Green Initiatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green Initiatives - Essay Example The company has an organic growth model that has enabled the company to achieve tremendous growth during the last decade. In 1999 the company served less than 5 million passengers. In the 21st century corporate social responsibility has become an important strategic path that companies follow in order to achieve success. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as alignment of a company’s activities with the social, economic, and environmental expectations of its stakeholders (Sourcewatch, 2009). As a low cost airline the company is automatically complying with the economic expectation of its customers. The company is a member of European Low Fares Airline Association. Ryanair has one of the best environmental records in the airline industry. Ryanair selects aircrafts models for its fleet that have the latest and most efficient engine technologies. This green initiative has helped the company reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 45% over the last decade. The firm has further decreased its CO2 emissions during the last 10 years by an additional 10% by optimizing its flight route trajectory. The company does not use flight hopping mechanisms; instead all of its flights are one way destinations directly to the final location. The airline also avoids long taxiing time and holding patterns at primary congested airports (Ryanair, 2009). CO2 emissions are the primary factor that is causing air pollution that leads to the imbalance in the greenhouse effect and global warming. Rising carbon dioxide levels from burning fuel fossils are scientifically linked to sea level changes, snowmelt, disease, heat stress, severe weather, and ocean acidification (Rice, 2008). The company has invested over $17 billion since 1999 in its aircraft replacement program. The aircraft replacement program enabled the company to lower its fuel consumption by 55% between 1998 and 2007