Where do I start?
Leiðarvísir
Where is the best place to start?
There are many different paths available to us on the sustainability journey. The steps are both big and small, and they all have an impact.
Vegvísir Festu um félagslega sjálfbærni
Festa's latest sustainability roadmap highlights the main aspects of social sustainability, to make it easier for companies and other business entities to manage the main aspects of the issue.
Biodiversity Roadmap
For a long time, the steps taken for the benefit of the environment in the business sector have been mostly related to the challenges of climate change. However, the emphasis on the protection of biodiversity is increasing, as the protection of the biosphere is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity.
In October 2023, Festa published a biodiversity roadmap to support Icelandic businesses in tackling this important task. The roadmap can be accessed at the link below.
Science Based Targets Initiative (Vísindaleg viðmið fyrir lofslagsmarkmið fyrirtækja)
The guidelines are, as the name suggests, based on scientific evidence. Over 6,000 companies are already collaborating with SBTi.
Biodiversity Roadmap
For a long time, the steps taken for the benefit of the environment in the business sector have been mostly related to the challenges of climate change. However, the emphasis on the protection of biodiversity is increasing, as the protection of the biosphere is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity.
In October 2023, Festa published a biodiversity roadmap to support Icelandic businesses in tackling this important task. The roadmap can be accessed at the link below.
A guide to laws and disclosure
Árið 2022 fór fram ítarleg vinna með fólki úr samfélagi Festu og tengdum aðilum.
Afrakstur vinnunnar skilar sér í vegvísi í tengslum við sjálfbærnilöggjöf Evrópusambandsins (ESB) og EES samningsins.
The roadmap covers innovations in legislation and methodology for sustainable business operations and responsible investments. European Union regulations, bills that have been introduced regarding the implementation of EU acts in Iceland, as well as other practical material can be found in the roadmap. The focus is on the role of capital as a driving force on the sustainability journey of companies in the real economy.
Weather station and manual Fasten
Companies can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and thus participate in the fight against catastrophic global warming and work towards achieving the global goal.
Aðgerðir fyrirtækja, sveitafélaga og stofnana í loftslagsmálum skipta sköpum og án þeirra er ólíklegt að þjóðir heims geti staðið við markmið Íslands að verða kolefnishlutlaust fyrir árið 2040.
Loftslagsmælir Festu er þér að kostnaðarlausu. Hann var hannaður og uppfærður af fyrirtækjum og Reykjavikurborg og er í samræmi við alþjóðlega og innlenda staðla.
The meter can be accessed in a web version at ClimatePulse.is and is extremely simple to use, and each step is accompanied by instructions related to the information that needs to be entered. The meter is accompanied by a detailed instructional video and experience stories from companies that have started their journey.
Festa's climate meter is designed specifically for small and medium-sized companies that are taking their first steps in climate action and measurement. The meter is based on internationally recognized measurement standards and is adapted to the Icelandic environment.
Once you have answered the questions, you will receive a summary report and can choose to share the results with Festa.
Fræðsluefni um loftslagsaðgerðir – framleitt af Festu fyrir styrk frá Loftslagssjóði
Kennslumyndband þar sem Sævar Helgi Bragason leiðir þig skref fyrir skref í gegnum notkun á Loftslagsmæli Festu. Hvaða gögn þarftu að hafa til að mæla þitt kolefnisspor og hvar nálgast þú þau?
Af hverju er mikilvægt að draga úr og mæla kolefnisspor frá rekstri og hvar byrjum við? Fræðslumyndband þar sem Festa fékk til liðs við sig sérfræðinga frá fimm ólíkum aðildarfélögum sínum sem lýsa í örfáum orðum sinni vegferð þegar kemur að því að setja sér stefnu í loftslagsmálum og mæla kolefnisspor frá rekstri.
Handbók fyrir smærri fyrirtæki – Stefnumótun í loftslagsmálum og mælingar á kolefnisspori. Hvar byrjar þú þína vegferð og hvernig tryggir þú að aðgerðir séu markvissar og skili árangri. Hnitmiðuð handbók sem er afar einföld í notkun.
All data in the educational package and access to the Festa Climate Monitor are open to everyone and free of charge.
Vera - sustainability interface Creditinfo
Vera helps companies communicate information about environmental, social and governance aspects of operations to stakeholders in a consistent manner. You can download a detailed report on the Creditinfo service website about companies' sustainability aspects, and you can easily review and update information about your own company on Mitt Creditinfo.
In the fall of 2023, Vera received an update. Most notably, a sustainability supplier assessment was carried out, where 200 of the country's largest companies responded to a detailed sustainability questionnaire and updated a model for estimated greenhouse gas emissions, while Vera includes emission figures for those companies that have published such information.
UN Global Compact
The UN Global Compact is a social pact between businesses and the United Nations.
Fyrirtæki sem gerast þáttakendur að UN Global Compact, gera hagaðilum sínum grein fyrir samfélagsstefnu sinni með reglulegri upplýsingagjöf. Þátttakendur skuldbinda sig til skila á árlegri stöðuskýrslu (samfélagsskýrslu) sem svo er aðgengileg á vefsvæði Global Compact.
The Global Compact is based on 10 principles that companies set themselves to follow. Participants also commit to working towards the advancement of the United Nations' global goals.
The Global Compact Academy is a live educational platform open to participants. It provides educational materials, courses, and lessons that companies can access free of charge and share with their employees as they wish.
Further information can be found at globalcompact.is.
Here you can see the Icelandic parties that are participating in the Global Compact. Festa has been a participant since 2012.
Í lok árs 2022 var ákveðið að ráða svæðisstjóra UN Global
Compact á Íslandi með áformum um að auka áhrif framtaksins á Íslandi.
GRI - international standards
GRI is an internationally recognized standard for reporting on corporate social responsibility and is used in over 100 countries. 80% of the world's 250 largest companies use GRI and the winners of the 2018 and 2019 Icelandic Corporate Social Responsibility Report of the Year based their reports on GRI.
GRI is generally considered the most comprehensive and detailed standards for managing the economic, environmental, and social impacts of companies and organizations.
Þau sem ekki hafa tök á að leggja í útgáfu á skýrslu sem fylgir öllum skilyrðum GRI staðla geta farið þá leið að gefa út skýrslu sem tekur mið af stöðlunum, e. with the reference to the GRI standards. Nánar um hvað felst í því má nálgast hér: GRI 1_ Foundation 2021.pdf
Below you can access the Icelandic translation of the standards. The translation is prepared by the Icelandic Standards Council in consultation with Festa. ISAVIA, one of Festa's member companies, financed the updated translation (2020) as well as providing invaluable assistance from its experts in proofreading and compilation.
- Athugið að GRI staðlar hafa verið uppfærðir eftir að íslenska þýðingin var gefin út og má nálgast nýjustu uppfærslu hér: GRI – Standards (globalreporting.org).
- There is no longer the option to publish a report according to two categories as before, that is: core or comprehensive.
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The Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) are rules for responsible investment. The rules were developed by an international group of institutional investors in collaboration with the United Nations and are intended to reflect the importance of environmental, social and governance considerations in investors' investments.
PRI hljóðvarp – “The PRI podcast offers an insight into the world of responsible investment, with investor perspectives and discussion on a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics.”
Stefnumótunartól PRI – “The PRI proposes a five-part framework for investors that are seeking to understand the real-world outcomes of their investments, and to shape those outcomes in line with the SDGs. “
The Global Goals
Heimsmarkmiðin eru framkvæmdaáætlun í þágu mannkyns, jarðar og hagsældar. Með henni er leitast við að stuðla að friði um gjörvallan heim og þar með auknu frelsi. Heimsmarkmiðin eru 17 talsins og mælt er með því að fyrirtæki og stofnanir innleiða þau í starfsemi sína. Hægt er að velja sér eitt markmið eða fleiri, en öll tengjast þau innbyrðis.
Festa strives to connect all of its projects to the progress of the Global Goals.
Hér má nálgast upplýsingar og tengingar við innleiðingar tól og tæki tengd heimsmarkmiðunum.
UFS (ESG) leiðbeiningar kauphallar Nasdaq
The Nasdaq Nordic exchanges have published joint guidelines for companies on the disclosure of sustainability information.
These factors are environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
The guidelines are intended to assist companies in disclosing information in a clear and accessible manner for investors and other stakeholders.
The translation and publication of the UFS guidelines is a collaborative project between Festa, the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce, Nasdaq, IcelandSIF and the Icelandic Standards Board.
Hringrásarhagkerfið
Línuleg hagkerfi og viðskiptamódel þeim tengdum eru að færast yfir í hringrásarhagkerfi.
Let's move away from producing and providing services in a linear model and move towards a cycle that focuses on repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.
- The Ellen Macarthur Foundation Education Center is one of the world's leading institutions in research and publishing educational materials on the circular economy.
- What is the circular economy? Here, The Ellen Macarthur Foundation answers it in words and pictures.
Festa's role is to connect Icelandic parties when it comes to the Nordic Circular Hotspot.
The Nordic Circular Hotspot website provides information about a variety of events organized by the organization. In the spring of 2021, the organization launched an electronic platform and network, Nordic Circular Arena, where interested parties can access information about the Nordic Circular and connect with others on the same journey.
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Nýr ISO staðall um hringrásarhagkerfið kom út í júlí 2023
This is the first standard on the circular economy. You can learn more about it at the link below ISO/TC 323
Here are some very short videos that explain what we mean when we talk about the circular economy:
Toolbox – implementation and strategy development
A broad Nordic collaboration, CIRCit, developed a toolkit for Nordic companies to facilitate their transition to circularity. The toolkit can be accessed here, and consists of workbooks and policy documents divided into six different sections.
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The circular economy and the construction industry
Green Building has compiled interesting material about the circular economy and the construction industry, which can be accessed here.
The Green City, in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Institute, has published a detailed brochure on the subject, which can be accessed here.
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We recommend these guides and resources related to the circular economy:
At the beginning of 2021, Nordic Innovation published a comprehensive guide on implementing the circular economy – The Nordic Circular Economy Playbook. The guide is in English and comes with detailed instructional videos.
“Do you want to drive circular change for your business? This playbook and supporting tools will provide you with in-depth understanding on how to achieve circular advantage for your company and business.
The Nordic Circular Economy Playbook can be leveraged by companies that want to better meet customer expectations and deliver customer outcomes. It is for you that wants to enable outcome-oriented solutions and new levels of efficiency through technology and digitalization. It will help you improve resource utilization and mitigate risk from regulatory, investor and societal pressures.”
Íslenskur staðall um samfélagsábyrgð
ÍST ISO 26000 veitir leiðbeiningar um meginreglur samfélagslegrar ábyrgðar. Staðallinn er ekki vottunarstaðall heldur er leiðbeinandi. Hann undirstrikar mikilvægi árangurs og umbóta á frammistöðu að því er varðar samfélagslega ábyrgð.
The Green Steps
Green Steps in Government Operations is an incentive system for all progressive and responsible government institutions.
The Swan environmental label
The Nordic Ecolabel is the official eco-label for products and services that covers the entire life cycle of products and services. A Nordic Ecolabel-certified product is better for the environment and your health.
Fair trade vörur
Fair Trade is a certification that confirms that a product is produced in an ethical and fair manner — without harmful effects on workers. Also, that they receive fair wages for their work.
Mandatory submission of reports to the National Library of Iceland
Annual reports of companies are subject to the law on mandatory filing as published material intended for distribution – more information can be found here.
Rafhlaðan, rafrænt varðveislusafn Landsbókasafns Íslands tekur skýrslur til vörslu og má þannig auka aðgengi hagaðila að gögnum – skil fara fram
hér.
Vefkerfi Bravo Earth - umhverfisstjórn
The BravoEarth web platform makes it easier for companies and organizations to implement environmental and climate policies and thus work towards increased sustainability.
BravoEarth has a ready-made bank of defined projects that companies and organizations can adapt to their operations. Instructions on what needs to be done in categories such as transportation, waste, electricity and water. The projects are based on Green Steps from the Environment Agency.
Loftslagsmælir fjármálafyrirtækja
Project Drawdown - climate solutions
Here you can access the solutions that have been compiled by Project Drawdown.
Project Drawdown conducts an ongoing review and analysis of climate solutions—the practices and technologies that can stem and begin to reduce the excess of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Our work shows the world can reach Drawdown by mid-century, if we make the best use of all existing climate solutions. Certainly, more solutions are needed and emerging, but there is no reason—or time—to wait on innovation. Now is better than new, and society is well equipped for transformation today.
Voices of young people
At the end of 2020, Festa conducted a stakeholder analysis where the starting point was: What do young people (16-30 years old) consider important when it comes to the sustainability journey of Icelandic companies?
Interviews were conducted with a diverse group of young people, most of whom are leaders or members of boards of various youth organizations or otherwise work in the field of sustainability. Questions were asked that concern them both as consumers and as future professionals.
The results of the analysis can be accessed here – Report_young-voice-for-sustainbility-in-the-private-sector.pdf (samfelagsabyrgd.is)
The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero
A comprehensive publication by The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, which was established in the run-up to COP26.
Here is a coalition of over 450 large investors, in 45 countries, managing over 130,000 billion US dollars.
The guide is a comprehensive guide on how to leverage the financial system and the power of investors to support and accelerate companies' journey towards carbon neutrality. It includes, among other things,
- framsetningu skuldbindinga í loftslagsmálum
- framleiðslugeirum sem vega þungt í losun gróðurhúsalofttegunda
- praktískum leiðum fyrir fjárfesta til að vinna með „raunhagkerfinu“ og
- ways to develop portfolios towards carbon neutrality.
Finally, a call is made to the G20 countries for broad and immediate action.
Science Based Targets Initiative (Vísindaleg viðmið fyrir lofslagsmarkmið fyrirtækja)
The guidelines are, as the name suggests, based on scientific evidence. Over 6,000 companies are already collaborating with SBTi.
Hagkerfi hagaðila, staðlar og mælieiningar. Measuring Stakeholder Capitalism.
The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC, has published a white paper that compiles 56 harmonized standards and metrics and disclosures related to sustainability reporting.
The recommended metrics are organized under four pillars that are aligned with the SDGs and principal ESG domains: Principles of Governance, Planet, People and Prosperity. They are drawn wherever possible from existing standards and disclosures, with the aim of amplifying the rigorous work already done by standard-setters rather than reinventing the wheel. The metrics have been selected for their universality across industries and business models, but the intention is not to replace relevant sector- and company-specificindicators. Companies are encouraged to report against as many of the core and expanded metrics as they find material and appropriate, on the basis of a “disclose or explain” approach
Business and Human Rights Navigator.
United Nations Global Compact hefur sett saman stafræna fræðslu og leiðarvísi fyrir fyrirtæki: the Business & Human Rights Navigator til þess að aðstoða fyrirtæki við að átta sig betur á áhrifum sem þeirra starfsemi getur haft á mannréttindi og virðiskeðjur.
The content is simple in presentation and provides companies with clear expert guidance, risk analyses by industry, in-depth analyses of key human rights issues, due diligence guidance, definitions of terms, and useful stories from companies that have addressed human rights issues responsibly.
Atvinnulífið og fólk með skerta starfsgetu
Companies and organizations can use various ways to support the employment of individuals with reduced working capacity. It is important to consider both designing jobs that are suitable for individuals with reduced working capacity and offering a variety of part-time jobs.
The Equal Treatment Outside the Workplace Act came into force on 13 July 2022 and prohibits, among other things, discrimination on the basis of disability in relation to the purchase of goods and services and advertising. Insufficient reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities is also unlawful discrimination under the Act.
Here lie opportunities to promote culture and diversity in the workplace and thus strengthen society as a whole.
Nokkrar leiðir sem líta má til:
- Virk – starfsendurhæfingarsjóður – starfsendurhæfing býður upp á fjölbreytt aðstoð þegar kemur að því að ráða til sín einstaklinga með skerta starfsgetu. Virk styður við öll þau sem falla út af vinnumarkaði tímabundið þegar kemur að því að koma aftur til starfa.
- Einstaklingsmiðaður stuðningur við starfsleit – Individual placement and support (IPS) – er alltaf að festa sig betur í sessi hér á Íslandi sem og annars staðar en um er að ræða gagnreynda aðferðafræði sem hefur skilað góðum árangri þegar kemur að því að aðstoða einstaklinga inn á vinnumarkaðinn. Hér má nálgast nánari upplýsingar Horft til framtíðar: IPS – Individual placement and support | VIRK Starfsendurhæfingarsjóður. Tengiliður við IPS hjá Virk er Anna Lóa Ólafsdóttir, annaloa@virk.is.
- The Ás Foundation has recently launched Project Search, which aims to pave the way for young people with disabilities to enter the job market. The focus is on work-based learning, where a young person enters a company as an intern for a period of 9 months and takes their first steps in the job market after completing their secondary school education.
- Nánar um upphaf verkefnins hér á landi – hlekkur: Ás styrktarfélag (styrktarfelag.is)
- More about Project Search, which originated in the United States: link: Home – Project SEARCH
- Tengiliður við verkefnið: Valgerður Unnarsdóttir, valgerdur@styrktarfelagid.is
- Development Assistance and the Disabled People's Association are powerful advocacy organizations that have extensive knowledge on the issue and offer assistance to companies.
- The Directorate of Labour specifically welcomes individuals with reduced work capacity and supports them in finding suitable jobs. Companies and institutions can therefore mark the jobs they advertise specifically for them.
- Contact person for the issue: Laufey Gunnlaugsdóttir, Head of Department, Counseling and Employment Services, Directorate of Labour
- Alfred. It will be possible to specifically include jobs for individuals with reduced functional capacity, which will then be marked with the categories "All included".
Business and Human Rights Navigator.
United Nations Global Compact hefur sett saman stafræna fræðslu og leiðarvísi fyrir fyrirtæki: the Business & Human Rights Navigator til þess að aðstoða fyrirtæki við að átta sig betur á áhrifum sem þeirra starfsemi getur haft á mannréttindi og virðiskeðjur.
The content is simple in presentation and provides companies with clear expert guidance, risk analyses by industry, in-depth analyses of key human rights issues, due diligence guidance, definitions of terms, and useful stories from companies that have addressed human rights issues responsibly.
