What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Annual and CSR report Avinor identified a range of material issues, such as ensuring good aviation services for the whole of Norway and performing its role in society in a safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly manner, being a good and professional employer, being a driving force in the work on climate and environmental challenges within aviation. Among these, conducting its business responsibly stands out as a key material issue for Avinor.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Avinor engages with:  

Stakeholder Group

Customers (airlines and passengers)

Politicians

Airport partners

Local and central businesses

The Norwegian Armed Forces

Research environments

Special interest groups

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Avinor conducts regular stakeholder analyses and systematic dialogue with tis key stakeholders, gaining an insight into stakeholders’ opinions, expectations, and priorities.

What actions were taken by Avinor to conduct its business responsibly?

In its 2017 Annual and CSR report Avinor reports that it took the following actions for conducting its business responsibly:

• Establishing ethics guidelines
• Avinor’s Board has established ethics guidelines, which apply to the Board and all members of staff. Accordingly, over 90 percent of employees have completed Avinor’s ethics guidelines course, which covers the prohibition of corruption, bribery, and anti-competitive behaviour in violation of competition rules. Moreover, in 2017 Avinor developed additional ethical dilemmas and concluded an agreement with an external supplier to train all management groups and other personnel exposed to risk. A scaled-down version of the training is rolled out to other employees, and the course is mandatory, for all employees and hired personnel.

• Implementing an anti-corruption programme
• Avinor has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and has developed an anti-corruption programme, with a focus on prevention and control activities. Measures are established based on a risk assessment of relevant areas and governing documents have been developed, relating to these efforts, with a focus on the constant development of the anti-corruption programme. Avinor is also a member of Transparency International Norway and contributes to joint efforts regarding transparency, integrity, and responsibility in society to prevent corruption and fraud, both nationally and internationally.

• Promoting impartiality
• Avinor’s Board members and executive personnel submit an annual self-declaration of close associates with information about any transactions between the parties, and an external auditor carries out annual reviews of the formal relationships between the executive management, Board of Directors, and suppliers in the Avinor Group. Any relationships are documented and reviewed with the relevant parties, to confirm the information provided in the self-declarations. This annual review complements the assessments that must be made when issues arise regarding an employee’s impartiality in relation to various procurements, tenders, enquiries, participation in decision-making processes relating to commercial interests, etc. In addition, as regards anti-competitive behaviour and practices, Avinor is subject to public procurement regulations and group-wide guidelines supplement the regulations, ensuring competition in the conclusion of individual contracts.

• Protecting data privacy
• Avinor has appointed a data protection officer, responsible for helping people registered with the business (such as in customer databases) and employees in matters relating to Avinor’s processing of personal data. The data protection officer must notify the management of breaches of the Norwegian Personal Data Act and be the company’s contact for enquiries from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. Additionally, Avinor has established a system for internal control pursuant to the regulations of the Norwegian Personal Data Act, and a privacy policy. Avinor has also drawn up a privacy declaration, to inform users about the use of information on its website, and concluded data processing agreements with subcontractors that process personal data on its behalf.

• Complying with legislation and guidelines
• Avinor’s compliance function monitors the Group’s compliance with external and internal regulations about corruption, misconduct, and ethics rules. The function defines the substance of Avinor’s responsibility to combat violations of labour market legislation, stipulates requirements, proposes relevant measures, monitors how Avinor follows up on its responsibilities, and establishes sanctions in cases of non-compliance. Avinor has also appointed a committee to handle notifications of reprehensible conditions in all parts of the organisation. Notifications can be submitted regarding inadequate safety procedures, bullying and harassment, careless administrative procedures, working conditions that violate the Working Environment Act, or corruption and other financial misconduct. The person submitting the notification can choose to remain anonymous, and the committee has established routines for the proper processing of notifications. The committee has, additionally, developed procedures and technical solutions that enable external actors to notify Avinor of reprehensible conditions. These notifications must be handled according to the same procedures as notifications from employees of the Group. In 2017, the committee received approximately 200 notifications, which it fully addressed.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 205-2 Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures

2) Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken

3) Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices

4) Disclosure 419-1 Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area

 

Disclosure 205-2 Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Anti-corruption

Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Anti-corruption

Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Compliance with laws and regulations

Disclosure 419-1 Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Compliance with laws and regulations

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Avinor, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Avinor: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Annual and CSR report Avinor identified a range of material issues, such as being a good and professional employer, ensuring good aviation services for the whole of Norway and performing its role in society in a safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly manner, and being a driving force in the work on climate and environmental challenges within aviation. Among these, promoting responsible supplier behaviour stands out as a key material issue for Avinor.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Avinor engages with:  

Stakeholder Group

Customers (airlines and passengers)

Politicians

Airport partners

Local and central businesses

The Norwegian Armed Forces

Research environments

Special interest groups

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics based on stakeholders’ expectations, opinions and priorities, Avinor carries out regular stakeholder analyses and systematic dialogue.

What actions were taken by Avinor to promote responsible supplier behaviour?

In its 2017 Annual and CSR report Avinor reports that it took the following actions for promoting responsible supplier behaviour:

• Introducing contractual terms and conditions
• In 2015 Avinor introduced a set of contractual terms and conditions that ensures suppliers with whom Avinor concludes contracts have ethics guidelines, and take their corporate social responsibility seriously. These terms and conditions specify all of Avinor’s principles regarding human rights, working standards, HSE (health, safety and the environment), and forbidden business practices. An overview is maintained of all the Group’s suppliers that have signed agreements regarding responsible business practices and the agreements’ provisions allow for supplier audits to be carried out. A material breach of an agreement regarding responsible business practices entitles Avinor to terminate all applicable agreements with the supplier, if critical conditions are not followed up satisfactorily.

• Screening new suppliers
• Suppliers who wish to compete for a contract with Avinor must comply with its principles for responsible supplier behaviour. Avinor requires, for example, that international human rights are respected and that its suppliers are not complicit in their violation. Additionally, suppliers must ensure that their workers’ salaries meet minimum wage requirements, that their working hours are in accordance with applicable national legislation, that their workers have the opportunity for adequate rest, and that employment contracts are written in a language that workers understand. Avinor has also concluded a cooperation agreement with Skatt Øst (Norwegian tax administration) on the intensification of efforts to combat violations of labour market legislation. The agreement’s purpose is to ensure that all of Avinor’s suppliers and subcontractors in building, construction and cleaning fulfil their statutory obligations. These obligations include the Working Environment Act, regulations relating to pay and working conditions in public-sector contracts, and tax legislation.

• Monitoring existing suppliers
• Avinor’s agreement on responsible supplier behaviour enables it to review a contractual party’s follow-up and compliance with all of the points in the contract. In addition, Avinor’s cooperation agreement with Skatt Øst allows Avinor to gather information from the tax authorities during the term of each contract, in order to confirm that the supplier and any subcontractors are still registered in the proper registries and are adhering to their obligations in relation to the Norwegian tax authorities.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening

2) Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria

 

Disclosure 412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening does not correspond to any SDG.

Disclosure 414-1 New suppliers that were screened using social criteria corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
• Business theme: Workplace violence and harassment
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Business theme: Labor practices in the supply chain
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Business theme: Workplace violence and harassment

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Avinor, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Avinor: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.