SportUni operates under the sustainable development principles of the Tampere Universities community. We promote sustainable practices in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition, SportUni has defined its own sustainability measures and goals related to the practical operations of the sports centres. These principles are regularly reviewed and updated.
Sustainability is typically divided into three dimensions: social, environmental, and economic sustainability. These dimensions are interrelated and influence each other. After conducting a sustainability assessment, SportUni’s actions have been categorised according to this model and evaluated both as a whole and in terms of practical implementation.
We have also used the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) traffic light model as a tool to evaluate the current status of our sustainability actions and to set future goals. In this responsibility reporting model, actions are categorized not only by the three dimensions but also by color: green indicates good performance, yellow means partial compliance with room for improvement, and red signals that the action does not meet the required standards.
Learn more about SportUni’s sustainability actions and goals.
Social sustainability
Social sustainability means ensuring equal opportunities, well-being, and participation for all people now and in the future. SportUni promotes social sustainability by offering well-being services to all members of the Tampere Universities community. We ensure a safe environment by following safer space guidelines in our sports centres. Our communication and marketing are bilingual (Finnish and English), making our services equally accessible to speakers of different languages.
We require equal and non-discriminatory treatment among employees and extend the same principles to our customers. SportUni also collects feedback through various channels and surveys. This feedback allows customers to be heard and helps us to develop our services accordingly.
Key area for improvement is the accessibility of our facilities in terms of physical accessibility and location. To address these issues, SportUni collaborates with the university community’s facility services, taking available resources into account.
Environmental sustainability
Environmental sustainability involves protecting natural resources and the environment, aiming for a balance between human activity and the planet’s carrying capacity. SportUni promotes environmental sustainability through waste sorting, reuse of sports equipment, and encouraging active commuting. Recycling points are available in our sports centres, and waste is sorted accordingly. Lost and found items are redistributed to customers every six months for reuse. We also offer access to showers and toilets for commuters with a valid SportUni fee.
Energy-saving measures in the facilities are partly well implemented. Motion-sensor lighting, automatic showers and limited sauna heating times help reduce energy consumption. However, there is still room for improvement to make these practices even more environmentally friendly. When it comes to business travel, ecological choices are taken into account to some extent—for example by preferring train travel.
Economic sustainability
Economic sustainability refers to balanced economic growth without overconsumption or debt, while considering environmental limits. At SportUni, economic sustainability is supported by ensuring the longevity of sports equipment and choosing high-quality options. We invest in employees training and continuous professional development. Workwear and branded products are selected with durability in mind. We also avoid unnecessary giveaways of promotional items at events such as fairs.
Facility maintenance has the potential to become more cost-effective in the future through efficient collaboration with cleaning services and property maintenance. To ensure a more sustainable lifecycle for equipment and gear, we also aim to develop more detailed procurement criteria going forward.
From an administrative perspective, SportUni’s decision-making follows the principles of good governance as defined by Tampere University of Applied Sciences. These principles guide all members of the community to act responsibly and transparently. In addition, SportUni’s operations are steered by the university community’s Equality and Non-Discrimination Plan.
To promote sustainable development, SportUni has appointed a team of staff members responsible for monitoring sustainability-related actions. These actions are reviewed regularly and reported to the university community’s leadership.