Icelandair Hotels Strong corporate social responsibility policy provides competitive advantage

Markviss stefna í sjálfbærni og samfélagslegri ábyrgð hjá fyrirtækjum í ferðaþjónustu er lykilatriði ef Ísland á áfram að vera hátt á lista erlendra ferðamanna um spennandi staði til þess að heimsækja. Þetta segir Magnea Þórey Vilhjálmsdóttir, framkvæmdastjóri Icelandair hotels. Þá segir hún ferðamenn í auknum mæli velja hótel með það fyrir augum hvort það taki sína samfélagslegu ábyrgð alvarlega.

“In my opinion, taking on social responsibility has become a given, at least for larger companies in this country, and as self-evident as paying public taxes,” says Magnea. A key element of Icelandair Hotels’ policy is to show responsibility towards society and the environment, and these are issues that are taken as a guiding principle in the company’s daily business. Magnea says that respect for Iceland’s nature, the hotel staff and active participation in society are intertwined with all of the company’s activities. This is clearly visible as we walk together through the Reykjavík Natura hotel on Nauthólsvegur, where you can see works by Icelandic artists in the hotel’s corridors, much to the delight of tourists. The hotel’s office is where the company’s policy on socially responsible business practices is presented.

Aðspurð um fjárhagslegan ávinning af þessari stefnu fyrirtækisins í samfélagslegri ábyrgð fyrirtækisins segir Magnea hann ekki alltaf augljósan í fyrstu. Hann sé hins vegar ótvíræður í tilviki virkrar umhverfisstefnu.

„Það hefur sannarlega sýnt sig að það er verulega hagkvæmt að fjölga grænum skrefum í hótelrekstri.“

“Garbage sorting is of course the most obvious example of how to cut costs. We measure all sorting and set goals for it, and we also encourage both our guests and staff to put less on their plates and not throw food away to avoid food waste,” explains Magnea. She says the company has looked for ways to save electricity in various ways, such as by using sensors more frequently and replacing regular light bulbs with LED bulbs. Guests are also offered the option to opt out of room cleaning and instead receive a credit at the hotel’s restaurant as part of each hotel’s energy savings.

"Icelandair Hotels was the first to implement the international environmental standard, ISO 14001, in the operation of all our hotels, and the supervision by foreign supervisors of that standard has proven to be an excellent restraint for us and has ensured continued development from year to year."

She says she first realized that there were significant financial benefits for companies with a focused sustainability strategy when Icelandair started sorting waste.

"We started getting paid for throwing away certain things like corrugated cardboard. It also feels pretty good when you think about the fact that when we, this big company, decided to sort, we didn't have to cut down over 800 trees."

800 færri tré felld vegna umhverfisstefnu Icelandair Hotels

Magnea believes that once a company starts implementing an environmental policy, there will be no turning back, as there is great value in what was previously considered waste. "I don't think anyone here, for example, would think of throwing bottles or cans in the general waste today. People know that there is value hidden in such packaging and that it is a waste to throw them away, so it is better to get their value refunded, or even better, to support a good cause and donate to a collection."

Þá hefur fyrirtækið valið birgja og byggingaraðila eftir því hvort þeirra starf sé sjálfbært. Teppin á Reykjavík Natura eru þannig úr plastögnum úr sjó. „Þegar við þurftum að endurnýja teppin þá hófum við strax samtal við birgjann um hvernig mætti gera þetta með sem umhverfisvænstum hætti,“ útskýrir Magnea og bætir við að áður en ráðist sé í nokkrar endur- eða viðbætur sé skoðað hvernig má lágmarka sóun og kolefnisspor. Hún telur að sem flest fyrirtæki ættu að tileinka sér umhverfisvænan rekstur og að það sé skylda okkar Íslendinga að umgangast náttúruauðlindir okkar af virðingu.

Magnea also believes that a strong corporate social responsibility policy gives Icelandair a distinct competitive advantage. “There is an increasing demand from international guests to stay in hotels that give back to the communities they visit, and we are increasingly seeing guests choosing our hotels because we take our corporate social responsibility seriously,” she explains.

"We regularly receive inquiries about our environmental focus and corporate social responsibility from foreign travel wholesalers who are concerned about these issues."

It is not only the customers who demand socially responsible business practices, but she also sees a place for her employees. "It is no less rewarding for our employees that good causes are supported by the company and also that business with other Icelandic companies is prioritized over foreign ones. In this way, we increase the benefit of society and reduce the company's carbon footprint."