Environmental management key aspect of corporate strategy
Vienna, May 20, 2016: Sustainability and reducing energy consumption are key corporate objectives of Flughafen Wien AG. Following its successful certification, the Vienna Airport operating company received the EMAS Award for Exemplary Environmental Management on May 19, 2016 from Andrä Rupprechter, Federal Minister of the Environment.
“Saving energy, the prudent use of natural resources and a comprehensive waste management system are particularly important to Flughafen Wien AG as an infrastructure company, and a key aspect of our corporate strategy. We are very pleased to receive this recognition for our professional work and energy efficiency gains in the form of the EMAS Award 2016”, say Günther Ofner and Julian Jäger, Members of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG. “We have defined very ambitious goals up until the year 2020 to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and all areas in the company are working on achieving these targets.”
Minister Rupprechter noted the example set by the certification companies. “The business community is an important partner of the government’s environmental policy. EMAS-certified firms rank among the most innovative in their respective sectors, and continually implement measures to achieve their environmental targets. We have a leading position here in Europe.“
Vienna Airport focuses on environmental management
Vienna Airport, with more than 20,000 employees on site, is one of the largest employers in Eastern Austria. It recently implemented a comprehensive energy efficiency program encompassing more than 100 measures. For example, CO2 emissions over the last three years were cut by about 20%, and energy consumption per traffic unit was reduced by about 12%. Within the context of using large areas of roof space, two new photovoltaic plants are close to being completed, with plans to steadily expand photovoltaic use in the future. Electromobility is being expanded to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A total of 30 electric-powered catering trucks will be purchased to replace diesel-driven vehicles over the next few years. Moreover, a carpooling platform called Drive2VIE was created in 2015 to encourage employees at the Vienna flight hub to increasingly commute in car pools.
EMAS: Comprehensive certification system for sustainability
The “Eco-Management and Audit Scheme” (EMAS) is a certification system developed by the European Union for companies and organizations aiming to continually improve their environmental management and sustainability-oriented behavior. EMAS shows the ecological and economic optimization potential to reduce consumption of operating materials and energy and cut costs. The objectives are to continuously improve corporate environmental management and ensure the responsible handling of natural resources, people and the environment. In order to highlight the exemplary environmental management of Austrian companies, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) initiated the EMAS Award in the year 1995. All EMAS-registered companies and organizations in Austria are entitled to participate in this competition. A jury of experts from business, public administration and science judge the entries and chose the award winners.
Source: Flughafen Wien AG