ACI Europe released an update on its flagship climate change initiative, Airport Carbon Accreditation. The programme has just partnered with the ‘A World You Like’ campaign, which promotes innovation in carbon reduction and was launched last year by EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard.
Ιn parallel to the ongoing discussions on the design of a Market-Based Measure by ICAO to address international in-flight emissions, ACI Europe released an update on its flagship climate change initiative, Airport Carbon Accreditation, detailing the most recent progress made by airports in lowering their own CO2 emissions.
The programme has just partnered with the ‘A World You Like’ campaign, which promotes innovation in carbon reduction and was launched last year by EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard.
With the latest first time accreditations of London City, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Tallinn and Tirana airports, Airport Carbon Accreditation now has 71 European airports accredited at one of the 4 available levels of certification (‘Mapping’, ‘Reduction’, ‘Optimisation’ and ‘Neutrality’).
Olivier Jankovec, Director General ACI Europe commented “As of today, European airports welcoming more than 56% of European passenger traffic each year are now Airport Carbon Accredited. It’s great to see new airports becoming accredited, but we also have a lot of airports renewing their accreditation and advancing towards carbon neutrality by reducing their carbon emissions and engaging others to do so as well.”
He added “A closer look at the number of airports accredited at each level of the programme makes it quite clear that regardless of size or geography, these airports are leading a quiet revolution, actively lowering aviation’s carbon footprint on the ground.”
In Europe, there is strong representation across the 4 levels of the independent, institutionally-endorsed programme:
- Mapping: 24 airports welcoming 10.5% of European passenger traffic.
- Reduction: 21 airports welcoming 12.9% of European passenger traffic.
- Optimisation: 12 airports welcoming 27.7% of European passenger traffic.
- Neutrality: 14 airports representing 5.3% of European passenger traffic.
Activities undertaken by airport operators to reduce their emissions, include investments in heating and lighting efficiency technology, electric, hybrid or gas-powered vehicles, public transport incentive schemes and less corporate travel. Airports implementing programmes such as Airport-Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM) and Continuous Descent Operations (CDO) also help engage others to lower their emissions on the airport site.
Initially launched in Europe in June 2009, the institutionally endorsed programme Airport Carbon Accreditation expanded to Asia-Pacific in November 2011, gaining the support of ICAO at that time too. Since then, 6 airports in Asia-Pacific have become also accredited, with 2 more due to be announced shortly.
Final results of the CO2 reduction achieved for Year 4 of the programme, will be announced at the 22nd ACI Europe & ACI World Annual Congress in Istanbul, 10-12 June 2013.
Photo caption: Vienna International Airport (Check in 3).
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