Airport operator Fraport joins global elite of the world's 100 most sustainable large corporations
(photo: Fraport)
Fri 27 Jan 2017 – Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt Airport, has been recognised as one of the world’s top 100 most sustainable companies in the annual Global 100 index compiled by media and research firm Corporate Knights. This is the first time an airport has been included in the index, which started in 2005 and measures 14 key performance indicators (KPIs) across companies with a market capitalisation of over $2 billion. Nearly 5,000 companies from around the world were evaluated for their economic, environmental and social performance. Fraport, ranked 96th in the index and the only company represented from the transportation infrastructure sector classification, scored an overall 51.89%, compared to a score of 73.10% achieved by the 2017 index leader Siemens. The airport operator maintained its rating on a number of other sustainability indexes during 2016.
Fraport said the inclusion into the 2017 Global 100 index, which was released during the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, was recognition of its group-wide sustainability and ethical commitment.
“Frankfurt Airport’s future sustainability is not only measured in terms of connectivity and revenues, but also with regard to what we do for our employees and our environment,” commented Fraport’s executive board chairman, Dr Stefan Schulte. “Being recognised as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies confirms us in our approach to combine economic growth with responsible management.”
Toronto-based Corporate Knights publishes what it claims is the world’s largest circulating magazine focused on sustainability and responsible business, describing itself as ‘The magazine for clean capitalism’. Its CK Research unit offers a range of investment product sustainability ratings and tools, and manages several external research projects including the Newsweek Green Rankings and Carbon Clean 200.
The Global 100 index rankings are based on publicly disclosed data such as financial filings and sustainability reports instead of company submissions. Under the methodology, companies are assessed using quantitative data and KPIs, and compared against their industry group peers based on KPIs for which the underlying data are reasonably well disclosed by their industry group globally. Those companies involved in tobacco or armaments manufacture are excluded from consideration. An aerospace and defence company is only eliminated if it derives a majority of its revenue from its defence business group.
Despite the well-reported opposition the airport has faced from community groups over runway expansion and night flights, Fraport has received recognition elsewhere for its sustainability efforts. For the eleventh year in a row, it has been listed in the FTSE4Good Index, which measures the environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices of companies. ESG Ratings, which include data on over 4,100 companies worldwide, can be used as part of investment and risk management analysis and decisions. They also support alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with all 17 SDGs reflected in the 14 Themes under the ESG framework.
