Finnair becomes one of the first airlines to publish GRI corporate responsibility report


Finnair has been publishing an environmental report for over ten years. Now the
company's reporting takes a significant step towards comprehensive corporate
responsibility reporting, as it publishes a corporate responsibility report in
accordance with the international GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) guidelines
- one of the first airlines in the world to do so. 

The intention of the internationally recognised GRI reporting is to improve the
transparency of corporate activity and to increase comparability of companies'
operating practices. For companies, GRI reporting is also a responsibility
development and monitoring tool. 

The report includes all elements of corporate responsibility: the social,
ecological and financial dimensions. The report contains articles on Finnair's
corporate responsibility and responsible tourism as well as GRI indicators that
cover, either in key figures or words, the level of Finnair's corporate
responsibility. 

“The impact on employment of Finnair's successful Asia strategy has even
surprised experts on the national economy. Without financial responsibility, a
company cannot bear its social or ecological responsibilities either,” explains
Finnair's Vice President Sustainable Responsibility Kati Ihamäki. 

In addition to the environmental impacts of flying, the report addresses more
widely the subject of sustainable tourism. 

“Tour operators have a direct business interest in including sustainable
tourism as part of their core strategy,” says Aurinkomatkat-Suntours' Deputy
Managing Director Tom Selänniemi. 

The report also has a section entitled “What can you as a customer do?”, which
explains the choices that customers can make in order to travel more
responsibly and also to act correctly at travel destinations. 

“We shouldn't be focusing solely on travelling, but on reducing emissions. With
the correct choice of route and means of travel we can significantly reduce the
environmental loading of travelling, while it is also true that a quantitative
reduction in travelling does not automatically reduce emissions. For example,
as a result of cheap fares it's often possible to end up choosing a circuitous
route or to fly with old aircraft that are less fuel-efficient,” observes
Ihamäki. 

Finnair's latest electronic GRI report can be found at the address
www.finnair.com/gri. 

Finnair Plc
Communications
28.5.2009

Further information: Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 or
media.desk[a]finnair.com 
Finnair blogs: http://blogit.finnair.fi
Image bank: www.finnair.com/gallery
Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com
via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com