Corporate Sustainability
With a clear strategy, magic happensWith a clear strategy, magic happens
Corporate social responsibility is a key component of the company’s strategy and operations. With sustainability as our guiding principle, Keflavík Airport will be better prepared for the future. Our goal is to make the airport more competitive by minimizing environmental impact, creating value for the community, and ensuring increased operational efficiency.
Sustainability Policy
Sustainability is one of seven key focuses within Isavia's strategy circle, and we highlight its presence across all areas of the company’s activities. Isavia's sustainability policy is one of the company’s supporting strategies, with its goals, metrics, and action plan all contributing to the company’s success in sustainability. At the same time, we are working toward Isavia’s vision of connecting the world through Iceland, as outlined in the strategy circle, and our mission to enhance the quality of life and prosperity in Iceland.
The sustainability policy describes the balance between economic, environmental, and social factors. It is divided into four components that are most important for us to emphasize in relation to the overall strategy and the activities the company is engaged in. The environmental aspect has been subdivided, with climate issues highlighted to draw attention to the importance of reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
The four key components of the sustainability policy are:
Resource Utilization
We are committed to protecting the environment and minimizing the negative environmental impacts of our operations. We emphasize sustainable procurement, efficient use of resources, reuse, recycling, and thus contribute to the circular economy. Infrastructure is constructed sustainably, aiming to minimize environmental impacts from both the construction and operation in the long term.
We are aware of the importance of preserving the freshness and purity of groundwater in the surrounding area. We conduct regular groundwater studies at Keflavik Airport in cooperation with the Suðurnes Health Authority.
At Keflavik Airport, anti-icing substances are used, in both liquid and solid forms, on runways, taxiways, and aprons to enhance safety and reduce the impact of ice on operations. These agents, referred to as formate salts are certified with the environmental labels Blue Angel and Swan, are biodegradable, and have low toxicity to water ecosystems.
We are committed to enhancing the integration of reuse and recycling within Isavia's circular economy, recognizing the significant environmental impacts of unsorted waste and the importance of minimizing its generation. Most unsorted waste from our operations is exported for energy recovery. Hazardous waste is meticulously sorted at all operational sites in compliance with legal requirements. Since 2022, we have been measuring food waste in our staff canteen at KEF to improve food utilization
The biodiversity and vegetation surrounding each airport can differ significantly. A crucial aspect of airport operations is implementing measures that minimize risks to passengers and reduce the likelihood of wildlife and aircraft collisions. This is accomplished through deterrent strategies and habitat management designed to keep animals away from airport areas.
We conduct thorough monitoring of wildlife in airport areas, maintaining long-term records of wild animal sightings. The presence of these animals varies considerably from one airport to another. Although birds are the primary concern, there have been occasions where reindeer, foxes, and rabbits required management to ensure safety within airport zones
At KEF, there are no protected areas or preserved archaeological sites. The only wild terrestrial animal present in and around the airport is the arctic fox, whose population has drastically decreased in recent years, resulting in increasingly infrequent sightings.
Quality of Life
Our goal is to be a leading example of sustainability in Iceland, and we are committed to achieving this systematically. We actively promote sustainability across the airport community and foster strong relationships with the local community, rooted in mutual respect. We prioritize the exchange of information, knowledge, and experiences. Through collaboration, we can achieve our shared success.
We place a strong emphasis on engaging with stakeholders who utilize the company’s services and those who are affected by its operations. Our focus is on cultivating close partnerships with ground handling service providers, airlines, and operators at Keflavík Airport
Collaboration Projects:
- The Suðurnes Forum is a collaborative initiative involving municipalities in Suðurnes, Kadeco, and Isavia, aimed at boosting the economy and strengthening infrastructure in alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The forum seeks to foster economic growth and enhance infrastructure while focusing on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing that success in sustainability relies on solidarity and cooperation in addressing fundamental issues within the local community
Global Compact Agreement:
Isavia has been a participant in the UN Global Compact since 2016. Through participation, the company commits itself to ensure that its strategies and practices are in line with the ten principles of the United Nations on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. The company also commits to participating in initiatives that support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and publicly discloses information on its corporate social responsibility in its annual report.
Air traffic can create noise pollution, and we are aware of the need to minimize it as much as possible and to inform the local community about the noise environment around Keflavík Airport.
In recent years, we have focused on implementing measures to mitigate noise disturbances experienced by residents near Keflavík Airport. This involves the introduction of new flight paths and adjustments to runway usage, carefully considering safety and environmental factors, including wind conditions and runway status
We monitor noise levels from flight movements at Keflavík Airport year-round, with sound meters located at four monitoring sites in the airport's vicinity. These are situated above Eyjabyggð in Keflavík, at the HS Veita pump station, at Grænásvegur 14, and at Háaleitisskóli. Additionally, a portable meter has been purchased to measure at other locations, should complaints arise from specific areas in the town or from municipalities farther from the airport than Reykjanesbær. Click here to access the system and see noise level data.
In the system, residents, stakeholders, and staff can track flight movements at the airport and the associated noise measurements. Noise complaints related to specific flight movements can be reported through the system. Click here to report a noise complaint.
Value Creation
We are committed to establishing a sustainable operation that generates long-term value, thereby contributing to the overall economy in alignment with Isavia's mission. Our decision-making is grounded in responsible practices centered on sustainability, as we strive for ongoing development and continuous improvement in this area."
Keflavík Airport serves as the primary gateway for airlines and passengers entering the country, generating value not only for Iceland's tourism sector but also enhancing the overall prosperity and quality of life across the nation.
We offer resources within our operations that generate value for a range of stakeholders through the company’s activities. This value may manifest as business opportunities, enhanced job prospects, tax revenues, cultural diversity, and the sharing of knowledge.
We are aware that airport operations have negative impacts on the community and environment, with carbon footprint being the most significant. Therefore, we are working according to an ambitious sustainability action plan, aiming for Keflavík Airport to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
In collaboration with a British company, we have assessed the social value, both positive and negative, of Keflavík Airport's operations to work more effectively towards success in social matters in partnership with business partners and suppliers. The results demonstrate how Keflavík Airport's operations align with the company’s mission of enhancing quality of life and prosperity in Iceland, while also providing a clearer analysis of opportunities for operational improvements. Our objective is to maximize profitability and value creation across the value chain, all while systematically addressing enhancements in environmental and social aspects, particularly with an emphasis on human rights and quality of life
Examples of Positive Value
- Job creation from the airport’s operations improves people's living conditions and reduces costs for the state and municipalities due to lower unemployment.
- knowledge development among employees not only results in a more competent workforce for the company but also produces more skilled individuals for the job market, building up their knowledge and expertise. Increased knowledge also contributes to enhanced safety at the airport.
Examples of Negative Value
- CO2 emissions have both negative environmental and economic impacts
- Employee turnover affects hiring costs and productivity when an employee leaves and a new one takes over. Unemployment has social cost implications.
To better understand the impact of Isavia's value creation, it is interesting to compare the revenues in 2022 with the social value created in the same year. Isavia's revenues were 18.1 billion ISK. The social value created from the direct operations of Keflavík Airport was twice that amount, totaling 27.6 billion ISK. For every billion ISK in revenue, one and a half billion ISK in social value is generated from its own operations.
Climate Action
We aim to become a carbon-neutral company by 2030. We will achieve this through collaboration, active monitoring of environmental factors, energy transitions, and carbon offsetting as needed. We recognize the risks posed by climate change and have measures in our strategy to address them.
Key Actions:
- We will replace vehicles at Keflavík Airport with more environmentally friendly energy sources by the end of 2030.
- We will reduce the overall carbon footprint of Keflavík Airport in collaboration with stakeholders.
We monitor the concentration of various substances in the atmosphere. Air quality meters are located at Keflavík Airport and in its vicinity. The concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), which are the harmful substances of greatest concern during the airport’s operations, are measured. Measurements show that their concentrations are generally low and always below the reference limits. Air quality forecasts made for Keflavík Airport, accommodating up to 14.5 million passengers in a single year, indicate that despite this number, the concentrations of nitrogen oxides would remain below the reference limits. Real-time information from air quality meters at and around Keflavík Airport can be found on the website: www.loftgaedi.is.
Climate Action
We are aware of the responsibility that rests on us regarding climate issues and greenhouse gas emissions, and we work actively and systematically on measures to reduce our carbon footprint, utilizing our knowledge and experience in developing new and sustainable solutions. We aim to become a carbon-neutral company by 2030 and operate under a clear action plan to achieve this.
In Isavia's operations, fuel consumption is the primary factor concerning greenhouse gas emissions due to direct energy use. This is largely attributable to the service and maintenance of runways and operational areas of the airports. The extent of emissions can therefore fluctuate from year to year. We are working towards energy transitions in Isavia's vehicles and equipment. However, technical solutions have not yet been developed that can replace all the equipment we need for daily operations. While we wait, we will use biodiesel to reduce our carbon footprint from fuel consumption.
We offset all direct emissions in our operations, as well as offsetting other operational aspects that fall outside of Scope 1, such as heating and electricity, business travel for staff, and waste disposal activities. In doing so, we utilize certified carbon units according to the Airport Carbon Accreditation certification.
As of 2021, our carbon footprint and the methodology for calculations are certified and validated by an independent third party in accordance with ISO 14064-3.
Airport Carbon Accreditation
The International Airports Council (ACI) collaborates on a system aimed at reducing carbon emissions at airports. Keflavík Airport is a participant in this initiative and has completed the fourth step out of seven in the airport's carbon accreditation.
Isavia has established an action plan in environmental and climate matters. Among the actions in the plan is that the majority of vehicles purchased will be environmentally friendly in those categories where such options are available. The use of fossil fuels has been reduced through the purchase of electric cars, and employees with a higher driving license are attending eco-driving courses.
The Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) system evaluates whether airports are measuring carbon emissions correctly and also assesses the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce their carbon footprint. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of airports by measuring, managing, and minimizing carbon emissions.
Isavia has a stated goal that the operations of Keflavík Airport will become carbon-neutral by 2030. This achievement will be reached through collaboration with stakeholders, active monitoring of environmental factors, energy transitions, and recognized carbon offsetting as needed.
