Combating climate change

Due to Hemnet’s digital business model, we have a low impact on the climate and the environment. Nevertheless, we are determined to take responsibility and do our part to create a well-functioning real estate market within the planetary boundaries. Hemnet strives to have no local physical IT operations and we only use cloud services, meaning there is no server equipment that Hemnet manages directly on-site. Today, Hemnet has two primary IT solutions providers, both with their own ambitious CO2e emissions targets.

Hemnet is committed to bringing hardware returned by former employees back into service. Obsolete computers, monitors and mobile phones that no longer meet the company’s needs are sold to companies that specialise in buying back this type of equipment. The idea is that the products should be reused as much as possible in the local area by, for example, schools, businesses, and individuals. Other technical equipment that no longer functions or meets the company’s needs is first examined to see if there are components that can be reused or resold within the company. What is considered e-waste is forwarded to certified recycling companies.

Hemnet’s office is located in a building owned by Vasakronan Vasakronan has been ranked as one of the world’s most sustainable property owners by the organisation GRESB (gresb. com) and applies very high standards within areas such as circularity and climate impact. This affects our office’s energy consumption (described under “Scope 2” below) and waste management. We separate all waste in our kitchenette, where it is collected daily and transported to the building’s environmental room. From there it is taken further in the waste cycle in a service provided by Vasakronan.

Promoting sustainable housing choices

We have a unique possibility to guide Swedish property buyers toward more sustainable choices in their home purchases, as well as to motivate sellers to see the benefits of climate-positive home improvements. A recent initiative that underscores our dedication to promoting environmentally responsible housing choices is the integration of an energy efficiency label on property listings.

Getting in full control of CO2e emissions

During 2023, we completed our task of tracking all of our significant direct and indirect emissions within all three scopes. We also complemented our short-term emission target of reducing CO2e emissions by 42 percent by 2030, submitted to and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2022, with a long-term target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. This long-term target was approved by the SBTi in December.

Emissions within Scope 1

Hemnet has no company cars or other direct emissions that fall under scope 1.

Emissions within Scope 2

An essential part of our climate efforts is reducing energy consumption in our office, which is our only source of CO2e emissions within Scope 2. Our office building is powered by renewable electricity and for our office space, we have an additional service from our electricity provider that includes electricity from 100 percent renewable sources (solar, hydro or wind). The building in which our office is located, which we moved into in February 2023, meets high environmental standards and has a platinum certificate under the green building rating system LEED. Most of the heating and cooling in our new office building is provided by a geothermal system and produces no CO2e emissions. The building is not (yet) fully self-sufficient and additional district heating is supplied. However, property owner Vasakronan always buys the cleanest available product and if energy from renewable sources is unavailable, Vasakronan climate compensates for the emissions.

Emissions within Scope 3

In 2023, we undertook an extensive project to assess our company’s indirect emissions (Scope 3), identifying relevant emission categories in both upstream and downstream activities. We based our emissions data on specific supplier information and, when unavailable, on our expenses. Our analysis revealed that the largest emissions are generated within Scope 3, category 1, Purchased Goods and Services. We were pleased to find that emissions generated by Hemnet as a platform (web and apps) are minimal, thanks to partnerships with global companies like AWS and Google, who have ambitious climate agendas. Higher emissions stem from other purchases such as consultancy services and, primarily, the commissions paid to the real estate agent industry for their work and sales related to Hemnet’s products. We have chosen to classify these activities as Purchased Goods and Services, which is why the emissions fall under Scope 3, Category 1. Since we lack actual emissions data from real estate agents, standard calculations have been performed based on spend. In 2024, our focus will be on improving data quality, which is likely to reduce emissions in this category.

Read our full Annual and Sustainability Report here. 

*Due to an update to more accurate emission factors, the emissions from district heating for 2022 have been adjusted in this year’s reporting.