The global carbon standard for airports, Airport Carbon Accreditation, has announced that 12 airports in the EU have pledged to continue operating in line with global climate targets, Airports Council International (ACI) reports.
According to ACI, Basel-Mulhouse Airport in France and Switzerland, Stockholm Arlanda and Gothenburg Landvetter Airports in Sweden, and nine airports in Portugal have joined the list of 14 airports that have adopted a program aimed at meeting EU carbon emission targets. , according to SchengenVisaInfo.com.
The requirements set by the airport carbon accreditation program include aligning carbon management with the Paris Agreement, including other emission sources in the airport’s carbon footprint, and focusing on engaging stakeholders in effective partnerships to achieve these goals.
“Requiring airports to align their carbon management strategies and plans with the ambition of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to below 2⁰C, ideally 1.5⁰C, means that airports must set their emission reduction targets. and appropriate ways to achieve them,” the press release reads.
Swedish airports have shown some of the best results, reaching the 4+ “Transition period” level, after which they will operate without fossil fuels until 2020, a first record. The country’s goal is to be fossil-fuel-free by 2025.
As for other airports, such as Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Switzerland, it has already met all the necessary requirements for the transition to level 4, and even pushed back the deadline, setting it to 2030 instead of 2050.
On the other hand, airports in Portugal have been accredited at Level 2 Downgrade and two more airports are reaching Level 4 Adaptation of the programme.
The new level of accreditation means that Portugal’s airports are consistently reducing CO2 emissions through initiatives such as 100% renewable electricity, fleet electrification and LEDs, as well as effective partnerships to ensure emission reductions.
“Airports hold a unique place in the air transport ecosystem, serving as the industry’s representative on the ground, connecting the global industry to the local communities they serve. This unique position makes it part of their DNA to serve as a platform for greener, smarter, climate-friendly operations and solutions. . I would like to congratulate all twelve airports on their excellent results from the bottom of my heart,” said Olivier Jankovek, CEO of ACI Europe.
The following airports also participate in this program:
- Faro, Flores, Madeira, Horta, Lisbon, Porto, Santa Maria and Porto Santo in Portugal
- Milan-Malpensa, Milan-Linate, Rome-Ciampino and Leonardo da Vinci-Rome-Dumicino in Italy
- Cannes Mandelou, Saint Tropez and Nice Cote d’Azur in France
- Rotterdam – The Hague in the Netherlands
- Gothenburg-Landvetter and Stockholm-Arlanda in Sweden.