Dr. Stefan Schulte, Chairman of the Executive Board, Fraport AG
“We have been committed to the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact since 2007 and also fully support the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the UN in its 2030 Agenda.”
The Fraport Group is committed to internationally recognized codes of conduct, in particular, the principles of the UN Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventions of the United Nations, the Core Labour Standards of the International Labour Organization, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Since 1999, the UN Global Compact has been the world’s largest and most important network for responsible business conduct and corporate social responsibility.
Partnerships are initiated and practical approaches developed as part of a dialog between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.
The participants publish an annual progress report about its ten principles. They deal with the topics of human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.
With Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, the member states of the United Nations are expressing their belief that global challenges can only be solved collectively.
The agenda provides the foundation on which to organize global economic progress based on the principles of social justice and by respecting the Earth’s ecological limits. The agenda is built around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs consider all three dimensions of sustainability – social, environmental and economic – equally. As a signatory of the UN Global Compact, Fraport AG is strongly committed to these goals and the SDGs. The main emphasis in this context is on those SDGs on which Fraport AG can exert an influence. In this selection, there are four SDGs (highlighted in gray) that offer particular potential.
The OECD Guidelines are contained in the organization’s Code of Conduct adopted in 1976 to promote responsible business practices by companies in a global context.
They form part of the declaration by the OECD on international investments and multinational companies. They provide recommendations for responsible corporate actions with regard to transparency, labor relations, the environment, the fight against corruption, consumer protection, technology transfer, competition and taxation.
The ILO Labor Standards were enshrined in a declaration of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1998.
They define social standards in the context of the world trade order, which aim to guarantee humane working conditions and adequate protections. The four basic principles are: freedom of association including the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced labor, the abolition of child labor and a ban on discrimination in relation to employment and jobs.
Fraport’s successful CO2 management is underlined by its participation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation of the ACI (Airports Council International), which has developed since 2010 to become the global standard for CO2 reporting and management at airports. Participation at level 2 (Reduction) or higher requires evidence of a CO2 reduction target, a CO2 management system in line with international requirements, as well as annual emission reductions that are reviewed by external auditors.
In 2009, Fraport AG was the first airport operator to receive accreditation as part of the Airport Carbon Accreditation system and went on to achieve Level 3 (Optimization) by 2012. Ljubljana Airport achieved Level 2 in 2015 and aims to reach Level 3+ (Neutrality) in the medium term. Since the 2019 fiscal year, the Group airports at Varna and Burgas in Bulgaria as well as the Greek airports of Kefalonia, Mytilini, Rhodes and Thessaloniki – and for the first time Chania and Samos – have been operating in Level 1 (Mapping). Lima Airport participated in the Airport Carbon Accreditation for the first time and has successfully received a certificate for Level 1. Antalya Airport has already attained Level 3+ (Neutrality).
careful handling of natural resources and the environment. To this end, environmental management systems are in place at Fraport AG as well as at all fully consolidated Group companies that are rated as “fundamentally environmentally relevant” based on their business activities. These companies are certified or validated almost without exception in accordance with the applicable ISO 14001 standard or the European EMAS Regulation. The Eco Management and Audit Scheme is a system developed by the European Union for companies wishing to evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance. The system is applied by state-supervised environmental auditors. EMAS is regarded as the world’s most sophisticated eco-management system. Fraport AG has undergone environmental audits in accordance with EMAS since 1999 and in line with the international ISO 14001 standard since 2002.
Fraport is also committed to national guiding principles and is involved in networks and initiatives.
In 2009, Fraport signed the Business Conduct Rules of Europe’s largest purchasing association, the BME – Association for Supply Chain Management, Procurement and Logistics (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik e.V.). The conduct rules are based on the principles of the UN Global Compact and include fundamental anti-corruption rules, antitrust agreements, rules on child labor and forced labor, as well as compliance with human rights, environmental protection and health promotion, and fair working conditions. The companies signing the agreement also made a commitment to adhere to the “Business Conduct Rules” and promote them with their suppliers.
Fraport is the first signatory of the Hessian Charter on Compatibility of Career and Caregiving Activities.
Demographic changes are characteristic for the employment situation in Germany. More and more people have to provide care for relatives alongside their job commitments. Signatories of this charter aim at supporting their workforce when assuming responsibility for family members in need of special care.
Fraport AG has been part of the “Success Factor Family” corporate network for many years and is committed to pursuing a family-friendly human resources policy. The corporate network is an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Through its membership Fraport AG demonstrates that it strongly supports its employees in achieving an appropriate work-life balance and actively promotes it.
“E-PORT AN Electromobility at Frankfurt Airport” brings together electromobility projects at Frankfurt Airport. The long-term target is to use exclusively electrically powered handling equipment and machinery at Frankfurt Airport. Around 500 electric vehicles, ranging from pallet and container lift trucks to aircraft baggage loaders all the way to minibuses, are already in use. These account for approximately 14 percent of all Fraport vehicles at FRA.
In 2014 the E-PORT AN initiative won the prestigious GreenTec Award in the Aviation category. Partners in this initiative are the Lufthansa Group, the state of Hesse and the Rhine-Main Electromobility Model Region.
The corporate headquarters of Fraport AG meets the standards of the DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen). The building, completed in spring 2013 at “Tor 3” (airport access gate 3) of Frankfurt Airport, complies with the demanding “gold class” quality criteria. The certificate confirms that at least 80 percent of the extensive criteria are met, as defined by the complex certification system.
To anchor these principles in the company, Fraport has introduced two codes of conduct: one for employees and one for suppliers. These codes of conduct and further information and publications can be found here.
As part of its General Terms and Conditions (GTC) and depending on local conditions, Fraport AG requires its business partners and suppliers to adhere to the Fraport Supplier Code of Conduct. This includes regulations for the correct treatment of employees, observing human rights, environmental and climate protection, integrity of business transactions as well as a ban on corruption and bribery. Breaches of this code can lead to the termination of the business relationship. Likewise, breaches of antitrust law and serious misconduct carry the threat of contractual penalties and the right to claim specified amounts of financial compensation. Business partners and suppliers must also agree to require and verify adherence to these principles by their suppliers.
Fraport AG is fundamentally committed to the consistent procurement of products and services in line with sustainability criteria, and has signed a target agreement to this effect initiated by the Hessian Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.
Respect for human rights is enshrined in the Group's binding Code of Conduct in which Fraport undertakes to uphold the fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining for the purposes of regulating the general conditions of employment in the Fraport Group. The code of conduct also stipulates open and trusting cooperation with legitimate employee representatives and that every effort will be made to strike a fair balance of interests throughout the Group. Fraport rejects all forms of forced and child labor and guarantees to protect the rights of children and adolescents.
Fraport’s various management systems ensure responsible business processes across the Group. Fraport promotes a safe and healthy working environment at all Group companies, by applying a holistic approach to occupational health and safety. Processes are continuously enhanced and optimized on a Group-wide basis. A “safety first” principle applies for all airport operations at Frankfurt Airport and worldwide. Fraport’s environmental management organizes and monitors environmental protection throughout the Group. Fraport and its subsidiaries are committed to the sustainable handling of natural resources and the continuous improvement of the Group’s environmental performance.