About the business

As one of Scandinavia’s leading providers of wood-based building products, we supply products and solutions to industrial and commercial customers as well as to builders and contractors in the construction project market.

Most of our companies work with wood – a renewable resource – as a raw material. Our products and system solutions ensure flexibility and reuse, and make an active contribution to our shared responsibility for the global environment.

Moelven’s mission is supplying quality rooms. Our business is built on three core values:

Sustainable: Moelven respects people and the environment. We base our business on renewable resources and have made a competitive advantage of sustainability and a long-term perspective. We are strongly committed to taking responsibility for our surroundings.

Reliable: Moelven can be trusted. We deliver quality goods at the agreed time. There is a strong focus on openness and honesty – acknowledging shortcomings and mistakes creates a basis for progress and credibility.

Seek opportunities: Moelven seeks solutions. The Group has the skills and resources to be a leader in product development and innovation. As a company, we have always been out in front, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by changing times.

Read more about the Moelven Group and our products and services at moelven.com

Corporate governance

Corporate governance at the Moelven Group is based on the current Norwegian recommendation for corporate governance of October 2014. The recommendation has not been changed in 2016, and is available in its entirety at www.nues.no

The list below gives references to where the points required by section 3-3b of the Norwegian Accounting Act may be found.

Eier- og virksomhetsstyring tabell 1 E

1. Report on corporate governance

In accordance with the Public Limited Company Act it is the board of the company that is responsible for ensuring the proper organisation of the business and administration of the company. Moelven has a number of independent legal entities that are organised as limited companies in several countries. In accordance with company law in the respective companies, the boards of these companies have a corresponding responsibility for the individual entity as the board of directors has for the parent company and the group as a whole. The groups activities are based on Scandinavian values.  The basic values sustainability, reliability and using the opportunities that arise have become over time a natural part of the company culture. They also form the basis for the company's guidelines on social responsibility, ethics, anti-corruption, HSE, employment conditions etc. A complete summary of the guidelines adopted by the board is given in point 10.

2. Business activities

In accordance with the company's articles of association, the company's purpose is fabrication and activities that are associated with this, trade and other financial activities, as well as participation in other companies by means of share subscription and other means. The board emphasises long-term, sustainable development and lays down in the group's strategic plan that the main focus in future shall be the improvement and further development of existing activities. The group has passed the critical size that is necessary to assert itself in competition. Quality shall be prioritised ahead of size and is an essential basis for both profitability and further growth. Both solidity and financing are satisfactory and give the necessary room for manoeuvre. The company's activities, objectives and main strategies are described in detail in the board's annual report.

3. Share capital and dividends

At the end of 2016, equity in the parent company Moelven Industrier ASA was NOK 778.6 million (NOK 864.5 million). For the group as a whole, equity was NOK 1,813.4 million (NOK 1,756.9 million). The equity ratio was 38.0 per cent (36.8 per cent). The board's objective is a minimum of 40 per cent, a level that in the opinion of the board is appropriate in light of the economic fluctuations that have been seen in recent years. The board has adopted a dividend policy that is in line with the provisions of the shareholders' agreement between the company's six largest owners, who together represent 99.6 per cent of all shares. Given that considerations of the company's financial position and other sources of capital are satisfactorily safeguarded, the main rule of dividend policy is a cash dividend corresponding to 50 per cent of profit after tax, although a minimum of NOK 0.40 per share. The board is not authorised to perform capital increases or buy own shares.

On 26 April 2016 the general meeting decided to delegate authority to disburse dividends to the Board. The Board's competence to disburse dividends was limited to NOK 58,294,072, assuming that the company had sufficient capital and liquidity at the time the dividend was to be approved by the Board. The authorization is valid until the next annual general meeting, but as the Board resolved to pay a dividend equivalent to the upper limit in August 2016, the authorization was used. The Board can therefore not resolve further distribution under this authorization. Based on the annual net profit for 2016 and having considered the normal seasonal variations in the Group’s working capital needs and equity ratio, the board proposes to issue a dividend of NOK 0.48 per share, or NOK 62,179,816 in total. The parent company, Moelven Industrier ASA, which will distribute the dividend on behalf

of the Group, posted annual net profit of NOK 35.5 million in 2016, including group contributions av dividends from subsidiaries. 

4. Equal treatment of shareholders and transactions with related parties

The share capital of Moelven Industrier ASA consists of 129,542,384 shares with a face value of NOK 5. The company owns 1,100 of its own shares. The company is not listed on the stock exchange. In total, the shares are distributed among approximately 940 shareholders. The six largest shareholders, Glommen Skog SA (29.1 per cent), Eidsiva Vekst AS (23.8 per cent), Felleskjøpet Agri SA (15.8 per cent), Viken Skog SA (11.9 per cent), Mjøsen Skog SA (11.8 per cent) and AT Skog SA (7.3 per cent) together control 99.6 per cent. Most of the remaining 0.4 per cent is owned by private individuals. A number of shareholders' agreements have been entered into between the six largest shareholders. Among other things, these determine that the company must be run as an independent unit with a long-term perspective and with continued focus on Scandinavia as the main market. The agreements also contain clauses regarding the composition of the board, dividend policy, strategic focus areas and share transfer. Transactions with the owners are performed in some areas of the ordinary activities. Among other things, this relates to purchase of timber, where the Norwegian forest owner cooperatives are suppliers. Of Moelven's total purchasing requirement of approximately four million m³ measured under bark, approximately 40 per cent comes from the Norwegian forest owner cooperatives that are also shareholders. The Moelven group also supplies biofuel to a bioenergy plant owned by Eidsiva Energi AS. Eidsiva Energi Marked AS trades electric power to Moelven's Norwegian industrial operations. All these transactions are performed in areas where there are observable market prices and the arm's length principle is applied. Where other suppliers can offer better prices or terms, these will be chosen.

Moelven's supply of energy raw materials to Eidsiva's bioenergy plant represents between 60 and 70 GWh on an annual basis, while buying back energy represents between 20 and 30 GWh. Net delivery of energy raw materials is around 40 GWh.

The extent of the sale of electrical power corresponds to about 40 per cent of Moelven's total consumption of 210 GWh. Moelven has a long tradition of running its operations in accordance with the laws and ethical guidelines of the industry with the opinion that competition is positive for all parties in industry. In order to ensure that this culture is maintained, ethical guidelines and guidelines for complying with legislation on competition have been devised.

5. Free marketability

The articles of association do not place any form of limitation on trading in the company's shares. The shares may be freely traded to the extent that individual shareholders have not made undertakings to other shareholders. The shareholder's agreements contain clauses regarding first option and tag-along rights. Since the company is not listed and the six largest shareholders together own 99.6 per cent of the shares, there is little trading in shares.

6. Annual General Meeting

The notice of the general meeting, the content of the notification and accessibility of documentation follow the requirements set by the Public Limited Company Act and the regulations on general meetings. Facilitation is made for the general meeting to be able to vote for every single candidate to be elected by the shareholders to the Corporate Assembly. The employees of the group hold their own election of employee representatives on the Corporate Assembly. The chairman of the board, the chairman of the Corporate Assembly and the auditor attend the general meeting. Traditionally, the chairman of the Corporate Assembly has been elected to chair the general meeting. The procedures for attending and voting by proxy are described in the notification. Since 99.6 per cent of the shares are controlled by the six largest shareholders, there has not be a need to prepare guidelines to ensure an independent chair of the annual general meeting or to appoint a person who can vote for the shareholders as a proxy.

7. Nominating committee and compensation committee

The annual general meeting annually elects a nominating committee consisting of four representatives of the shareholders and adopts guidelines for the nominating committee's work. The annual general meeting has adopted guidelines for the nomination committee that regulate the committee's composition and period of service. The members of the nominating committee must be independent of the company's board and senior executives. The nominating committee keeps the corporate assembly informed of its work on a regular basis. It is thereby considered that sufficient facilitation is in place to allow shareholders to propose candidates to the nominating committee.

The nominating committee submits the following proposals:

• Proposal to the annual general meeting regarding the election of shareholder-elected members and deputy members to the Corporate Assembly and remuneration to the members and deputy members of the Corporate Assembly.
• Proposal to the Corporate Assembly regarding the election of the chairman and deputy of the Corporate Assembly.
• Proposal to the Corporate Assembly regarding the election of the chairman and deputy of the Board of Directors.
• Proposal to shareholder-elected members of the Corporate Assembly regarding election of shareholder-elected members and deputy members to the Board of Directors.

The proposals must include information about the candidates' expertise, capacity and impartiality. The guidelines for the nominating committee specify that the governing bodies must be composed based on an overall assessment of the company's need for expertise, capacity and balanced decisions that safeguard the interests of shareholders.

The remuneration committee consists of the nominating committee, complemented by a representative designated by the employee-elected members of the Corporate Assembly. The remuneration committee submits a proposal to the Corporate Assembly regarding stipulation of remuneration for the Board of Directors. Remuneration to the Board and Corporate Assembly shall not be performance-based.

8. Corporate Assembly and board, composition and impartiality.

The Corporate Assembly has 12 members, four of whom are elected among and by the employees. The company's six largest shareholders, who together control 99.6 per cent of the shares, are all represented in the Corporate Assembly. The members of the board of Moelven Industrier ASA are elected by the Corporate Assembly, normally for 1 year at a time. Three Corporate Assembly meetings are held annually. The board has seven members, five of them shareholder-elected and two representatives of the employees. The employees also elect one deputy representative, who attends board meetings. The chair and deputy chair of the board are independent of the company's main shareholders and are appointed by the Corporate Assembly. One of the other three shareholder-elected board members is connected with the company's main shareholders. The shareholder's agreements include provisions relating to the election of the chair and shareholder-elected board members. The representatives of the employees are independent of the company's general management. No senior executives are members of the board. Two of the five shareholder-elected board members are women. The proportion of female employees in the group is 10.8 per cent (11.0). The rules on gender representation do not therefore apply to the employees' representatives. The composition of the board thereby satisfies the requirements regarding gender representation on the board. Apart from the employees' representatives on the board, only one board member receives remuneration other than directors' fees from the company. This amounts to NOK 50,000 and relates to winding up an appointment in France. Contact information for the board members is published on the company's website. Through the guidelines for the work of the nominating committee, which are described under point 7, the main shareholders are assured good knowledge of the board members' background and general competence. With the existing ownership structure, therefore, no further information is given. From experience, non-attendance at board

9. The work of the board

The board's administration of the company follows the provisions of the Public Limited Company Act. Instructions have been determined for the board of Moelven Industrier ASA that give guidelines for the board's work. Every meeting reviews the monthly reporting of operational developments, financial data and HSE statistics for the group. There is also the following schedule of work for every calendar year:

• January: Report for fourth quarter of preceding year. Review and evaluation of group guidelines and policies, including risk management and internal control.
• March: Annual accounts with notes and annual report for preceding year.
• April: Report for first quarter and preparation for ordinary general meeting.
• June: Status reporting and strategic discussions.
• August: Report for first six months. 
• September: Recapitulation of strategic discussions with summary of ongoing strategic discussions throughout the year.
• October: Report for third quarter and strategy plan as finished document.
• December: Business plan and budget for the coming year. 

The chair of the board is independent of the company's main shareholders. The board has not addressed issues of a material nature in which the chair is or has been a party. According to the rules of procedure, the board members must not participate in the consideration or decision of issues that are of particular importance to themselves or to any related parties that must be considered to have major personal or financial interest in the matter. The same applies to the CEO. By related parties it is also understood companies in which the board member represents ownership interests.

Self-evaluation of the work of the board is normally performed at the beginning of every year. The board uses committees as needed. Based on an assessment of risk conditions and the need for control, as well as ownership structure, it has been decided to deviate from the NUES recommendation and allow the complete board function as an audit committee. The board only determines remuneration for the President and CEO. Remuneration for the remainder of management is determined by the President and CEO in line with guidelines adopted by the board. There are no option programmes or share-based payments for senior executives. The task of the board in respect of compensation is therefore limited and no separate compensation committee has been set up in the board. In addition to board members, the CEO, CFO and board secretary normally also attend normal board meetings. Other representatives of the administration, the divisions or auditor attend as needed.

The board has determined instructions for the work of the CEO. Group management consists of the CEO and the managing director of each division. Group management and the directors of the group's shared services attend group management meetings. For more information about governing bodies and group management, refer to the notes to the annual accounts.

10. Risk management and internal control

All units within the group have individual, local profit responsibility and operate as independent parts of a coordinated network that is characterised by openness and cooperation. This helps to limit the need for central administrative resources and increases the group's ability to react quickly to what is happening around it. Risk management and internal control are suited to this organisational model. The local company management and the boards of the individual companies follow up on risk management and internal control in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations. There are also control functions at divisional and group level, as well as in individual companies where the nature of the business leads to increased risk of faults, non-compliance or irregularities.

Because of the scope of activities, it has been decided to limit reporting to the board to a focus on group, divisions and competitive arenas, as well as selected key figures and non-compliance reporting by unit. In connection with annual strategy and budget activities, the board reviews the group's most important risk areas. If needed, and based on the annual risk assessment, the group's reporting and control routines are adapted so that identified risks can be satisfactorily covered. In addition to established internal rules and routines, the internal control is largely based on the internal control environment. This environment includes people at all levels of the company. It covers integrity, ethical values, competence, management philosophy, form of operation, organisational structure, distribution of responsibility and authority and personnel policy. The board and management place great emphasis on communicating the established basic position to risk management out in the organisation.

All units close their accounts monthly and report to the parent company on the third working day of the following month. Reporting occurs in accordance with standardised systems and common guidelines so as to ensure consistency and the greatest possible comparability right across all units. An important control measure that follows naturally from the management and organisational model is the monthly benchmark and consolidated data report from the group to the reporting units. The same monthly report that is sent to the board is also sent back to company management in each individual company. In this way, many are involved in control and follow-up of management and governing data. The reporting cycle supports the feeling of responsibility, not just for the results of one's own unit, but also for the divisions and group as a whole. The board considers that this reporting and control environment gives satisfactory control of the business.

The board has reviewed and approved the following general guidelines:

• Instructions to the board and general manager of Moelven Industrier ASA
• Moelven's financial policy
• Moelven's dividend policy
• Moelven's guidelines for compliance with competition law
• Moelven's insurance and risk strategy - general insurance
• Moelven's environmental policy
• Moelven's code of conduct

The Board is also informed of the group's other guidelines, which combined with the guidelines adopted by the Board, comprise the basis for the Group's code of conduct:

• Moelven's brand platform
• HSE manual
• Staff regulations
• Policy for an open company culture
• Policy on alcohol and drugs
• Data discipline instructions
• Policy for social media
• Brand and communication strategy
• Guidelines for transfer pricing between companies
• Dealing with internal irregularities

11. Remuneration to the board

Remuneration to the board is decided annually by the Corporate Assembly. The remuneration to board members is a fixed amount that is determined in advance and is independent of profits. No option or share based remuneration is used and neither are there any other incentive schemes.

For further information about directors' fees and any remuneration other than fees to board members, refer to the notes to the accounts.

12. Remuneration to senior executives

The board determines the CEO's salary. There are no option or share based payments. Principles and ceilings have been determined for profits-related payment within the group. Among other things, it has been determined that agreements of profits-related remuneration shall have a duration of a maximum of one year at a time and that such remuneration shall have an upper ceiling. The board's declaration on management salaries, including guidelines for determining remuneration to senior executives, is presented to the annual general meeting as a separate document. The annual general meeting adopts each of the guidelines separately. For further information about remuneration to group management, refer to the notes to the annual accounts.

13. Information and communication

The board determines the group's financial calendar annually; this is published in the annual report and on the company's website. The group's quarterly and annual reports are primarily published on the internet, but are also sent by post on request. The board has established a practice of organising annual owners' meetings so as to create an arena for the exchange of information and discussion between the owners. It has not been found necessary to establish guidelines for these.

14. Company takeover

The company is not listed and there is a shareholders' agreement between the six largest shareholders, who together own 99.6 per cent of the shares, that regulates the transfer of shares, among other things. No guidelines have therefore been prepared for the board in connection with any takeover bid.

15. Auditor

The auditor has annual meetings with the board without administration being present. The auditor also participates in board meetings when the annual accounts are discussed. The auditor also presents the audit plan, summaries following interim audits of the subsidiaries and central risk areas and the group's handling of these.

Remuneration to the auditor, expressed as statutory audit and other services, appears in a separate note to the annual accounts.

Social responsibility

Core values

Moelven's core values, which are the foremost management tool to coordinate activities, also provide guidelines for how the Group shall contribute towards positive social development:

Sustainability
Moelven has respect for both people and the environment. We base our activities on renewable resources and have turned sustainability and the long-term view into our competitive advantage. We have a strong desire to take responsibility for our environment.

Reliable
You can trust Moelven. We deliver on time and with the right quality. There is a strong focus on openness and honesty – being able to admit to weaknesses and mistakes is the basis for progress and trust.

Seeking opportunities
Moelven seeks solutions. The Group has the ability and resources to be a leader in product development and creativity. We wish to always be a leading company and to make use of the opportunities we are given over time.

Guidelines for employees of the Moelven Group

Moelven has drawn up several central guidelines that apply to all employees of the Group, to hired workers and to those who act on behalf of the Group, for example board members. All employees must be familiar with Moelven's guidelines and perform their tasks in compliance with these. Managers are responsible for communicating the guidelines and ensuring compliance with them, but individuals are also responsible for seeking out information and familiarizing themselves with the guidelines and statutes that apply to their area of work. As a supplement to Moelven's guidelines, special guidelines may be stipulated or special statutes may apply to certain parts of the operations. In addition there may be rules for professional conduct for some professions that relevant employees may have to abide by.
The Group's most important central guidelines and policy documents related to social responsibility are:

• Moelven's code of conduct
• HSE Handbook
• Environmental policy
• Insurance and risk strategy - general insurance
• Work regulations
• Policy for an open company culture (including procedures for notifying of blameworthy conditions)
• Dealing with internal irregularities
• Policy on alcohol and drugs
• Data discipline instructions
• Policy for social media
• Legislation on competition in a Moelven context
• Guidelines for transfer pricing between companies

The documents are available in their entirety on Moelven's intranet.
Several of the guidelines are aimed at issues that should not occur, for example irregularities or breaches of competition law. In these cases the guidelines are also a description of procedures that must be followed when such incidents nevertheless arise. Senior executives have these guidelines as a part of their employment contract. From 2016 Moelven's Code of Conduct is integrated in the employment contract of all new employees. For existing employees, the Code of Conduct has been communicated in the organization. Apart from this, no specific control procedures have been implemented for such guidelines. For guidelines that are linked to areas where there are statutory requirements and regulations from public authorities, control of compliance is primarily by way of mandatory reporting to the authorities. One examples of such reporting is environmental reporting in connection with impregnation activities, waste handling, emissions, dust and noise. A final main category of guidelines is where the Group has separate targets and where reporting and control procedures have been established to monitor achievement of targets. One example of this is the HSE area.

In the following chapters the main areas concerning social responsibility and the Moelven Group's approach to these are described. Compliance with existing statutes and regulations must be a matter of course for everyone at Moelven, and in the description of measures for implementing social responsibility in day-to-day operations focus is therefore on measures related to social responsibility beyond what is statutory. Where relevant, excerpts from applicable Group policy on the area are included.

Human resources, employee rights and social conditions

Openness

Openness characterizes Moelven's corporate culture and is a part of the Group's identity. Openness creates a culture that ensures well though-out choices and good solutions for the business, our employees and the communities in which we operate.

Human resources ideal

The Group's human resources ideal is to "Provide opportunities for people with the drive to succeed". This is a philosophy that includes the Group's targets for which persons are recruited, what expertise is demanded, what pay and working conditions are offered, how new employees are introduced, what development and career opportunities  are offered and how downsizing is handled.

Recruitment and personal development

Moelven acts strategically in both internal and external recruitment. Competent employees are vital to the Group's competitive ability and it is important for Moelven to emerge as an attractive employer.

Moelven focuses on long-term employment relationships and strives to offer its employees the opportunity to develop in their jobs. Motivated and competent employees are encouraged to take their personal development further, including through internal management programmes.

Employee representation and committees

Moelven views trade unions as important partners, and there is therefore a stable and open dialogue between the company and the employee representatives.
Moelven has employee representatives on both the Group board, the parent company's corporate assembly and subsidiary company boards in compliance with national legislation and regulations related to employee participation and representation in governing bodies. Additionally, the master agreement and collective agreement between the employee and employer organizations in both Norway and Sweden regulate matters concerning information, cooperation and employee participation. The agreements support the parties' desire and requirement that employee participation through cooperation should give employees the opportunity to contribute with their experience and insights to establish financial conditions for the company's continued development, through secure and good employment relationships to the benefit of both the company and the employees. Beyond the master agreements, cooperation is regulated through collective agreements for the individual disciplines within the Group.

In accordance with the master agreement between LO and NHO, Moelven has established a group committee for employee representatives. Together with a corresponding committee for Swedish subsidiaries, “Samarbetskommittén,” this group constitutes a good partner in discussion with group and division management.

Pursuant to the Master Agreement between LO – NHO and the Swedish act relating to European Enterprise Committees, a European Working Committee has been established between the parties in Moelven, which holds scheduled meetings four times annually. The parties have entered into a separate agreement that regulates the framework for dialogue, regular information and consultation at the European level.
At the individual units in Moelven working environment committees and joint consultation committees/works councils have been established with a basis in legislation and agreements.

Cooperation with the employees and employee committees works well, and no special measures have been implemented to strengthen this in 2016.

Working environment training

Moelven annually organizes its own courses in Better Working Environment (BAM). The courses provide basic training in handling health, safety and environment issues, and cover the requirements toward HSE training for both executives, safety representatives and members of working environment committees. Besides employees with mandatory requirements for such training, the course is open to anyone who works with and/or wants to know more about working environment and HSE work.

Absence due to illness

The Group's long-term goal is absence due to illness of maximum 4 per cent for the entire Group. In 2016, overall absence due to illness remained stable, and was 5.6 per cent for the year as a whole. A high rate of absence due to illness is not compatible with Moelven's values. A reduction in and stabilisation of absence at a low level is thus a priority.

In the past year short-term absence has remained stable at the same level as the two previous years, but with some variations between Norway and Sweden. In Norway short-term absence has dropped, while in Sweden it has increased slightly. Long-term absence has been relatively stable in both countries.

Work to reduce absence due to illness is mainly related to three primary areas: close follow-up of the employee, including focus on and follow up of residual capacity for work, measures to promote well-being and health, as well as emphasis on HSE when investing in new production equipment. Follow-up of employees takes place in accordance with applicable rules in those countries in which the Group operates. There is much emphasis on maintaining dialogue with employees on sick leave with a view to making the absence period as short as possible. In addition, Moelven's health insurance also functions well as an HSE measure to get those employees who need health services and treatment back to work faster. The health insurance scheme has been a successful measure from the start in 2007. The scheme has proven to be particularly favourable for employees with muscular-skeletal disorders.

Safety for employees

The Group's goal is that no one is injured when at work at Moelven. A safe working environment for employees, hired staff, customers and suppliers is essential for sustainable added value. Operations should therefore be organized such that it may take place without risk to life and health. In the target of 0 injuries there is an idea that all injuries can be prevented. Work to prevent injuries therefore has a high priority in the entire organization. The managers' commitment and involvement is essential to succeed with improvements in the HSE area as well. For this reason, courses in clear HSE management were held in 2016 for all managers with operational or personnel responsibilities. The safety representatives have also taken part in these courses.

To reduce the number of injuries, it is important to improve the knowledge of both near accidents and hazardous conditions or risks. In 2016 there were 74 injuries with subsequent absence, which is a reduction from 88 in 2015. In 2016 a total of 329 (410) accidents, 499 (270) near accidents and 920 (360) hazardous conditions related to persons were recorded. It is positive that the number of reported near accidents and hazardous conditions has seen a dramatic increase. This gives the group a far better basis for implementing good improvement measures. For 2016 the goal was that a minimum of 1,700 near accidents and hazardous conditions should be reported overall for incidents involving people, the environment or equipment. The reporting culture improved significantly, particularly in the second half of the year. For the year as a whole 1,986 cases were reported, with 745 near accidents and 1,241 hazardous conditions, and the goal was achieved by a good margin.

The injury rate remains unacceptably high, and efforts to achieve the target of 0 injuries were therefore further intensified in 2016, including through close follow-up of safety issues in the group's safety committee. The committee comprises corporate management, the HR manager and two employee representatives. In addition, Fagforum HMS, comprising the divisions' HSE resources and the HR department, has discussed group-wide HSE issues, exchanged experiences and presented proposals for several new procedures and guidelines. In 2016 the following was introduced:

• Minimum requirements to protective and safety equipment for all employees.
• Requirement of consistent safety information for visitors.
• Safety procedures for loading and unloading work.

Moelven's system for recording accidents, near accidents and hazardous conditions, fPortal, has been used by the Group since 2009. In 2016 work has been carried out on introducing an upgraded version of fPortal, with training of case officers and managers in all subsidiaries.

The number of injuries with absence per million worked hours (injury rate LTI) saw a pronounced reduction in 2016, while the number of days of absence due to injury per million worked hours (severity rate - F) increased. Although the injury rate has significantly dropped, the level remains unacceptably high. Further measures will be implemented in 2017 to achieve improvements in both the number of injuries and their severity. 

The figure above shows the relation between reported hazards and incidents, and the level of injury frequency and severity.

Regular risk analyses are conducted at all plants. Investments and measures have brought factories up to speed in terms of applicable safety regulations. Safety procedures and equipment are in place, and information and conduct campaigns have been organized. Despite increased focus on safety and not least on attitudes toward safety at the workplace, one has not succeeded in reducing the number of injuries. However, developments in reported near accidents and hazards indicate that the ongoing HSE work has succeeded in raising awareness on safety at the workplace and provides a good basis for planning further work. In the autumn of 2015 the safety campaign Hel Hjem II was evaluated, and more new measures will be implemented in the time ahead to achieve the group's objectives. These included courses and follow-up for supervisors, clarification of responsibilities and dedicated HSE resources in each division.

Human rights

Moelven does not accept conditions in suppliers' or customers' operations that constitute breaches of the UN declaration of human rights or other unethical conditions such as for example child labour.

Discrimination

Moelven wants an inclusive work culture and actively works to ensure a good working environment that is characterized by equality and diversity. Moelven does not accept any form of differential treatment on account of gender, ethnic origin, national origin, descent, skin colour, language, religion, philosophy or sexual orientation.

A need to implement measures to eliminate discrimination has not been registered in 2016.

Equality of opportunity

The combined share of women in the Moelven Group has been stable in recent years at approx. 11 per cent. It is a goal for the Group to further increase the share of women among staff further. However, most of those who complete education in the trades and professions the Group needs in its industrial activities are men. Often, when jobs are advertised, no women apply. For officers and managers the situation is different, and the share of women in areas such as economy, administration and management is significantly higher than for operators in the industrial activities.

Child labour

The Moelven Group's units operate their activities in geographical areas where child labour very rarely occurs. In relation to our own production activities no control procedures have therefore been established on the area.

Certain units purchase raw materials for their production from continents where child labour may be a relevant issue. In such cases factory visits where the surveying of possible child labour is included as one of the control items.
A need to implement further measures has not been registered in 2016.

Working conditions

All hired workers regardless of nationality, are salaried in accordance with a centrally agreed agreement/tariff agreement. The Group also follows the provisions of the EU's staffing directive. The level of minimum wages in the agreements that are used are such that they in themselves are a guarantee against social dumping. In those cases where Moelven has subcontractors/contractors in deliveries, it is contractually stipulated that these are obliged to pay salaries at least equivalent to the applicable tariff agreement for the relevant industry.

A need to implement further measures in the area has not been registered in 2016.

External environment

Sustainability is one of Moelven's basic values. Environmental considerations are a natural part of day-to-day work and work is constantly going on to reduce effects on the environment.

Responsibility for the environment also includes past influence from activities on the ground, water, air and/or surroundings from watering, heating, transport, the depositing of bark, handling of oils, adhesives and chemicals, as well as activities producing noise and dust. Industrial production is largely based on the use of wood and the wood content of the finished products is very high in most operations. Wood as a material has many positive environmental aspects, including that it binds carbon dioxide. The vast majority of the forest raw materials that are used in Moelven's production end up as products or biofuel. The Group therefore produces little waste.The aim is that all fractions of wood shall be treated as potential input factors and contribute to overall value creation. Cellulose chips, dry chips, shavings and bark from the sawmills have ever increasing financial and environmental significance. District heating systems use dry chips, shavings and bark as fuel and the Group's own heating systems use chips and bark. For those companies in the Group that make less use of forest raw materials in their production, the industrialised building process helps to limit the environmental impact in comparison with traditional building methods.

For those companies in the Group that make less use of forest raw materials in their production, the industrialised building process helps to limit the environmental impact in comparison with traditional building methods.

The carbon cycle

Raw materials from sustainable forestry

All of the companies in the Group's timber processing operations are organized for and work to meet applicable requirements for PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). All sawmills also comply with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Traceability and Controlled Wood standard. This means that Moelven buys round timber from suppliers who engage in responsible forestry. Through this certification, Moelven has established control routines and a tracing system that can trace the raw materials up the supply chain.
The exploitation of raw materials must be maximized through optimizing production and utilizing the residual products.

Raw material purchases must not occur from:

• Illegal harvests
• Forests with a high preservation value
• Forests where time-honoured or social rights are violated
• Forests with genetically manipulated trees
• Natural forests that have been harvested with the intention of using the area for plantations or non-forestry applications
• Suppliers who fail to comply with the International Labour Organization's core conventions

Environmental standards and certifications related to operations

The Moelven Group operates within sectors and product areas where a number of different environmental standards exist, and where new ones are constantly introduced. It is both Moelven's desire based on its own values and an increasing demand from the market that these standards are followed. Examples of relevant standards and certifications are:

• PEFC CoC and FSC CoC
• Several of Moelven's businesses are certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 environmental standard
• BREEAM (environmental classification for buildings) consists partly of the following:
  • PEFC and FSC
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with focus on low greenhouse gas emissions over time.
  • Environmental declarations (EDP)
  • Choice of surface treatment products the have low emissions for the indoor environment.
  • Emission tests for indoor products (Hea 02 Indoor air quality)

Moelven continually works at all times to provide the correct and relevant documentation for all products and in being at the forefront of developments in terms of environmental requirements toward the products.

Moelven is voluntarily affiliated with various control schemes for production and products:

• Norwegian Strength Grading Inspection Scheme
• Norwegian Control Scheme for Preservative Treated Wood
• Nordisk Trebeskyttelsesråd (Nordic wood protection council)
• Kledningskontrollen (Cladding control scheme)
• Norwegian Glulam Control: Glued, end-jointed materials for load bearing constructions

Transport

Moelven strives to ensure that the negative impact on the environment from heavy transport to and from our plants is minimized by using environmentally classified trucks. Minimum EURO-5 og EURO-6 will now be the standard for all new vehicles. In the course of the past year the group has initiated several transport optimization projects to better exploit the vehicle fleet. Through a combination solution for the transport finished goods and by-products, driving without cargo has been significantly reduced. The group has also taken ownership of a transport company to ensure that this process gains full effect.

Obtaining raw materials, intermediate transport and delivery of finished products all generate a considerable need for transport. In 2016, Timber and Wood transported more than nine million cubic metres of timber, biomass and finished products by truck. In addition to this, there is transport for the laminated timber, building module and interiors companies, as well as rail and sea transport. Transport is therefore a considerable challenge for the Group, in terms of both the environment and finance.

Moelven is continuously working to reduce transport needs and optimise the utilisation of means of transport.

The geographical location, with the production units near the raw material areas, helps to reduce transport needs in that the volume of finished goods transported out is considerably less than that of the raw materials transported in. Influencing transporters to use eco-friendly means of transport is another important way of reducing the effects of transport on the environment. In the collaboration agreements with providers of transport services in both Norway and Sweden, requirements that the vehicles are at least classified in accordance with the EURO-5 standard have been included. Improved road standards, and thus increased axle load limits, are measures on the part of the authorities that will help to reduce the environmental effects of road transport. Work is also being done to open a greater road network in Norway for the use of 25.25 metre heavy goods vehicles with a total weight of 60 tons for finished products and by-products. In Sweden the permitted total weight for heavy goods vehicles has been increased from 60 to 64 tons, and a further increase to 74 tons in combination with longer vehicles is under consideration. In 2016 Moelven Skog AB was given dispensation for one 74-ton vehicle that has been involved in ordinary timber transport. These changes in framework conditions contributes to reduce the number of loads driven and thus has a positive environmental effect. In 2016 the group has also increased the use of railway to transport chips and energy products in both Norway and Sweden.

The group's work on optimising its transport will continue in 2017, and the goal is fewer kilometres driven without cargo. Additionally, work is being done to develop railway solutions where this is financially and practically viable.

Energy

At least 95 per cent of the energy requirements for heating premises and drying must be retrieved from self-produced bioenergy. Moelven must actively participate in the technological and market-related development of the bioenergy sector.
Moelven's energy and heating consumption in 2016 was approx. 1 102 GWh (1 060), across approx. 210 GWh electric power, approx. 892 GWh thermal energy and 0.4 million litres of diesel for rolling stock. About 90 per cent of the thermal energy was produced in the Group's own plants. The energy potential of the Group's chip and bark products, including cellulose chips, is a little under 5 TWh, which means that it has a considerable potential, both for increasing our own energy production and also for increasing the market for bioenergy in general. It is Moelven's aim to be able to use our own bioenergy to cover at least 95 per cent of the need for heating our own premises and drying timber products. Moelven takes an active part in the technological and market-related development of the bioenergy sector. In parallel with this, we are developing a growing external market for biofuels. Moelven's own energy efficiency activities mean that we increasingly have eco-friendly energy surpluses that can be sold to others and help strengthen our competitive position. 

Emissions to air

Moelven has prepared CO2 accounts since 2010. This is based on the ISO 14064 standard for calculating emissions from Moelven's units. In 2016 Moelven's production and service units generated about 456 tons of CO2. About 87.8 (86.9) per cent of this represents CO2 in the natural circulation of carbon. The combined emissions have increased by 5.5 per cent compared to 2015, which is related to increased activity. 

årsberetning samfunnsansvar CO2 rapportering E

Chemicals, oils, adhesives

Moelven aims to minimize the effect on ground and water by using environmentally friendly products to the greatest possible extent. The handling of chemicals, oils and adhesives must only take place at designated places with approved enclosure or similar installations to reduce the impact of eventual spills.
For waste oil and chemicals there are recycling systems with approved recycling centres or reception facilities. All units that use chemicals in their operations must have an summary of these. The summary must include an accurate description of the chemicals in question, which amounts that are used, which persons that are exposed, etc.
On 2 February 2016 a leak occurred in a diesel tank on Moelven Eidsvold Værk AS's industrial site, which led to a limited discharge to the Andelva river. The relevant authorities were notified, and the fire brigade inspected the site. Immediate action was taken by the maintenance department in cooperation with the industrial protection team to further limit the spill, which was successful using absorbent booms that prevented downstream leaks. A tank facility that satisfies new requirements was established, and procedures have been reviewed to prevent similar incidents. In January 2016 a small discharge of impregnating agent occurred at Moelven Østerdalsbruket AS at Koppang. A connecting stream was affected by the discharge. The incident was reported to public authorities, and measures were implemented to prevent recurrences. Water samples have been taken from the stream without permanent harm being discovered.
Beyond this, no conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Watering and runoff

Moelven aims to recycle wastewater from timber storage as far as this is technically and practically possible. Watering systems at the timber warehouses must be climate-controlled. There must only be withdrawals of water from lakes and river, as well as runoff to surface following permission from the authorities. No conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Pollution to ground

In connection with restructuring, modification or liquidation, potentially polluted areas at the plants must be identified, investigated and remedied as required. All objects classified by the authorities as potentially polluted must be identified. Based on risk classification and existing information, an action plan must be drawn up for any investigation and remedial measures. No conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Landfills

It must be ensured that any depositing of bark and other waste takes place at only approved landfills.
It must be possible to document that any landfills comply with applicable statutes and regulations concerning covering, control programmes, handling of runoff, plans for termination and modification. No conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Waste handling

Moelven sorts and recycles waste as far as technically possible and annually follows up waste volumes per ton of final product. The share of waste in approved landfills must be minimized in accordance with results from registration and the action plan for the waste system. Sorting at the source is practised at all units, and contracts on required return schemes have been drawn up with suppliers. No conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Dust and noise

Moelven must implement measures to adapt noise levels and dust formation at plants in accordance with the targets at the respective plants. The main noise sources related to Moelven's activities are the handling of timber, the operation of fan systems and transport. When needs are identified, measures are implemented to reduce noise to stipulated threshold values. No conditions have been revealed in 2016 that require remedial measures in the area.

Anti-corruption

Employees of Moelven must neither accept nor provide gifts or bribes that tarnish integrity. The Group dissociates itself from all forms of corruption and improper actions that impede free competition and market balance.
In the Group's business activities we must always maintain a healthy ethical and moral profile towards associates, customers, suppliers and other business associates. Moelven's code of conduct and Moelven's relation to competition law has been presented and discussed at meetings for both general managers in the Group and for finance managers. Moelven's compilation of ethical guidelines has been made available to employees. No separate control procedures have been established beyond this.