Airports report their climate change programme progress
As the calendar counts down to the climate change negotiations at COP21 in Paris at the end of this year, the airport industry trade body, Airports Council International this week released the annual results for the programme covering the period June 2014 to June 2015 – the very first time since it became the global carbon standard for airports.
The programme certifies airports at four different levels of accreditation covering all stages of carbon management (Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality). It is independently administered, institutionally-endorsed¹ and has already won praise from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the United Nation Environment Panel (UNEP) and the European Union (EU).
Launching a brand new microsite featuring the key figures from this year’s Annual Report - accessible at www.airportCO2.org – it was revealed that in the past twelve months, Airport Carbon Accredited status has been earned by a total of 125 airports in over 40 countries across the world, an increase of over 22% on the previous year.
In a statement, Olivier Jankovec, Director General ACI Europe, Patti Chau, Regional Director ACI Asia-Pacific, Ali Tounsi, Regional Director ACI Africa and Kevin Burke, Director General, ACI-North America and Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World said: “These airports are reporting on their carbon management activities every year and they have mobilised on this of their own accord. And it’s not just the bigger hubs like Dubai, Heathrow, Hong Kong, Paris CDG, Istanbul-Atatürk, Seattle-Tacoma, Seoul-Incheon and Schiphol – the programme has certified a huge number of smaller airports like Eindhoven, Enfidha Hammamet, Farnborough, Hat Yai International, Malmö, Portland-Troutdale and Puerto Vallarta.
"An impressive 1.7 billion passengers now travel through airports certified at one of the 4 levels of the programme – that’s 27.5% of global air passenger traffic. Most promisingly 22 airports advanced up a level of the programme - in the past year, making further progress in the way they manage their carbon emissions. In the past year, these airports have succeeded in reducing the CO2 emissions under their direct control by 212,460 tonnes of CO2. That’s equivalent to the annual CO2 sequestered by 1,495 acres of forest.”
Jankovec added “Here in Europe where the initiative first launched in June 2009, there are now 92 airports in the programme. They welcome 63.9% of European passenger traffic annually. European airports are leading the way on this and the engagement and progress have been tremendous, as can be seen from the fact that 20 of those airports are now carbon neutral.”
For details of the accredited airports in each world region, their actions and the difference the programme is making, visit www.airportCO2.org
