Olsson: SAS support for climate change summit
Scandinavian Airlines in Thailand is offering delegates to the United Nations' climate summit, which gets underway 7 December, many benefits and facilities as they travel to and from Copenhagen from now until 20 December. (The summit, or "COP15," is the 15th Annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.)
The purpose of the United Nations' Copenhagen meeting is to try to decide on countermeasures on global warming, which were not fixed in the Kyoto Protocol, and which are to be implemented from 2013.
More than 15,000 participants including political leaders and government officials are expected to attend COP15. A variety of associated events will be held alongside it.
Under the Copenhagen meeting support agreement, SAS will offer a number of services and facilities to the COP15 delegates when they travel to and from Copenhagen, allowing them to use their time more efficiently. Services include the provision of additional information, extra personnel, premises for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' personnel who will escort the delegates, in-flight information, access to the SAS Lounge and fast track security control.
SAS has a longstanding corporate commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020, including traffic growth, and to create zero emissions by 2050.
"Sustainability is top of mind at SAS," said Mr Hakan Olsson, SAS's Bangkok-based Director and General Manager for Southeast Asia. "SAS intends to have one of the most ambitious long-term environmental programs in the airline industry. It is also part of our Scandinavian roots, where environmental issues are addressed early. We are extremely happy that we can contribute, if in a small way, to control climate change, the top priority for COP15, by offering these airport services."
Mr Olsson said that SAS had been working on a number of green challenges for years, and had supported many environmental solutions together with the aviation industry. "We will continue to work for the global environment, and toward our strategic targets of a dramatic reduction in CO2 emissions."
The COP15 support agreement, which was won through public tender, will help highlight SAS's active role in the efforts to reduce harm to the environment. SAS is working towards measures such as an extensive fuel-savings program, green approaches, and establishing an ISO 14001 environmental management system.
"SAS's involvement in international partnerships will be vital in efforts to help achieve global solutions for the aviation industry," said Mr Olsson.
Read more about SAS's involvement in COP15 and its commitment to the environment at http://www.flysas.com/en/SAS-for-business/Conventions/COP15/.
For more information about SAS in Thailand, please visit: www.flysas.com/th.
Editor's resources: To download a high resolution image of Mr Olsson or SAS visit http://www.scottasia.net/clients/sas/media/
About Scandinavian Airlines
SAS is Northern Europe's largest airline with more than 900 daily flights to over 150 destinations in Scandinavia, Europe, the US and Asia. The extensive network provides convenient connections to Scandinavian and European destinations from Copenhagen airport.
SAS's ambition is to be among the most environmentally friendly airlines in Europe. The target is to have 20% lower emissions by 2020. SAS is also Europe's most punctual leading airline, according to the latest statistics from Flightstats, which tracks over 150,000 flights per day.
Operations to Bangkok were commenced in 1949. In 1959, SAS co-founded Thai Airways International Ltd., with the Thai Government through Thai Airways Co Ltd (TAC). SAS supplied aircraft, management and training to the Thais in order to build THAI into an international reputable airline. SAS's 30% shareholding was released back to the Thai Government in 1977, but the close co-operation has continued. Both SAS and THAI are founding members of Star Alliance.
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