Environmental and Climate Policy
The Directorate of Fisheries is guided by sustainable development and the protection of the environment in its work by minimizing as much as possible the negative environmental and climate impact of the Directorate's operations.
This environmental and climate policy and its action plan are a part of daily work to reduce the pressure on the environment. By reducing the burden on the environment promoting internal environmental initiatives, the Directorate of Fisheries contributes to a better society.
The Directorate of Fisheries' emphasis on environmental issues is stated in the Directorate's quality manual. The Directorate of Fisheries complies with laws and regulations on environmental and climate issues in all its operations.
The Directorate of Fisheries regularly reviews its environmental objectives and action plan, measures results and communicates the results to its employees.
Primary goal
Reduce the environmental impact of operations through targeted measures regarding the working environment and technical solutions, transport, procurement, sorting and less waste.
The Directorate of Fisheries intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per employee by 40% by the year 2030 compared to the year 2019.
The agency also aims for carbon-neutral operations by carbon offsetting all remaining emissions from 2022.
Scope and responsibility
The Environment and Climate Policy of the Directorate of Fisheries applies to all of the Directorate's activities, including transport, working environment, energy consumption, procurement, treatment of materials and waste.
The Director of Fisheries is responsible for the environmental policy and ensuring that it is followed in all respects. The Director of Fisheries instructs the Environmental Council to revise the policy when deemed necessary. The Environment Council consists of representatives from each of the Institute's divisions and all its operating units.
The Director of Fisheries shall appoint the Chairman of the Council, who shall be appointed for a term of two years. Heads of departments nominate representatives from their divisions to serve on the council for a two-year term. Delegates can stand for election again after the term has ended.
The role of the council is to ensure that the environmental policy is followed up and worked according to its objectives in cooperation with senior management and specified objectives in the action plan and green accounting.
The Environmental Council makes recommendations to senior management on improvement projects in environmental matters. The Chairman of the Environment Council calls a meeting.
Information from Green Accounting is published annually to employees, detailing how the goals have been achieved.
The Environmental Council ensures that information and educational material on environmental issues is disseminated to employees.
The policy is accompanied by an action plan that shall be reviewed annually.
The Directorate of Fisheries' environmental and climate policy takes into account:
The Icelandic government's commitments to the Paris Agreement and the declaration of the heads of the institutions of the Council of the Council on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutrality.
The policy was approved at a meeting of the senior management in Akureyri on December 21, 2021.