Södra is owned and run by the members
The foundation of Södra is to create the greatest possible member benefit. The association is governed by active members and processes that ensure transparency and influence. Members actively participate in the association's value creation by transacting business with their Södra and through sharing in the value we create together.
A democratic organisation
The members jointly own Södra, and the democratic processes and organisation form the basis for transparency and influence. The size of one’s forest holding or length of membership is immaterial. It is one member, one vote.
Members are organized into 36 forest management areas. The geographical location of the forest estate determines which forest management area the member belongs to. Members are represented by the forest management area's advisory board, whose task is to support the operational activities, monitor local business policy, oversee various forestry and social activities, and represent the members.
Local annual meetings and Annual General Meeting
Each forest management area holds its annual local meeting in March. Local representatives are then elected, determining who will serve as delegates at the association's general meeting. Members owning a forest estate within the area are entitled to vote at the annual local meeting. Beyond elections and processing motions, the past year's operational and cooperative activities are reported at the general meeting, along with the Södra Group's results and the board's profit-sharing proposal. Hence, it is a crucial opportunity for members to inform themselves about what's happening in Södra and to influence the future direction both locally and more broadly. The ordinary general meeting is held in May each year and is Södra's highest decision-making body. The 200 members chosen as delegates are the only ones who can vote and do so without binding someone else's will or interest.
Regulatory framework for association governance
Good corporate governance is about ensuring that companies are run sustainably, responsibly, and as efficiently as possible. Södra follows the Swedish code for corporate governance. Besides that, the distinguishing cooperative principles in the Swedish code for governing cooperative and mutual enterprises are applied.
For Södra as a cooperative, two possible regulations for good corporate governance exist – Swedish code for corporate governance (corporate code) and Swedish code for governance of cooperative and mutual enterprises (cooperative code). The codes are based on common principles, and the principles of the cooperative code have counterparts in the corporate code, except for three cooperative principles.
The corporate code has been a benchmark for Södra’s corporate governance since 2013 and has played a vital role in the development of governance. The board decided to follow the more detailed corporate code to create clarity and comparability concerning other actors. Additionally, in 2022, the board decided also to apply the three distinctive cooperative principles in the cooperative code.
The distinctive cooperative principles are included in the board's rules of procedure and concern Purpose and member benefits, Democratic processes and Members' participation in the company's value creation. These are reported annually in the association governance report. By following the corporate code and applying the cooperative principles, Södra meets all requirements in the cooperative code.
More information about Södra as an association
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