The company’s strategic and commercial priorities must help ensure sustainable development and make sure our operation appears attractive to our stakeholders – be they shareholders, authorities, customers, suppliers, collaborative partners, employees or voluntary organisations.
For the sake of our heritage and environment
Oslo will be Europe’s most rapidly growing city in the period up to 2020. This population growth means that the city is facing a surging traffic challenge and a changing climate. The number of airline passengers who travel through Oslo Airport in the course of a year is expected to rise significantly. The airport’s capacity is also increasing, from 23 million in 2012 to 28 million in 2017.
Public transport is an important aspect of our efforts to meet these challenges. When Flytoget was first established, the objective was to ensure that 50 per cent of journeys to and from Oslo Airport would be made by public transport. This target was attained a long time ago. In 2014 Oslo Airport enjoyed Europe’s highest public transport share of 68 per cent. The Local Plan for Oslo Airport, approved in 2013, sets the public transport target for travel to and from the airport at 75 per cent, to be reached by 2020.
At the heart of Flytoget’s business is a social mission to offer the most efficient and environmentally friendly transport option to and from Oslo Airport. For Flytoget, sustainability is all about fulfilling this social mission in a way that ensures long-term profitability while benefiting the environment, our staff and the society of which Flytoget is a part.
A driver for public transport
Flytoget’s primary contribution to the sustainable development of society is the company’s position as a driver for increased use of public transport. For these efforts to succeed, it is imperative that the service offered to customers is sufficiently attractive for them to opt away private cars and taxis in preference of train transport. The hallmarks of an attractive public transport service are safety, regularity, first class rolling stock, high-frequency services, a high rate of punctuality and service, and predictability.
Flytoget is working hard to increase the seamlessness of our customers’ full journey, and will be a driver for the development of a customer-focused and holistic public transport system. Flytoget will work in partnership with other railway sector organisations in order to bring about a joint approach to lifting the standard of public transport services. The company will also work in partnership with organisations outwith the railway sector in order to meet the customers’ needs through the introduction of seamless journeys and the integration of public transport services.
Eco-friendly railway operations
In addition to our efforts to encourage more people to travel by public transport to Oslo Airport and to boost the overall public transport share, Flytoget will also ensure that passengers are carried in a safe, punctual and resource efficient way. The company’s environmental concerns and commercial considerations and targets must at all times be usefully balanced in order to contribute to an environmentally friendly and sustainable development.
Among other things, this means that Flytoget must strive to carry as many passengers as possible while using as little power as possible, and that Flytoget’s Airport Express Trains must run on power whose origin is guaranteed, or similar sources of energy. The company must also ensure that all suppliers of maintenance services and rolling stock meet a set of environmental requirements and that all procurements are based on lifecycle considerations.
Motivated employees and social engagement
Motivated employees form the premise for Flytoget’s ambition to provide good service. Flytoget’s HR work helps ensure that the company attracts new staff whilst retaining existing employees who are given opportunities to develop .
In addition to Flytoget’s main areas of responsibility associated with sustainability, the company has for many years been acting on its corporate social responsibility. Since 2009, the company has been working closely with the Red Cross, and since 2012 with the Church City Mission under the auspices of the Bjørvika partnership. Many Flytoget staff volunteer under these partnership agreements and the company can clearly see that this involvement boosts the feel-good factor and helps build pride and motivation.
Another ambition for these partnership agreements is to take responsibility for the sustainable development of the local communities along the railway line on which Flytoget runs its trains, to ensure that these areas are safe and pleasant for everyone there. The objective is to help ensure that society’s shared resources are put to good use so that vulnerable individuals are protected in a way which contributes to the social benefit.
Long-term value creation
For Flytoget to attain its long-term value creation targets, work has progressed in 2014 on making sustainability and corporate social responsibility an integral part of the company’s corporate governance, and we have included this work in our strategy and action plans for 2015 – 2018. Flytoget is also working to ensure that there is on-going transparent and targeted dialogue between the company and its most important stakeholders about sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Please refer to Flytoget’s Sustainability Report, which forms part of the company’s Annual Report, for further details about Flytoget’s work with respect to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This provides a comprehensive description of the company’s approach, investment, results and ambitions associated with priority sustainability areas. The report also describes the company’s approach with respect to workers’ rights and human rights, social concerns, anti-corruption and the outdoor environment. A significance analysis was conducted and the sustainability report drawn up in compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Core application level.
Here you can read more about the code of ethics for Flytoget’s suppliers.