Environmental Initiatives: Fraport AG Will Reforest 310 Hectares of Land in Hesse as Green Offset for Expanding Frankfurt Airport
08.07.2003 – 11:33
Frankfurt Main, Germany (ots)
In conjunction with its planned expansion of Frankfurt Airport, Fraport AG (FSE: FRA) Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide will reforest a total of 310 hectares of land at several locations in the state of Hesse, Germany. Overall, Fraport AG will invest some EUR 100 million in reforestation and nature conservation projects as green offsets for FRA's expansion. A working group of the Darmstadt administrative district - comprising representatives from the responsible authorities, forestry and agriculture industries, environmental conservation groups, and Fraport AG - has already identified 500 hectares in Hesse suitable for the reforestation initiative. As a next step, Fraport will be contacting the respective landowners in these areas to determine their interest in selling or providing land for reforestation.
"We intend to create ecologically valuable areas in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region of Hesse where we can develop these compensatory reforestation projects," said Dr. Wilhelm Bender, Fraport AG's executive board chairman. Furthermore, Fraport will have forests in the direct airport vicinity reclassified at a higher protection level, thus eliminating lumbering in these woodlands.
Embedded in Fraport AG's "Vision 2000Plus" guiding principles, environmental protection is considered strategically vital for the company and its home base Frankfurt Airport. Along with being committed to sustainable development, Fraport has become a recognized leader in a wide range of airport-related environmental technologies and concepts. Implemented in 1999, Fraport's environmental management system (EMS) is based on the European Union's Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and is certified in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 14001 environmental standard.
Contact:
Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
Attn: Robert A. Payne - Manager International Press
D-60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel. +49/69/690'78547
Fax +49/69/690'60548
E-mail: r.payne@fraport.de
Internet: http://www.fraport.com