Sustainability and ESG

Prague Airport places great emphasis on doing business in line with the principles of sustainable development. Operating an international airport includes a wide array of activities that impact various interest groups and areas. Voluntary integration of corporate responsibility principles in daily tasks of the company as well as the plans for further development has become an integral part of our business. We don’t look at the company’s success only in terms of economic profit, but also at the road that leads to it. As a large company, we feel great responsibility to all stakeholders and the future world.

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Environmental Responsibility

Social Responsibility

Governance, Ethics and Transparent Business

Strategic Approach to the ESG and Sustainable Development

The commitment to a socially responsible and sustainable business is an integral part of the Prague Airport Group company culture. It is our priority to be a trustworthy, transparent and responsible company that applies the principles of sustainable development to our business. In terms of our long-term ESG Strategy (Environmental, Social and Governance), we focus on nine critical material areas relevant to the field we operate in.

The ESG and sustainability agenda is the responsibility of the entire Board of Directors, namely Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Jiří Kraus who bears direct responsibility for the Environment, Sustainability and ESG unit run by its director and the guarantor of the entire ESG programme. Pavel Východský, a Member of the Board of Directors, is in charge of the non-financial reporting agenda. These two inseparable topics are addressed simultaneously through a dedicated working group composed of the guarantors responsible for Environment, Social and Governance:

E: Environmental Protection | Director of the Environment, Sustainability and ESG Unit
S: Employee Care | Director of the Human Resources Unit
S: Non-Profit Sector and Cooperation With Surrounding Communities | Director of the Communication Unit
G: Transparent Business and Corporate Governance | Director of the Audit, Risk Management and Compliance Unit

Each of the nine areas is further broken down into several sub-objectives and activities. At the same time, they are all reflected in the policies of the relevant organisational units throughout the airport. The long-term goals of the sustainability strategy are also reflected in the motivation system for senior management and relevant employees. Strategic projects and tools are approved by the Project and Investment Steering Committee. One of the projects discussed in 2022 was the Socially Responsible Public Procurement project - a tool for transferring ESG requirements to business partners. The Energy Board approves investment measures and projects aimed at achieving energy savings or implementing sustainable resources. ESG is also integrated into the agendas of other organisational units, in particular investments, development plans, IT, finance, marketing, customer experience and more.

ESG Goals and Commitments of Prague Airport

Environmental Responsibility Goals (E)

1. Carbon Neutral Airport

by 2030: gradual reduction of CO2 emissions in line with the conditions of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme
2030: achieving carbon neutrality

2050: achieving Net-Zero carbon neutrality

2. Species-rich Airport

To implement 50 projects to support the biodiversity of species and ecotopes by 2030 as part of the Biodiversity Programme.
To strengthen the biodiversity of species and ecotopes by 2050 as part of the Biodiversity programme and to take action to develop a green ring around the airport through the implementation of one hundred specific projects.
To implement elements of green and blue infrastructures in line with the requirements of the EU taxonomy into the standards for construction in the Prague Airport area.

3. Reducing Noise Pollution

2025: five hundred apartments/houses equipped with air conditioning (supplementary noise protection measures). Total allocation: CZK 150 mil.
Increasing the professional level of in-house noise measurement by establishing an accredited noise laboratory.

4. Decreasing Environmental Pollution

2025: 0% of municipal waste in landfills
2028: 0% of waste-to-energy resources in landfills
Developing internal standards for the use of construction and demolition waste and the use of recycled materials on construction sites.
Ongoing implementation of measures to prevent or reduce the release of newly regulated pollutants into the environment, based on expanded monitoring of the environmental impact of operations.

5. Partnership for All – Together to Joint Green Airport

2030: 80% of tenants and 50% of carriers to be involved in the Green PRG 2050 initiative 
2050: 100% of partners involved in Green PRG 2050

Social Responsibility Goals (S)

6. Equal Treatment and a Responsible Employer

By 2030:

To continue with current preventive programmes, expand them to include further initiatives promoting well-being, prevention, compensatory exercises, healthy lifestyle and to raise employee awareness about health care.
To provide the employees with conceptual trainings focused on 21^st century skills.
To increase the share of new employees through recommendations from current employees.
To maintain the number of occupational accidents below the national average through the comprehensive OSH system.
To promote employee financial stability through the combination of trainings, counselling and interest-free loans.

7. Transparent Support of Nearby Communities and Non-Profit Sector

By 2030:

To provide the PAR - Prague Airport Region (associations of surrounding municipalities and city districts) with non-financial and financial support, primarily targeted on projects related to environmental protection and improving the quality of life in selected areas.
Every employee can have one day off to work for a selected non-profit organisation.

Governance, Ethics and Transparent Business Goals (G)

8. Advocating for Business Ethics and Conduct Within the Company  

2022: An update of Internal Control Documents (CD), a launch of a general re-familiarisation system, an introduction of a report on the familiarisation of individual employees with the Control Documents in terms of ethical culture. E-Learning revision. Preparation of targeted trainings for high-risk positions.
2023: A launch of a new form of E-Learning and targeted trainings for high-risk positions.
2024 - 2030: Routine operation of familiarisation with CD and trainings on ethical culture.

9. Advocating for Ethics and Sustainability among Business Partners

2022: Publicating the Business Partner Code of Ethics, preparing the mechanisms to transfer the ethical and sustainability requirements to business partners.
Gradually implementing the transfer of requirements to new business relations.

Participation of Prague Airport in International Initiatives

	UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The Sustainable Development Goals are a joint commitment of UN members, unprecedented in the history of mankind. By 2030, the United Nations aim to eradicate world hunger, reduce poverty, protect life on land and in water, ensure access to modern technology and learn to work better together, among others things. Find more information here
	Destination 2050 An international initiative bringing together major stakeholders of the aviation sector to achieve Net-Zero carbon neutrality by 2050. Find more information here
	Airport Carbon Accreditation An international programme aiming to reduce emissions of airport operators. Václav Havel Airport Prague has been a member since 2010. As part of the programme, Prague Airport joined the Net Zero initiative – a commitment to achieve net zero carbon neutrality by 2050. Find more information here
	Toulouse Declaration A joint declaration of European airports, governments of European countries, European Commission, industry and other stakeholders on the issue of aviation decarbonisation by 2050. It introduces specific steps, such as the launch of an 'EU Pact for Aviation Decarbonisation'. Find more information here

Non-financial Reporting

Since 2017, Prague Airport has been using the GRI Standards (Global Reporting Initiative) to report on activities and impacts of its operations in its Sustainability Reports. GRI is currently the world’s most widely used methodology for reporting non-financial indicators.  Find more information here.
Non-financial ESG 2021 data based on selected indicators of the GRI Standard - download it here.