Environmental Management
We improve environmental protection and environmental care effectively
Environmental protection and sustainable development are high-priority goals of Lufthansa’s corporate policy. As long ago as 1996, the Executive Board approved Group-wide guidelines for environmental care. This made Lufthansa an environmental pioneer in the aviation industry. These guidelines, which are stringent for all employees and Group locations, are to ensure that all Lufthansa companies consistently pursue the shared goal of environmental protection and continuously improve environmental care. In 2008 new perspectives until 2020 were presented. Therein 15 guidelines steer the path towards creating future mobility in a sustainable way for the environment and the climate. Among others it is essential to expand and improve the Group-wide environmental management.
Organization of the Group-wide environmental management
The Group Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG bears the full responsibility for the Group’s fulfillment of environmental protection tasks. In doing so, it is supported by the Head of Group Environmental Issues and his department, which coordinates Group-wide environmental goals, strategies and measures. In addition, he regularly coordinates environmental activities with the 24 Environmental Issues Contact Partners at the Group subsidiaries, and develops and analyzes innovative environmental concepts – always in close cooperation with the departments concerned.
Diagram of procedures and processes for environmental matters within German Group companies with environmental relevance and a Lufthansa majority interest.
To fulfill these tasks even more effectively, Lufthansa has created two more interdivisional committees at the Group level: the Environmental Forum and the Sustainability Board.
The environmental experts and members of the Group’s employee representation have met at least twice a year since 1998 in the framework of the Environmental Forums to share information on joint goals and activities as well as to coordinate strategies and new measures.
The interdisciplinary and interdivisional Sustainability Board is anchored in the upper management level. This committee primarily looks after consulting and coordinating tasks and reports directly to the Executive Board. The Sustainability Board, consisting of the heads of the Group Departments for Investor Relations, Policy, Environmental Issues, Human Resource and Corporate Communications, primarily performs a consulting and coordinating task and reports directly to the Executive Board.
Systematic environmental management
All operational processes and activities with an impact on the environment are systematically captured, documented and evaluated at the Lufthansa Group.
The information basis for environmental management at the Group level is the comprehensive sustainability database, which each year captures the current data concerning energy, kerosene and freshwater consumption, emissions, noise, waste, and wastewater. These are complemented by key personnel and economic data. Supported by this information, the environmental experts calculate key indicators, which they use to help improve Lufthansa’s performance in environmental protection on a continuous basis. Within the aviation industry Lufthansa demonstrates its leading position by spearheading the certification of environmental management systems. The long-term goal is to have all large Group companies certified according to ISO 14001.
Already in 1996, Lufthansa Technik became the first company in the aviation maintenance industry to introduce an environmental management system based on the European eco-audit regulations EMAS. Three years later, the company also obtained certification according to the international environmental standard ISO 14001. As a result Lufthansa Technik is the first company in the MRO - industry (maintenance, repair and overhaul) that has an integrated, process-oriented quality management system covering the areas of aviation law, quality, environment and job safety that meets international standards and has been certified accordingly.
Lufthansa CityLine has operated an environmental management system since 1999; it comprises all of the company’s areas and its three locations. In June 2008 the environmental management system of the CityLine was checked again by an external observation audit and the certifications according to EMAS and ISO 14001 could be adhered.
Lufthansa Cargo AG launched its environmental guidelines in September 2007. And with its environmental goals launched in April 2008 the cargo airline is well on the way to being certified according to ISO 14001 by end of 2008.
To find out more about responsibility at Lufthansa, read the latest sustainability report Balance.