European airport industry's new carbon accreditation programme continues to gain momentum
Thu 28 Jan 2010 – Seven more airports across Europe have been awarded Airport Carbon Accredited status during the past two months, according to ACI EUROPE. The programme was launched by the European airports industry last June, when 33 airports – accounting for 26 percent of European passenger traffic – committed to becoming accredited by June this year. Six months into the programme, this brings the total to 10 airports that have so far achieved the independently assessed status. Airports are certified at four different levels of accreditation: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality. These latest additions bring the cumulative total of CO2 reductions from accredited airports to 440,000 tonnes so far.
Last autumn, Frankfurt, Izmir and Stockholm-Arlanda airports were all awarded Airport Carbon Accredited status.
The seven new airports accredited, with their levels, are:
·Manchester Airport, UK (Reduction)
·Farnborough Airport, UK (Mapping)
·Athens International Airport, Greece (Mapping)
·Milan-Malpensa Airport, Italy (Optimisation)
·Milan-Linate Airport, Italy (Optimisation)
·Bologna Airport, Italy (Mapping)
·Stockholm-Bromma Airport, Sweden (Neutrality)
The two Milan airports are the first airports accredited at the Optimisation level, whereby the airport company does not just reduce its own CO2 emissions, but also engages with others on the airport site to help them lower their carbon footprint as well.
Stockholm-Bromma joined Stockholm-Arlanda in achieving the Neutrality level, which recognizes that the airport has achieved a significant reduction in its carbon emissions, that it actively engages stakeholders on its site to lower their respective emissions and that it has offset any of the remaining CO2 emissions that are under its control.
“Despite the various challenges facing aviation at the moment and airports in particular, it is heartening to see the active response and significant resources that European airports – big and small – are investing in reducing CO2 from their operations. Some are just beginning the process, while others are already well advanced, but carbon neutrality for European airports remains the goal,” commented Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE.
“These recent accreditations are tangible evidence that our collective efforts are gaining momentum. We look forward to announcing more progress in the months to follow.”
The programme is administered by leading consultancy WSP Environment & Energy and overseen by an independent advisory board including representatives of the European Commission, ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference) EUROCONTROL and UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme).
