As part of its centennial celebrations, Finnish flag carrier, Finnair, has revealed it has launched more than 100 employee-driven sustainability initiatives in the last 12 months. The airline says these efforts are steps towards its commitment to achieving carbon-neutral flying by 2045 and supporting a circular economy. This is not just lip service, as in March 2024 Finnair submitted its emissions reduction intensity targets for validation by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), to align its targets in line with the Paris Agreement.
The 100 initiatives, all proposed by Finnair employees, range from the airline’s first voluntary purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, to recycling cabin and ground crew uniforms. The initiatives were partly driven by Finnair inviting employees to propose eco-conscious ideas, which resulted in more than 250 proposals. From these proposals, around 100 initiatives were selected, ranging from big to small, that aligned best with the airline’s environmental and social sustainability goals.
Employees’ suggestions included minimising the use of single-use plastics and cardboard cups in the airline’s offices and on flights. In response, Finnair replaced cardboard cups with previously used Finnair business-class chinaware in its offices, and improved its processes for single-use cup usage on board.
Another employee-driven initiative was the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Finnair facilities. Finnair Cargo installed 1,790 solar panels atop its COOL terminal, supplementing the 1,200 panels already in place. The airline says these panels now generate enough energy at peak capacity to fully power the cargo facility and supply excess energy to other Finnair buildings.
Other measures include energy-saving initiatives, such as implementing LED bulbs in facilities and installing innovative hatches to prevent unnecessary opening of hangar doors during the cold winter months.
Some creative sustainability ideas centred around digital practices. For example, Finnair introduced green coding, a more sustainable computing approach designed to reduce the energy consumed in processing lines of code.
Meanwhile, Finnair collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud service provider, to explore strategies for developing its digital services sustainably. The company’s modern data centres in Europe are designed for energy efficiency and renewable energy use.
In tandem with its environmental sustainability efforts, the airline also brought in social sustainability ideas to improve employee wellbeing and inclusion. For example, Finnair launched ‘Praise a Colleague’, an anonymous internal praise channel that facilitated the sharing of 1,946 messages of appreciation among Finnair employees, to help foster a positive and supportive work atmosphere.
Recognising the importance of accessibility in social sustainability, Finnair also introduced the Chabla interpreter service. Chabla enhances customer service for individuals with hearing loss, ensuring a more inclusive and accessible experience for all customers.
