Sustainability Policy

1. Purpose and scope

Guide Connect is a digital platform developed to connect professional tour guides with travel companies operating in Iceland. Our purpose is to improve communication, visibility, staffing processes, and professionalism within the tourism sector. Although Guide Connect is a small company operated by two founders working remotely, we recognize that our business still has environmental, social, and economic impacts, both directly through our own operations and indirectly through the tourism ecosystem we support. Responsible business conduct is therefore an important part of how we operate and how we design and manage the platform.

This policy sets out Guide Connect's commitments on environmental responsibility, social responsibility, human rights, equality, digital responsibility, and responsible tourism. It applies to our own operations, internal decision-making, work-related travel, supplier choices, platform communications, and the standards we seek to promote among users of the platform.

Our sustainability work is guided by Icelandic law and official guidance, including occupational health and safety responsibilities for employers and formal health and safety planning requirements, as well as by responsible tourism principles and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Icelandic employers are responsible for maintaining a health and safety plan, and the purpose of that plan is to support the safety, health, and well-being of staff through risk assessment and preventive measures. The SDGs provide the broader framework for our sustainability approach and link our work to recognized global goals for people, planet, and prosperity.

2. Responsible tourism commitment

Guide Connect has signed Yfirlysing um abyrga ferdabjónustu, the Icelandic Declaration on Responsible Tourism. This initiative was launched in 2017 by tourism stakeholders in Iceland and was created to encourage tourism companies to adopt clear actions for responsible management, respect nature, support safety and courtesy, and respect the rights of employees, guests, and communities.

For Guide Connect, signing this declaration means that we do not view ourselves as only a software company. We are a company serving the tourism sector, and our platform influences how tourism work is organized and communicated. We therefore commit to using our platform and our communications in a way that supports responsible tourism in Iceland. That includes encouraging professionalism, respect for nature and local communities, and responsible conduct among users.

This chapter connects especially to SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

3. Sustainability governance and implementation

Guide Connect is a small business with two founders, Maria Ester Gudjonsdottir and Ingimar Eyfjord Smarason, and sustainability responsibilities are therefore integrated directly into company management rather than delegated to a separate department. Sustainability is considered in operational decisions, supplier choices, platform development, communications, and future growth planning.

Because the company is still small, our approach is based on proportionality. We aim to maintain practical, realistic, and documented policies that fit the company's size while still reflecting good practice and legal compliance. As the company grows, these policies and procedures will be reviewed and expanded.

Guide Connect commits to reviewing this policy regularly, normally at least once per year or whenever there are material changes to the business, platform, staffing model, legal obligations, or major suppliers.

4. Social Responsibility and Workplace Well-being

Guide Connect is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment and to conducting its business in a manner that respects human rights and promotes fair treatment. Although Guide Connect is a small company operated through remote work, we recognize that workplace well-being, equality, and ethical conduct remain essential responsibilities.

Guide Connect expects lawful, ethical, and respectful behavior in all business-related activities and relationships. This includes internal collaboration, communication with partners, and interactions on or through the platform.

4.1. Health and safety

Guide Connect is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment. Since the company operates primarily through remote work, the focus of our health and safety efforts is on home-based working conditions, appropriate work routines, and the prevention of physical and psychosocial risks.

Guide Connect follows Icelandic occupational health and safety requirements and guidance from Vinnueftirlitid. Icelandic guidance makes clear that employers remain responsible for occupational safety and health even when work is carried out remotely, and that employers must assess risks and organize preventive measures appropriately.

Guide Connect maintains a formal Health and Safety Plan (Aaetlun um oryggi og heilbrigdi) in accordance with Icelandic requirements. This plan is designed to prevent and reduce the likelihood of accidents, incidents, discomfort, strain, and long-term work-related illness through risk assessment and preventive measures.

In practical terms, this includes:

• assessing risks related to remote work, including ergonomics, screen time, mental workload, and work-related stress
• encouraging safe workstation setup and healthy work habits
• promoting reasonable work-life balance and manageable workloads
• reviewing health and safety arrangements when work practices change

4.2. Human rights and responsible conduct

Guide Connect respects internationally recognized human rights and expects responsible conduct in all business-related activities. We recognize that the tourism sector can involve interactions with diverse communities and workers who may be vulnerable to exploitation or unfair treatment.

Guide Connect therefore applies a zero-tolerance approach to:

• abuse or violence
• exploitation
• forced labor
• human trafficking
• violations of human rights, including the rights of children

As stated in Guide Connect's Terms of Service, users who engage in unlawful behavior or serious violations of these principles may have their access to the platform terminated.

Guide Connect also supports principles of decent work, fair treatment, and legal compliance in all professional relationships.

4.3. Equality and inclusion

Guide Connect is committed to equality and fair treatment. Opportunities within tourism and digital services should not be limited by gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, family status, or other protected characteristics.

We aim to make decisions fairly and promote inclusion in our working relationships, platform culture, and communications. Equality also includes taking practical steps to avoid bias in decision-making, platform design, and the future use of digital tools or AI-supported features.

4.4. No harassment, violence, or discrimination

Guide Connect does not tolerate harassment, violence, bullying, intimidation, discrimination, or abusive behavior in any form. This applies to internal work relationships, collaboration with partners, and expected standards of conduct among users of the platform.

We expect respectful communication and professional behavior in all interactions connected to the company and the platform. Concerns relating to harassment, violence, or discrimination will be taken seriously and addressed appropriately in accordance with applicable laws and the company's responsibilities.

This chapter contributes particularly to SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

5. Environmental Responsibility and Resource Management

Guide Connect operates primarily as a digital platform and therefore has a relatively small direct environmental footprint compared to traditional tourism companies. However, responsible use of resources remains important, particularly in relation to purchasing decisions, digital infrastructure, equipment, and everyday work practices. The company therefore aims to minimize environmental impacts wherever reasonably possible and promote efficient use of resources across its operations.

Our environmental approach focuses on responsible purchasing, reduction of unnecessary consumption, waste prevention, efficient energy use, and mindful use of natural resources.

5.1. Sustainable purchasing

Responsible purchasing decisions are made in relation to software, services, equipment, and any future operational suppliers. Because most purchasing relates to digital services, procurement considerations include environmental responsibility as well as security, privacy, and legal compliance.

When evaluating suppliers or service providers, the following factors may be considered:

• Legal compliance and reliability
• Environmental responsibility where relevant
• Product durability and repairability for hardware purchases
• Security and data protection standards
• Suitability for a small remote-first business
• Whether the provider operates within the EEA or offers strong safeguards for personal data processing

Where practical, preference is given to suppliers that demonstrate transparency, responsible business practices, and efficient use of resources.

When physical printing services are required, environmentally responsible providers are preferred. This may include printing services with recognized environmental certifications such as the Nordic Swan Ecolabel or equivalent standards. Guide Connect does not maintain its own office printer and instead relies on external services when printing is necessary.

5.2. Reduction of disposable and consumable goods

Because operations are primarily digital, most communication, documentation, administration, and product development activities are carried out online. This significantly reduces the need for paper, printing, postage, and other disposable office materials.

Nevertheless, efforts are made to minimize the use of disposable and consumable goods wherever possible. Printing is avoided unless necessary, and digital documentation is used as the default approach for internal and external communication. When physical materials are required, preference is given to durable products, reusable items, and materials that can be recycled.

5.3. Waste reduction and recycling

Guide Connect is committed to minimizing waste generation and supporting responsible recycling practices. The company's digital operating model already prevents much of the waste typically associated with traditional office environments.

Waste management follows the principles of the 5R framework for sustainable resource use, which prioritizes reducing waste at its source through the following hierarchy:

• Refuse unnecessary materials and avoid products or packaging that create waste
• Reduce consumption wherever possible and choose products with minimal packaging
• Reuse products and materials for as long as practical
• Repurpose or repair items instead of discarding them whenever feasible
• Recycle materials according to local recycling systems as a final step

Because the company operates through remote work, employees and collaborators work from home rather than from a central office. Everyone working with the company is therefore encouraged to follow the waste management and recycling systems established by their local municipality or national authorities. This includes sorting waste according to local guidelines and making use of available recycling programs.

When physical waste does arise through business activities, including packaging or end-of-life electronic equipment, materials should be disposed of responsibly through the appropriate local waste management systems. Equipment is used for as long as practical, and replacement of devices is limited to situations where it is necessary for operational or security reasons.

5.4. Energy efficiency

Although Guide Connect does not operate a physical office, energy consumption still occurs through home office environments, laptops, internet use, and digital infrastructure such as cloud hosting and software systems.

Energy use is reduced wherever reasonably possible by encouraging energy-efficient work practices, selecting energy-efficient equipment when devices are purchased or replaced, and extending the lifespan of electronic devices where practical.

Because work is carried out primarily from home-based environments, everyone working with the company is encouraged to adopt simple energy-saving practices in their workspace. These may include using energy-efficient lighting such as LED bulbs, turning off lights and electronic equipment when not in use, and avoiding unnecessary electricity consumption during work activities.

When purchasing or replacing electronic equipment such as monitors or other digital displays, the company aims to follow European energy efficiency guidance and product standards, including those outlined by the European Commission's Energy Efficient Products Initiative, which promotes the use of energy-efficient electronic displays and related equipment.

Digital infrastructure is hosted within the EU/EEA as described in the Guide Connect sub-processor documentation. Hosting services within this region operate under European regulatory frameworks, and technology choices aim to support efficient and responsible digital operations.

5.5. Responsible water use

Guide Connect's direct water consumption is limited because the company operates remotely and does not maintain office premises or physical tourism operations. Nevertheless, responsible use of natural resources, including water, remains an important consideration.

Mindful water use is encouraged in home-based work environments, and the company aims to maintain a low-consumption operating model that avoids unnecessary resource use wherever possible.

Both Iceland and Denmark, where the founders are based, provide high-quality drinking water that is safe to consume directly from the tap. The use of tap water is therefore encouraged instead of bottled water whenever possible, helping to reduce unnecessary packaging and transport-related emissions.

This chapter contributes particularly to SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 Climate Action.

6. Sustainable Mobility and Business Travel

Guide Connect primarily operates through remote work, which significantly reduces commuting and the need for frequent business travel. Digital collaboration tools and online meetings are therefore used as the default approach for both internal work and external meetings whenever possible.

When work-related travel is necessary, Guide Connect aims to plan travel responsibly and select options that balance environmental considerations, practicality, and operational needs. Travel may occur for meetings, networking, partnerships, presentations, events, or business development, and in such cases the company seeks to minimize the environmental impact of transport wherever feasible.

Guide Connect follows these general transport principles when planning work travel:

• Prioritizing remote participation where possible
• Combining trips where practical to reduce travel frequency
• Using public transportation where feasible
• Walking or shared transport for short distances
• Limiting air travel to situations where it is genuinely necessary

Because Iceland presents certain geographic realities, including long distances and limited transport alternatives in some regions, Guide Connect applies this policy pragmatically while still aiming to avoid unnecessary travel.

If overnight stays are required for work-related travel, Guide Connect will, where possible, prefer accommodation providers that demonstrate responsible practices. This may include accommodations with sustainability certifications or providers that show commitment to environmental management, responsible purchasing, or community support.

When selecting accommodation, Guide Connect may consider:

• Recognized sustainability certification where available
• Location in relation to the purpose of the trip
• Opportunities to reduce additional transport
• Support for local businesses and services
• Cost and practicality appropriate to a small company

As a startup, Guide Connect balances sustainability considerations with operational needs, but environmental and social factors are included in travel planning whenever feasible.

This chapter supports SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 Climate Action.

7. Inventory of key partner agencies and service providers

Guide Connect maintains an overview of its key operational partners and service providers because these relationships form part of our sustainability and governance responsibilities. For a digital company, major external impacts and risks often arise through infrastructure, communications, analytics, and payment systems rather than through traditional physical supply chains.

Based on the information currently published by Guide Connect, key service providers include:

• Linode / Akamai for cloud hosting infrastructure and server management
• Mailgun (Sinch) for transactional email delivery
• PostHog for privacy-respecting analytics, where consent applies
• Straumur for payment processing

Guide Connect states that these providers operate under Data Processing Agreements and that primary storage is within the EU, with safeguards used where international transfers may apply.

From a sustainability perspective, Guide Connect will review key partners not only on technical suitability but also on issues such as security, privacy, reliability, and where relevant environmental or ethical considerations. As the business grows, this inventory can be expanded into a more formal supplier and partner register.

This chapter supports SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 16, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

8. Marketing and advertising messages

Guide Connect is committed to honest, responsible, and professional communication. Because we work in and around tourism, the way we communicate matters. Marketing should not encourage irresponsible travel behavior, disrespect for nature, unrealistic expectations, or misleading claims about tourism products, environmental impacts, or company performance.

Our marketing and advertising messages will therefore aim to:

• be truthful and not misleading
• reflect the actual functionality and purpose of the platform
• support professionalism in tourism
• encourage respect for local communities, nature, and culture
• avoid greenwashing or exaggerated sustainability claims

Guide Connect will also aim to use its communications to reinforce positive standards in the tourism sector, including professional conduct, preparedness, responsible guiding, and respectful behavior.

This chapter supports SDG 12, SDG 11, and SDG 16.

9. Product information

Guide Connect provides a platform rather than directly operating excursions or packaged tours. Even so, the company recognizes that the design of the platform and the information available through it can influence tourism practices. We therefore aim for our product information and platform environment to support responsible and professional tourism.

This means that Guide Connect seeks to present information in a clear and accurate manner, support better preparation and communication between travel companies and guides, and encourage users to act responsibly in their work. As the platform develops, this may include features or guidance that promote preparedness, safety, professionalism, and respect for nature and communities.

We also recognize that product information should be consistent with what users can reasonably expect, and that platform communications should not create false impressions or overpromise outcomes. This chapter is closely linked to SDG 8, SDG 12, and SDG 16.

10. Privacy, cookies, terms of service, and digital responsibility

Guide Connect recognizes that sustainability also includes responsible digital governance. For a digital platform business, privacy, transparency, user rights, and responsible handling of personal data are essential parts of good governance and social responsibility.

Guide Connect therefore maintains and publishes a Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Terms of Service, and a transparent Sub-Processor List. According to the sub-processor information you shared, Guide Connect maintains transparency under GDPR Article 28 regarding third-party processors and states that all sub-processors are covered by DPAs and appropriate security obligations. Your published information also states that primary data storage is within Frankfurt, Germany, and that appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses are used where transfers outside the EEA may occur. These are important governance measures for a digital company.

We consider this work part of sustainability because trust, privacy, security, and accountability are central to responsible business. This chapter is closely connected to SDG 9, SDG 16, and SDG 17.

11. Responsible use of AI and digital technologies

Guide Connect acknowledges that digital tools, including AI, can improve efficiency, communication, and product development. At the same time, digital technology carries environmental, ethical, and social responsibilities. We therefore commit to using AI and other digital tools in a careful and responsible manner.

For Guide Connect, responsible AI means:

• using AI as a support tool rather than as a substitute for accountability
• maintaining human oversight over important decisions
• protecting user privacy and confidential information
• being mindful of potential bias, unfairness, or exclusion in automated processes
• recognizing that digital systems also consume energy and should be used efficiently

We also acknowledge that sustainability in digital businesses is not only about emissions and waste but also about ethics, governance, transparency, and fair treatment. For that reason, AI and digital technology are addressed as part of this sustainability policy and not only as technical matters.

This chapter supports SDG 9, SDG 12, and SDG 16.

12. Monitoring and continuous improvement

Guide Connect understands sustainability as an ongoing process rather than a one-time statement. Because we are still a young and growing company, our first objective is to establish clear principles, proportionate procedures, and responsible habits from the start. Over time, we aim to improve our monitoring and documentation.

Guide Connect will seek to:

• review this policy at least annually
• update relevant procedures when the company grows or changes
• review key suppliers and service providers periodically
• strengthen responsible tourism and sustainability messaging through the platform
• improve internal sustainability documentation over time

Guide Connect recognizes that sustainability is an ongoing process and remains committed to continuous improvement, transparency, and responsible development.

13. SDG connection summary

Guide Connect contributes primarily to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 5 Gender Equality
• SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13 Climate Action
• SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

For questions, comments, or feedback regarding this policy, please contact Maria Ester at maria@guideconnect.is.