The President of Russia decreed 2013 to be National Year of the Environment (Presidential Decree № 1157 of 10/08/2012). Aeroflot, as the undisputed leader of the Russian air transport market and a socially responsible corporate citizen, is committed to ensuring environmental sustainability in all areas of its business.
The Company continued work in 2013 to improve its energy-saving and environmental performance indicators, and to reduce pollution and adverse effects on the environment, guided by the ISO 1400 international standards and Russian Guidelines for Environmental Management (approved on 21.10.2013).
Aeroflot’s environmental policy aims to improve energy and environmental performance in the air transportation of passengers, baggage, mail and cargo and supporting functions. Restructuring and renewal of the Company air fleet has enabled Aeroflot to achieve the best fuel-efficiency indicators in the industry, greatly reducing negative impact on the environment. The Company is also implementing a broad range of special measures to fulfill its social responsibilities for environmental protection. Priority areas in this work include:
- Voluntary deployment of an environmental management system to ensure the compliance of production facilities and operations with the highest international environmental standards.
- Implementation of resource-saving processes and technologies in order to reduce the energy intensity of Company operations.
- Optimisation of the route network and the use of new piloting techniques to reduce noise and emissions from aircraft engines.
- Waste management in order to minimise impact on the environment. Recycling as the most efficient method of waste disposal.
- Monitoring and analysis of operations and processes to identify new opportunities for improving environmental performance.
- Use of environmental performance indicators as criteria for the selection of suppliers and contractors.
- Raising levels of environmental awareness among Aeroflot employees, motivating employees to efficient use of all resources; developing a culture of recycling.
The company is constantly improving its internal regulations governing work to minimise negative environmental impacts. In compliance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation № 889 ‘On measures to improve the energy and environmental efficiency of the Russian economy’, dated 04.06.2008, the Company has developed a programme for energy saving and environmental efficiency up to 2020. The set of energy saving measures that has been put in place should save up to 1.5 million tonnes of aviation fuel per year and reduce per unit fuel consumption by 43.6% in this period until 2020.
Aeroflot has developed a programme for continuation and development of its initiatives in the field of environmental protection and social responsibility as part of Company cooperation with partners in the SkyTeam alliance. The Company has also developed a series of plans and instructions governing work in this direction in preparation for certification of its environmental management work to the standards of ISO 14001:2004.
Company experts in the field of environmental protection and industrial monitoring carried out nine routine inspections in 2013 at structural divisions of JSC Aeroflot to check compliance with environmental legislation.
In order to enhance levels of environmental transparency, the Aeroflot website provides materials on Company initiatives in the field of environmental protection. The company has developed reporting indicators for environmental responsibility, including basic aspects of the environmental component of sustainable development.
Minimising atmospheric emissions
Aeroflot continued to implement its programme of fuel economy and transition to operations using more modern aircraft with higher fuel efficiency. Almost the entire Aeroflot fleet now complies with ICAO standards for noise pollution and atmospheric emissions.
Making ground vehicles more environmentally friendly
A large amount of emissions at airports are from motor vehicles, including cars. The Company carries out regular instrumental controls of vehicle fuel systems to ensure their compliance with required toxicity and smoke levels.
Negative environmental impact payments by JSC Aeroflot in 2005-2013, million roubles
The total sum of environmental payments by Aeroflot in 2013 was over
5,000,000RUB
Payment levels rose in 2013 compared with 2012 due to high levels of passenger, baggage and freight carrying, and also due to production of solid waste in excess of statutory limits.
Environment planning for 2014
In 2014, Aeroflot plans to develop technical reports on the constancy of its operations and of resources used and on waste treatment, and also to carry out research on industrial emissions prior to the installation of purification equipment for atmospheric emissions.
The Company will keep up regular studies of levels of the pollution in wastewater from treatment facilities at the Melkisarovo office complex, and will keep records of quantity and quality of wastewater from treatment facilities throughout the Company. Aeroflot specialists plan to improve the system of waste monitoring, and the Company intends to complete the procedure of ISO 14001 certification in 2014.
Discharge of pollutants into water bodies
In 2013, Aeroflot environmentalists worked with specialists of the company which maintains the Aeroflot office complex at Melkisarovo, to monitor the quantity and quality of wastewater discharged from the treatment facilities at the office complex. In total 316 tests of waste-water samples from the facilities at Melkisarovo were carried out. The results show compliance with Instruction №
Disposal of waste generated by production and consumption
During 2013 Company environment specialists monitored the state of temporary solid waste storage sites and reviewed waste treatment work. Monthly data are collected on waste production by Aeroflot structural units. Aeroflot will work with the Institute of Civil Aviation to carry out research work in 2014 in preparation for the separate collection and disposal of solid waste from aircraft.
Disposal and recycling of de-icing fluid
Aeroflot is the only Russian air carrier to practice the collection and recycling of de-icing fluid. In 2013, the companies Promvodokanal and Ecoservice Prime collected, removed and recycled deicing fluid after it had been used on the aircraft of Aeroflot and other airlines. Aeroflot has prepared a contract with the Institute of Civil Aviation for the design of facilities to carry out complex recycling of de-icing fluids as part of the Company’s innovative development programme.
Energy and lubricant consumption by JSC Aeroflot in 2013
| Item | Consumption | |
|---|---|---|
| volume | value, thousand roubles (excluding VAT) | |
| Aviation fuel, tonnes | 1,946,846.00 | 55,268,372.07 |
| Heat energy, Gcals | 37,552.75 | 51,938.62 |
| Electricity, kWh | 27,298,550.00 | 82,655.62 |
| Vehicle fuel and lubricants, litres | 4,341,066.00 | 111,249.42 |
| Aviation lubricants, litres | 222,572.30 | 111,545.45 |