ScaleAQ aims to be a knowledge-based advisor to the aquaculture industry, and our products include documentation and follow-up that helps to ensure our customers can create added value. This is done through efficiency, reporting and increasing levels of information.
Good environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are key to all activities undertaken by ScaleAQ, and we have tied our work to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. For the team at ScaleAQ, sustainability is about the future. We have to take care of the earth’s limited resources. We have to manage them in the best possible way without destroying opportunities for future generations.
The world faces major challenges in finding sustainable food sources for its rapidly growing global population. Worldwide demand for seafood is growing. Aquaculture is one of the most sustainable ways to produce food.
Our annual report also consists of a sustainability report. Open or download the report below to read more.
All of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are significant to our strategy, daily operations and the value chain that we are part of. We have identified eight Sustainable Development Goals that are particularly important to us:
Hanne Digre
Director, Sustainability
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+47 957 26 482
Torstein Kristensen
Head of Biology
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+47 917 83 459
June Valla
Rådgiver miljø
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+47 988 64 762
Read more about each development goal by clicking on the boxes.
Sustainability and ESG are both rooted and integrated in our business strategy, both in terms of business opportunities and measures in our internal operations, “Clean ocean – good for business”. Our greatest contribution to achieving these SDGs is to supply technological products and services that safeguard fish welfare, reduce harmful greenhouse gas and environmental emissions, as well as guaranteeing HSE.
Overall, our objectives are:
ScaleAQ offers hybrid systems for feed barges that ensure:
Our feed barges are able to tolerate high levels of stress (up to Hs 6.5), include a comprehensive dead fish processing facility that helps to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria to the surrounding area while also ensuring the total utilization of all raw materials. Our hybrid solutions for feed barges meet upcoming requirements being signaled by the Norwegian government in its 2021-2030 climate plan, including the introduction of low and zero-emission solutions for feed barges and service vessels in the aquaculture industry from 2024.
At ScaleAQ, environmental, social and economic sustainability is integral to our operations across all departments. To make sure this is more than just words — and a part of our day-to-day work across the entire company — we have created a multidisciplinary group of sustainability ambassadors.
Our ambassadors will keep up to date on all our sustainability work and showcase these initiatives to the ScaleAQ organisation, to increase the knowledge about our work in sustainability throughout our organization.
Get to know the ScaleAQ sustainability ambassadors in the short interviews below.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
I want to help contribute to change in the industry and to find solutions that create value for both ScaleAQ and our customers.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
The work we do on sustainability is essential to the growth of the industry and ScaleAQ – and for ScaleAQ to continue to be the leading partner.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
Being a sustainability ambassador allows our team in Canada to be active in the sustainability work in ScaleAQ. It ensures that we prioritise the sustainability goals we are collectively working towards achieving. Understanding our sustainability commitments will enhance our customer interactions and discussions about current and future innovations, and enable us to further align with our customers’ own sustainability goals.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
Aquaculture is one of the most sustainable forms of protein production. In a world of food scarcity and resource challenges, I believe sustainable aquaculture has a fundamental role to play in the future of food production. As a key, global supplier to the aquaculture industry, ScaleAQ has a duty to ensure that a high level of sustainability is maintained in the products we supply and service.
We aim to work in partnership with our suppliers and customers to provide a platform for the industry as a whole, to continue to strive towards increasingly high standards. It’s essential that we are committed to working sustainably and continue to develop these practices to preserve the environments in which we all work and live.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
With the demand for healthy seafood and protein continuing to grow rapidly, along with the need to increase aquaculture production to meet this demand, sustainability must sit at the heart of all aquaculture development and growth.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
As a leading supplier of aquaculture technology and innovation, it’s important that we can demonstrate to our customers and the wider industry stakeholders that sustainability is a key priority in everything we do, across all our activities.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
I love practical work and finding good solutions. I’ve always been interested in innovation and essential improvements. I primarily want to contribute my experience as a skilled worker, but also as a leader, as sustainability is very much about changing the culture and attitudes in a company.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
The values inherent in the sustainability goals promote development that is essential both for us and the rest of the world. ScaleAQ is one of the leaders in our field and our expertise can make a huge difference. It’s our duty to do so.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
I consider myself an environmental optimist, which means I’m concerned about all the challenges we face but also believe we can tackle them, as long as we get out priorities right. That requires some people working hard to push sustainability up the agenda. That’s where I want to contribute. It’s also why I switched industry, from oil to green vessels at Moen Marin.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
Despite the fact that the end product in our industry has a low carbon footprint, we still have a long way to go, both in terms of the climate, but also in when it comes to the marine environment and fish health. Even discounting the ethical arguments, I believe that advocating sustainability will make us even more robust and ready for the demands of the future market.
Why did you become a sustainability ambassador?
I became a sustainability ambassador because I’m passionate about sustainability. If I can spend my time at work helping the aquaculture industry of the future develop in a sustainable way, it makes my job even more meaningful.
Why is working on sustainability important for ScaleAQ?
Working on sustainability is important because we all have a responsibility for the future. ScaleAQ is taking its share of the responsibility. It’s our duty!
The Norwegian Transparency Act was passed on June 10th 2022 to help businesses promote respect for basic human rights and decent working conditions in relation to the production of goods and services. This law enters into force on July 1st, 2022.
At ScaleAQ, we are positive about the rules and guidelines being introduced to ensure these values are safeguarded in our value chains. We are a key stakeholder in our industry, and it is our strategy to assume a leading position through a sustainable value chain and good working conditions, where safety, HSE, training and development are all central pillars of our work.
The Norwegian Transparency Act requires ScaleAQ to carry out due diligence assessments and report on these assessments on a regular basis. This means, among other things, that we must examine and control risk in relation to negative impacts on human rights and decent working conditions throughout our supply chain.
At ScaleAQ, we work in accordance with an overarching process which is as follows:
A requirement for compliance with human rights and decent working conditions has always been part of our procurement processes, and this work has been boosted even more in 2022.
Given our large supplier base, we carry out risk assessments on an ongoing basis to help us prioritize which companies we should focus on. We have therefore established a structured supplier follow-up program. All of our suppliers will be assessed at an overall level against four criteria:
Based on this assessment, selected suppliers will receive a comprehensive self-evaluation form on which they must document key areas such as their governance principles, HSEQ, sustainability work, and which processes they use in their own value chain.
Their responses will be evaluated and each individual supplier will be assigned a risk profile. They will be subject to customized follow-up and monitoring work on the basis of their risk profile, and this may require the submission of further documentation or the implementation of specific measures and more detailed monitoring.
This survey process is currently ongoing and we are working to put in place more system support for this. Additionally, work is underway on a toolbox for follow-up work and specific measures to prevent and limit negative consequences that may pose challenges to sustainability, human rights or decent working conditions.
As the first equipment supplier in the aquaculture industry, we have now published our first EPD for our floating collar FR-560-157 in the category “Sea-based aquaculture infrastructure and components”.
The EPD summarizes the environmental profile of one of our floating collars. This document is structured according to a set of requirements, called PCR (Product Category Rules) and ISO standard 14025. The EPD is created on the basis of a life cycle analysis, and the standardized methods must ensure that the environmental information within the same product category can be compared from product to product. This gives our customers a basis for comparing the environmental profile of a product, and making an assessment and a choice based on verified documentation.
