Now in its seventh year, the global programme certifies airports at 4 different levels of accreditation covering all stages of carbon management (Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality). 170 airports, including new carbon neutral airports in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
MONTREAL – As all the actors in the air transport sector gather for the 39th ICAO Assembly in Montreal, aiming at agreeing on a Global Market Based Measure to address international airline emissions, the global airport industry is also meeting in Montreal – at this year’s ACI World & N-A Annual General Assembly. As is customary, Airports Council International released the annual results for the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme covering the period June 2015 to June 2016, to report on how the global airport industry° is delivering on its commitment to lower its own CO2 emissions, made in 2007.
Now in its seventh year, the global programme certifies airports at 4 different levels of accreditation covering all stages of carbon management (Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality). It is independently administered, institutionally-endorsed and has already won praise from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Commission (EC).
Announcing the annual results, Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World commented “It’s been an incredible year for Airport Carbon Accreditation, with applications to the programme still increasing and new developments such as the important partnership with the UNFCCC and its Climate Neutral Now initiative signed at the COP21 climate negotiations. In terms of results, in the past year, accredited airports succeeded in collectively reducing the CO2 emissions under their direct control by 206,090 tonnes of CO2 – enough energy to power over 86,000 households for a year.”
She added “The momentum keeps building. As of this week, we now have 170 airports in the programme and over 36% of global air passenger traffic – well over 2 billion passengers – now travel through airports certified at one of the 4 levels of the programme. I also particularly want to congratulate the latest airports to become carbon neutral – Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport – North America’s first carbon neutral airport – and Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport – the first carbon neutral airport in Asia-Pacific. These recent accreditations highlight that carbon neutrality is no longer just a goal shared by airports worldwide – with 26 such airports now in the programme, it is becoming a tangible reality. The constant efforts of airports to move up the levels in the programme is one of the reasons for the success of Airport Carbon Accreditation.”
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commented “COP21 was about engaging governments at the highest level, but effective climate action must also be significantly supported by a progressive private sector – sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. What Airport Carbon Accreditation has achieved over the past seven years is both surprising and inspiring. By charting a clear path airport operators are acting across a range of measures, from mapping their CO2 emissions, reducing them and engaging others, up to becoming carbon neutral too – there is much that other industries can learn from this and even emulate.”
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