In recognition of its commitment to sustainable practices, FACC has received the GreenTech Award 2020/2021. The Austrian aviation supplier has also been awarded eccos22 and ONR 192500 certification for its consistent CSR (corporate social responsibility) and sustainability strategies, as well as the ‘Seal of Approval for Excellence in Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility’ from the CSR Dialog Forum.
FACC has a focus on developing innovative lightweight components for the aerospace industry, which can help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The company’s sustainability strategy extends beyond product development, also including measures designed to minimise the direct impact of the company’s business activities on the environment. For example, the goal of the company’s intelligent energy management system is to make FACC self-sufficient in terms of energy usage, and to increase its use of renewable energy and energy recovery systems. FACC began supplying the first plant with geothermal heat in 2000, and since 2015 all its plants in Austria have been heated with geothermal energy, making them almost CO2 neutral and independent of fossil fuels.
FACC says that the amount of energy saved by such measures is equivalent to the heating requirements of Ried im Innkreis, a district capital in Austria. FACC is also expanding its use of high-performance photovoltaic systems, with the ultimate goal of being a CO2-neutral industrial company that does not use fossil fuels, by 2040. Other measures include the push for automation and digitalisation, which can increase efficiency and energy optimisation in manufacturing, working to minimise the use of raw materials along the entire value chain, and minimising the use of harmful materials and chemicals.
“Global air traffic is currently responsible for 2.7% of worldwide CO2 emissions. 50 years ago, this percentage was 5.4%. Yet the number of flights has increased significantly during this period. The aircraft industry, however, is not resting on its laurels after these successes,” stated Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC AG. “We want to continue to improve together – and FACC is making a significant contribution to reaching this goal. The aviation industry is committed to the goals of the Green Deal; the declared commitment is to enable CO2-neutral flying in 2050. FACC is actively shaping the mobility of the future through focused basic research and the development of new product innovations.”
FACC’s strategic CSR and sustainability management has recently been awarded eccos22 certification, which includes United Nations standards as well as other international sustainability guidelines. eccos22 is the first management assessment system for business excellence and sustainability worldwide.
The company has also received ONR 192500 certification, which recognises the company’s CSR achievements, a ‘Seal of Approval for Excellence in Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility’ from the CSR Dialogue Forum, and a GreenTech Award 2020/2021 from The Society for Consumer Studies.
