Taking responsibility for public health in the area of optical retail and eye health is the foundation of Synsam’s sustainability agenda. Good vision enriches people’s lives and well-being. Every day, our employees improve many people’s quality of life, helping them to see well and look great.
In addition to our focus on customers’ needs for vision correction, Synsam also wants to offer circular and locally produced products. These two initiatives are at the heart of the Group’s environmental efforts. Synsam’s production and innovation centre on Frösön provides the market with spectacles manufactured in Sweden, which have a smaller climate impact than equivalent products purchased from Asia. We are convinced that geopolitical risks are reduced and innovation is strengthened when production takes place closer to the market. We also provide a good work environment, create jobs in sparsely populated areas and initiate local collaborations.
The Group constantly strives to better understand the risks and challenges of its business. This year’s climate impact assessments according to the GHG Protocol show that the Group’s biggest climate impact comes from the production of raw materials and manufacturing. The climate impact assessments include related emissions throughout the entire value chain, and provide Synsam with an even better idea of where the Group can make the greatest impact.
Our stakeholders have taken note that sustainability is an integral part of Synsam’s business. In 2024, Synsam Sweden won the Optician of the Year award for the third year in a row at the Market Awards, where sustainability management was one of the criteria. Synsam was also recognised in this year’s Allbright report as one of Sweden’s most gender equal companies.
Sustainability highlights of the year 2024:
- The “Everyone should see!” initiative turned f ive years old. 11,028 pairs of activity spectacles were distributed during the year, and 66,000 children have received help to be active on equal terms since the initiative was launched.
- For the third year in a row, Synsam Sweden was named Optician of the Year at the Market Awards, where sustainability management was one of the criteria.
- Allbright named Synsam one of Sweden’s most gender equal listed companies in its annual Allbright report.
- Synsam Group’s production facility on Frösön was further developed and continued to prepare for more launches in 2025.
- Climate calculations according to the GHG Protocol were performed.
- Work related to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) intensified.
Synsam’s value chain
The Group bears a great deal of responsibility as the leading optical retail chain in the Nordic region and one of Europe’s leading players in the optical retail sector. Synsam’s entire business is based on a value chain where the Group takes responsibility for its impact on people, society and the economy. It is Synsam’s responsibility to work with its suppliers and partners to examine the various parts of the value chain from a sustainability perspective. This encompasses design, purchase of raw materials, production and transport in operations, sales, product use, and reuse and recycling. Processes and approaches have been identified for continuous improvement for each part of the value chain. Synsam strives to have a positive impact on people, society and the economy by making conscious decisions throughout the value chain.
Synsam and Agenda 2030
Synsam supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and has determined that the Group has a responsibility and the potential to contribute to several of the goals. The main focus is on Goal 12 Responsible consumption and production and Goal 3 Good health and well-being. Synsam also supports the UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Business.
Synsam’s priority sustainability areas
In 2024, Synsam continued to work on the Group’s three established sustainability areas: customer responsibility, social responsibility and environmental responsibility. The three areas, with their respective objectives and focus areas, are summarised in the model below.
| AREA | CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITY | SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambition | Synsam should contribute to good eyesight for everyone, in all situations, throughout life. | Synsam should provide a safe, supportive and inclusive workplace, and work with our suppliers to ensure they meet the same standards. | Synsam strives for a circular business model and to minimise our environmental impact and carbon footprint. |
| Focus and goals | We should help children to be active by handing out activity spectacles – a visual defect should never be a cause of exclusion. Synsam should offer the customer a range of products that includes frames made from bio-based materials or equivalent circular materials with a lower climate impact. We help customers to recycle their products and we offer reused products. | At least 85 percent of our employees should be motivated and proud and share the company’s values. We have zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. All management groups and boards of the Group’s companies should have an even gender balance. The proportion of women or men should not fall below 40 percent and not exceed 60 percent. In units with in-house manufacturing, annual audits must be carried out to ensure that workers’ rights are respected at the supplier level. | Synsam is committed to growing its circular business. We will offer more people second-hand frames and sunglasses. Synsam will calculate its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions with the aim of implementing measures. Synsam’s production in Sweden must use only 100 percent non fossil fuel electricity and minimise production waste. |
| Activities | • Eye examinations • Everyone should see! • Sustainable choices and consumer information • Circularity of the customer’s products | • Training through Synsam Academy • Membership of amfori BSCI • Supplier Code of Conduct • Whistleblower policy | • Expand our circular offerings • Offer a range of products made from recycled materials such as bio-based materials in Jämtö and recycled marine plastic in Sea2See. Offer a range of bio-based materials in Jämtö and recycled marine plastic in Sea2See |
| Agenda 2030 | Goals 12, 3 and 4 | Goals 5, 8 and 4 | Goals 12 and 9 |
Sustainability management and governance
The most important sustainability initiatives of 2024 and their results are summarised on the following pages based on each focus area. During the year, Synsam continued to work on the double materiality assessment (DMA) that was established in 2023. The assessments and its results will provide the Group with a basis for initiating the implementation of the CSRD and reporting in accordance with the ESRS from 2025.
Synsam’s sustainability governance is part of the Group’s corporate governance model. Sustainability work at Synsam is governed by the Group’s sustainability framework and other policies. Group management has the ultimate responsibility for goals, implementation and follow-up. Synsam’s values – customer focus, responsibility and innovation – together with the company’s Code of Conduct, set the framework and provide guidance in decision-making and actions for the entire Group. The Code applies to all employees and is part of the on-boarding programme for all new employees. Synsam’s Supplier Code of Conduct is based on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related UN Conventions, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the UN Global Compact. Synsam is able to guarantee safe, high-quality customer interactions by always following rules and guidelines to ensure clinical quality. The use of certifications is an important part of ensuring an offering of high clinical quality. As an example of clinical quality, the Swedish stores are certified according to the quality standards of the optical trade association Optikbranschen. This certification is based on the rules governing the clinical aspects of the optician’s activity and summarises the National Board of Health and Welfare’s regulation for opticians and the Patient Data Act (PDL) in a certification that is regularly checked and audited through in-store visits. Processing customers’ personal data in a safe and secure manner is extremely important to Synsam.
Synsam works actively to ensure compliance with data protection legislation such as local patient data laws and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Synsam has a number of Group-wide and countryspecific policies to support its sustainability efforts. These include the Code of Conduct, Supplier Code of Conduct, whistleblower policy, health and safety policy, equal treatment policy and anti-corruption policy. The Group’s policies are available on its intranet.
Synsam Group’s reporting in accordance with the EU Taxonomy Regulation – read more in
Synsam Group’s Annual and Sustainability Report for 2024.