s bylaws.
- The foundation provides working spaces and organises events for researchers to support every step of their research, from looking into society’s challenges to conducting research and implementing researched information.
- The foundation provides spaces and events for interaction between different sectors to promote the implementation of researched information in society and the cultural change needed to build an ecologically sustainable future.
3. We offer researched information for the use of society
With all our activities, we promote the implementation of researched environmental information in society to support of the sustainability transformation.
- The foundation continues effective communication about its own work and the work of the grantees. A separate strategy for the foundation’s communications has been drawn up.
- The foundation supports facilitation and activities where research and decision-making meet.
The foundation’s asset management
In the foundation’s financial management, it must be taken into account that the foundation has been established for an indefinite period, so investment activities must aim for good long-term returns. In order to receive returns, the investor must accept normal short-term market risk and volatility. However, the foundation’s investment operations must avoid major risks that endanger the foundation’s core operations. In light of research-based information, ignoring environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss is a huge risk for companies. If our investments promote business operations that do not take into account the harm caused to the environment, we are both acting against our purpose and jeopardising the return on investments. That is why the foundation continues its years-long work towards a responsible investment portfolio and continues to act as a pioneer in responsible investing among foundations.
The foundation’s responsible investment is guided by a separate responsible investment strategy updated in 2024.
The foundation’s office practices
The foundation takes into account environmentally sustainable choices also in its own operations. We pay attention to choices that minimise the use of natural resources and are climate-friendly in our catering and other office practices.
The foundation has prepared a travel guide for grantees and staff that encourages climate-friendly travel. The foundation enables travel by land to assignments abroad and compensates for the carbon dioxide emissions caused by employees’ air travel. The foundation also offers a bicycle benefit to support cycling to work.
The well-being of the foundation’s office staff and their ability to cope at work are, in addition to the foundation’s asset management, another significant success factor. Enthusiastic staff who cope well in their work are essential to the foundation’s operations. Special attention is paid to coping and developing at work in the annual development discussions. In everyday life, we take into account the needs of employees to reconcile work and their personal lives, including the possibility of a part-time work week and working remotely as they deem appropriate. The foundation also enables employee recreation days, comprehensive occupational health care as well as lunch and sports benefits.
Strategy implementation
The implementation of the strategy is defined in the action plan, and its implementation is constantly monitored. The strategy has been drawn up to create a shared vision of which purpose set out in the foundation’s bylaws will be implemented in this time. The strategy enables the board’s purposeful decision-making, and it acts as the guideline for the staff and the committee of experts.
