Ethical screening of Fiskars (Kitchen Devils)

By Ethical Consumer Research Association

For XXXX
July !!"
Fiskars is a Finnish com#any of long stan$ing %hich is &est kno%n for its househol$ an$ gar$ening
tools' es#ecially scissors an$ &ran$s of knife %hich inclu$e Kitchen Devils( )he core #arent
com#any has an unremarka&le ethical recor$' %ith #oor environmental an$ social re#orting'
#ossi&le involvement in unsustaina&le forestry o#erations on its estates in Finlan$ an$ o##ressive
regimes recor$s for its sales o#erations in Russia an$ the *+A an$' increasingly' for manufacturing
o#erations in China' %here it has controversially move$ some of its factories in recent years' along
%ith many other consumer goo$s manufacturers chasing lo%er %ages an$ %orking con$itions(
,t is Fiskars- su&si$iary com#anies %here some more controversial references arise( ,ts fully.o%ne$
*+ su&si$iary /er&er is a manufacturer of hunting an$ military knives an$ e0ui#ment' %hich &oasts
on its %e&site that one of its mo$els %as the most #o#ular sol$iers- %ea#on knife $uring the
1ietnam 2ar' an$ sells a range of hunting accessories such as torches $esigne$ to sho% u# &loo$ so
that %oun$e$ animals can &e more easily locate$ an$ kille$( )he com#any is a significant su##lier
of %ea#on knives to the *+ military(
Fiskars also o%ns a c(3!4 stake in 2artsila' a ma5or Finnish engineering firm( ,t has recor$s for the
&uil$ing of military shi#s' inclu$ing attack shi#s' aircraft carriers an$ su&marines an$ for the
manufacture of #o%er su##lies an$ other machinery for the nuclear #o%er in$ustry( ,n a$$ition' it
also &uil$s oil an$ gas tankers an$ other machinery an$ e0ui#ment for lan$ an$ sea oil $rilling' all
of %hich are activities %hich contri&ute consi$era&le to the #ro&lem of climate change(
Database records
Environmental
Com#any6 Fiskars AB 78
Category6 9a&itats : Resources
,nvolve$ in Finnish forestry (!!")
Accor$ing to the Fiskars com#any %e&site %%%(fiskars(fi' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' Fiskars
ha$ real estate o#erations in Finlan$ %hich inclu$e$ control of over ;<'!!! acres of real estate
%hich inclu$e$ large areas of forestry o#erations %hich %ere use$ commercially( =o in$ication %as
given that the tim&er #ro$uce$ %as certifie$ &y the F+C or any other monitor of sustaina&le
forestry(
Reference6 Fiskars AB 78 Cor#orate Communications6%%%(fiskars(fi (;; July !!")
Com#any6 Fiskars AB 78
Category6 Environmental Re#orting
2orst ECRA rating for environmental re#orting (!!")
A search %as ma$e &y ECRA in July !!" on the Fiskars cor#orate %e&site %%%(fiskars(fi for a
co#y of the com#any-s environmental #olicy or re#ort( =o such $ocument coul$ &e foun$( A small
amount of the com#any-s !!> Annual Re#ort mentione$ environmental issues such as forestry
#ractices an$ the #ossi&ility of some of the com#any-s forestry hol$ings &eing certifie$ &y the F+C'
&ut there %ere no systematic measura&le targets an$ no &roa$ $iscussion of the com#any-s
environmental im#acts or moves &eing ma$e to a$$ress them(
Reference6 Fiskars AB 78 Cor#orate Communications6!!> Annual Re#ort (;; July !!")
?eo#le
Com#any6 Fiskars AB 78
Category6 9uman Rights
+u&si$iaries in three o##ressive regimes (!!")
Accor$ing to the Fiskars com#any %e&site %%%(fiskars(fi' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' Fiskars
ha$ su&si$iaries in the follo%ing countries regar$e$ &y ECRA at that time as having o##ressive
regimes6 China' Russia' the *+A(
Reference6 Fiskars AB 78 Cor#orate Communications6%%%(fiskars(fi (;; July !!")
Com#any6 Fiskars AB 78
Category6 +u##ly Chain ?olicy
2orst ECRA rating for +u##ly Chain ?olicy (!!")
A search %as ma$e &y ECRA in July !!" on the com#any %e&site %%%(fiskars(fi for a co#y of the
Fiskars A& 7y +u##ly Chain ?olicy covering %orkers- rights in su##lier factories( =o such
$ocument' or any mention of one' coul$ &e foun$(
Reference6 Fiskars AB 78 Cor#orate Communications6%%%(fiskars(fi (;; July !!")
Com#any6 /er&er @egen$ary Bla$es
Category6 Armaments
+ale of small %ea#ons to the military (!!")
Accor$ing to the com#any %e&site %%%(ger&ergear(com' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' /er&er
@egen$ary Bla$es sol$ a range of knives an$ cutting e0ui#ment $esigne$ for military use' %ith the
in$ication that the com#any %as a regular military su##lier %ith *+ =ational +tock =um&ers(
Reference6 /er&er @egen$ary Bla$es Cor#orate Communications6%%%(ger&ergear(com (;; July
!!")
Animals
Com#any6 /er&er @egen$ary Bla$es
Category6 7ther Animal Rights
+ale of hunting #ro$ucts (!!")
Accor$ing to the com#any %e&site %%%(ger&ergear(com' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' /er&er
@egen$ary Bla$es sol$ a range of e0ui#ment for hunting an$ &loo$s#orts' inclu$ing $esignate$
hunting knives an$ torches %ith &eams $esigne$ to s#otlight &loo$ so that %oun$e$ animals coul$
&e more easily kille$(
Reference6 /er&er @egen$ary Bla$es Cor#orate Communications6%%%(ger&ergear(com (;; July
!!")
Wartsila database references
Environmental
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 Environmental Re#orting
Best ECRA rating for environmental re#orting (!!")
A search %as ma$e on 2artsila-s cor#orate %e&site in !!" for environmental re#orting $ata( )he
com#any-s !!> Annual Re#ort %as foun$ to contain a +ustaina&ility Re#ort %hich incor#orate$
targets for internal environmental im#rovements to com#any #erformance an$ to im#rovements in
the environmental #erformance of the com#any-s #ro$ucts' such as re$ucing car&on an$ #ollutant
emissions from engines( )he re#ort %as foun$ to have &een verifie$ &y K?A/(
Reference6 2artsila Cor#orate Communications6+ustaina&ility Re#ort !!> (!!")
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 Climate Change
?rovision of services to climate change in$ustry (!!")
Accor$ing to the com#any %e&site %%%(%artsila(com' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' 2artsila
%as a #rovi$er of services an$ e0ui#ment to the oil an$ gas in$ustry' one %hich %as consi$ere$ &y
ECRA to make su&stantial contri&utions to climate change emissions( )he e0ui#ment mainly
consiste$ of #o%er solutions for oil an$ gas eB#loration' #ro$uction' storage an$ refining' an$ the
manufacture of oil an$ gas tankers(
Reference6 2artsila Cor#orate Communications6%%%(%artsila(com (;; July !!")
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 Environmental Re#orting
,n$e#en$ent #raise for environmental re#ort (!!)
2artsila Cor#oration' a Finnish energy com#any' %on the !! -Best first.time re#ort- at the
Euro#ean Environmental Re#orting A%ar$s(
Reference6 Ethical ?erformance6 1olume C ,ssue (> January !!)
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 =uclear ?o%er
Aanufacture of nuclear e0ui#ment (!!")
Accor$ing to the !!" issue of the 2orl$ =uclear ,n$ustry 9an$&ook' 2artsila-s French $ivision
%as a su##lier of stan$&y generators to the nuclear in$ustry(
Reference6 2orl$ =uclear ,n$ustry 9an$&ook6!!" e$ition (!!")
?eo#le
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 Armaments
Aanufacture of naval vessels (!!")
Accor$ing to the com#any %e&site %%%(%artsila(com' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' 2artsila
manufacture$ an$ sol$ a range of military marine vessels' inclu$ing com&at vessels' naval su##ort
vessels' air craft carriers an$ su&marines(
Reference6 2artsila Cor#orate Communications6%%%(%artsila(com (;; July !!")
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 9uman Rights
7#erations in ;; o##ressive regimes (!!")
Accor$ing to the com#any %e&site %%%(%artsila(com' vie%e$ &y ECRA in July !!"' 2artsila ha$
o#erations for sales or manufacturing #ur#oses in the follo%ing countries regar$e$ &y ECRA as
having o##ressive regimes6 China' Egy#t' /uatemala' ,n$onesia' ?akistan' the ?hili##ines' Russia'
+au$i Ara&ia' the *nite$ Ara& Emirates' the *+A an$ 1ietnam(
Reference6 2artsila Cor#orate Communications6%%%(%artsila(com (;; July !!")
?olitics
Com#any6 2artsila
Category6 ?olitical Activities
Aem&ershi# of ,CC lo&&y grou# (!!")
)he %e&site of the ,nternational Cham&er of Commerce (%%%(icc%&o(org)' vie%e$ on ;>th Aay
!!"' liste$ 2artsila Cor#oration as a mem&er( Accor$ing to the ,CC' it ha$ D$irect access to
national governments all over the %orl$ through its national committeesDE Ds#eaks for %orl$
&usiness %hen governments take u# such issues as intellectual #ro#erty rights' trans#ort #olicy'
tra$e la% or the environmentDE DAt *= summits on sustaina&le $evelo#ment' financing for
$evelo#ment an$ the information society' ,CC s#earhea$s the &usiness contri&ution(D ECRA note$
that the activity of lo&&y grou#s such as the ,CC often meant that &usiness interests %ere #rotecte$
at the eB#ense of the environmental an$ human rights(
Reference6 ,nternational Cham&er of Commerce ,CC %%%(icc%&o(org6%%%(icc%&o(org (;> Aay
!!")