News about Airport
Carbon Accreditation

Tibah Airports Operation Co, the operator of Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah (PMIA), has achieved Level 2 'Reduction' of Airport Carbon Accreditation, as the first airport to achieve this level in Saudi Arabia. It is a testament to Tibah's commitment to meeting sustainable development requirements and objectives, as well as its determination to implement the necessary operational programs at PMIA aimed at reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment through the application of international standards and global best practices. It is aligned with Saudi Arabia's vision for sustainable development and its goal of achieving carbon neutrality (zero net carbon emissions) by 2060 as part of the Saudi Green Initiative.

This achievement is part of Tibah’s efforts to preserve the environment and to comply with ISO14001 requirements for Environment Management System (EMS) and ISO 9001 requirements for Quality Management System (QMS).

Find out more here. 

Sarajevo International Airport joins Airport Carbon Accreditation as the first airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The airport was recognised for producing a comprehensive inventory of its carbon emissions and committing to reducing them! 

We look forward to your progression within the global carbon standard for airports all the way to decarbonised airport operations! 

All three Lithuanian Airports are moving to a new level of the programme at the same time - Vilnius Airport, which has been participating in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme since 2016, is moving from the second to the third level of the programme - Level 3 'Optimisation', while Kaunas and Palanga airports, which have joined in 2019, are moving to the second level 'Reduction'. 

Moving into the third level of the programme, Vilnius Airport will aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2024, or to achieve a reduction of approximately 1 kg of CO2 per passenger.  In addition, this phase will require efforts not only to introduce more sustainable processes in its own operations, but also to involve the airport's partners. It will take into account third party airport operations, tenants' electricity and heating costs, waste disposal and other aspects. 

Find out more here. 

We are delighted to confirm that all six airports operated by VINCI Airports/AERODOM in the Dominican Republic (Las Americas in Santo Domingo, President Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, in North Santo Domingo, Gregorio Luperón, in Puerto Plata, María Montez, in Barahona, President Juan Bosch in the province of Samaná; as well as the Arroyo Barril aerodrome), received an early upgrade to Level 3 of Airport Carbon Accreditation in recognition of their CO2-reducing efforts. 

The airports are leaders in managing their greenhouse gas emissions in the region with pioneering solar plant projects deployed at all six platforms. 

Find out more here. 

Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, recognised 41 North American airports to achieve Airport Carbon Accreditation during the 2022 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition. 

During the ceremony on September 19, 2022, Ottawa International Airport was recognised as the latest North American airport to achieve carbon neutral status through the Airport Carbon Accreditation program. Toronto Pearson International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were recognised for achieving transformational accreditation toward absolute emissions reduction. San Diego International Airport and Vancouver International Airport join Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to achieve the highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation by offsetting their carbon emissions.

“As an ambitious industry, airports are doing their part to be good partners by promoting sustainability and environmentally responsible practices,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “I applaud all of these North American airports that have joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation program to lower their carbon footprint. I look forward to the growth in the program as these airports set our industry on a path toward continued success in innovation and sustainability.”

Since ACI-NA joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation program in 2014, nearly 60 North American airports have attained accreditation. As part of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports commit to reducing their emissions by making investments in heating and lighting efficiency technology, electric, hybrid or gas-powered vehicles, public transport incentive schemes, less corporate travel, and stakeholder engagement to encourage further emissions reductions. Airport Carbon Accreditation provides a unique common framework and tool for active carbon management at airports with measurable results. There are six levels of the program, covering mapping, reduction, optimisation, neutrality, transformation, and transition.

At the mapping level, airports determine emissions sources within the operational boundary of the airport company and calculate the annual carbon emissions. They compile a carbon footprint report and engage an independent third-party to verify the report. For 2022, 10 airports joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation program at Level 1 Mapping, including Albany International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, Northeast Philadelphia Airport, Oakland International Airport, Stinson Municipal Airport, and YYC Calgary International Airport. Seven airports have been renewed at Level 1, including Edmonton International Airport, Fredericton International Airport, Regina International Airport, Saint John Airport, San Antonio International Airport, Saskatoon International Airport, and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport.

At the Level 2 ‘Reduction’, airports provide evidence of effective carbon management procedures and show that reduction targets have been achieved. For 2022, seven airports have been upgraded at Level 2, including Kelowna International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Indianapolis Airport Authority’s Hendricks County Airport-Gordon Graham Field, Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Indianapolis Regional Airport, Metropolitan Airport. Five airports have been renewed at Level 2, including Charlottetown Airport, Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, Honolulu-Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, and Victoria International Airport.

At the Level 3 ‘Optimisation’ level, airports widen the scope of carbon footprint to include third party emissions and engage third parties at and around the airport. For 2022, Dallas Love Field Airport upgraded at Level 3. Five airports are also being recognized for their renewal at Level 3, including Indianapolis International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and Van Nuys Airport.

At Level 3+ ‘Neutrality’ of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports are required to compensate for their remaining carbon emissions that cannot be reduced by other means by offsetting. For 2022, Ottawa International Airport has been recognised as the newest carbon neutral airport in North America. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has also renewed at Level 3+.

At Level 4 ‘Transformation’ of Airport Carbon Accreditation airports are required to set out a policy commitment to absolute emissions reduction. For 2022, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport upgraded to Level 4.

At Level 4+ ‘Transition’ of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports are required to compensate for their remaining carbon emissions by offsetting. For 2022, San Diego International Airport and Vancouver International Airport upgraded to Level 4+.

View the latest results in North America here: Accredited airports in North America. 

The city of Venice in Italy continues to reinvent itself as the capital for sustainable tourism. Its main gateway to the world, Venezia Airport, is championing this positive trend!

The airport's top grade CO2 management has just won an upgrade to the highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation, Level 4+ 'Transition'! Find out more about Venezia Airport's environmental work here: VeneziaAirport Ambiente.

Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) operated by Airport International Group has become the first in the Middle East, the second in the ACI Asia-Pacific region and one of only 21 airports worldwide to achieve Level 4+ ‘Transition’ of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. 

QAIA was awarded the certificate following a rigorous review of its carbon management processes, which affirmed alignment with global climate goals to reach a net-zero carbon status by 2050, in addition to its establishment of a road map to reduce CO2 emissions from fuel and electricity consumption and the ongoing responsible compensation of residual CO2 emissions under its control - per the global airport industry’s response to climate change.

TAV Airports has successfully accredited another airport in its international network. Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport in Turkey is now actively addressing its CO2 emissions at Level 1 'Mapping' of Airport Carbon Accreditation. Congratulations!

At their 32nd Annual Congress & General Assembly last week, ACI EUROPE announced the latest upgrades and new accreditations achieved by European airports. A number of these newly upgraded and accredited airports joined a dedicated Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate ceremony on stage.

As the only global programme for reducing airport emissions and the progress made by airports under Airport Carbon Accreditation - the global standard and programme for carbon management at airports - is perhaps the fullest picture of all of airports’ commitment to decarbonisation.

ACI EUROPE announced that eight airports have met all the stringent requirements to become accredited at the highest level of the programme, Level 4+ Transition. From small regional airports in remote Lapland to the busiest airports in the UK and the Netherlands, the eight newcomers to this highest level have fully aligned their carbon management with the Paris Agreement and established effective partnerships with companies operating within their grounds to reduce emissions. The ground is now ready at London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, Eindhoven, Helsinki and 4 Lapland Airports (Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Kuusamo and Ivalo) to further accelerate decarbonisation of their own operations and their partners in line with their commitment to net zero aviation.

The momentum for climate action among European airports is also visible in the surge in new accreditations and upgrades to higher levels. In the past month, five European airports became accredited for the first time. These climate smart airports are: Ibiza in Spain, Carcassonne, Perpignan Rivesaltes, Béziers Cap d'Agde and Pau Pyrenees in France. The latest upgrades were made by Bulgaria’s Sofia (Level 3), Turkey’s Istanbul (Level 3), Spain’s Palma de Mallorca, Alicante Elche and Menorca (Level 2 and 3) and France’s Poitiers Biard and Bordeaux Mérignac (both at Level 2).

Congratulations to all the airports going the extra mile to limit their impact on the climate! 

iGA Istanbul Airport has achieved a great success by raising their Airport Carbon Accreditation level to to Level 3 'Optimisation' all the way from Level 1 'Mapping'.  In line with the stringent requirements of Level 3 certification, the airport has included its scope 3 emissions from the entire airport ecosystem in its carbon management activities.

In order to reduce carbon emissions at İGA Istanbul Airport, remote monitoring and control using IoT (Internet of Things) Technology, monitoring of energy consumption using energy efficiency analysis system software, management of energy from one centre, mechanical automation system applications, and efficient winter cooling practices, actions were taken to reduce carbon emissions, and stakeholder management activities and training programs, and awareness-raising programs have been carried out for all airport employees.

Aiming to reduce carbon emissions, İGA Istanbul Airport continues to meet the requirements of ISO 14064:2018 Greenhouse Gas Calculation and Verification Management System Standard and Airport Carbon Accreditation in order to calculate and report greenhouse gas emissions. İGA Istanbul Airport plans to implement ISO 14064:2018 Greenhouse Gases and Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4 'Transformation' certifications in the next two years.

Find out more about İGA Istanbul Airport's sustainability efforts here. 

Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont Airport, operated by Infraero Brasil, joins the collective climate action movement of airports within Airport Carbon Accreditation!

Santos Dumont Airport took the first step towards comprehensive carbon management by securing Level 1 'Mapping' of the programme. This level is achieved through meticulous analysis of CO2 emissions at the airport site and establishing a plan to reduce them.

Learn more about their commitment and actions here (in Portuguese). 

Sofia Airport's carbon management has achieved an upgrade to Level 3 'Optimisation' within Airport Carbon Accreditation as the first in Bulgaria. This achievement recognises the airport's enhanced CO2-reducing initiatives including working with third parties to influence their climate efforts. 

Find out more about Sofia Airport's carbon management here.  

Congratulations to Libreville Léon M'ba International Airport for having successfully renewed their Level 2 'Reduction' of Airport Carbon Accreditation.

Libreville Airport in Gabon is actively reducing its CO2 emissions within the programme since 2015!

Basel-Mulhouse airport in France/Switzerland, 9 airports in Portugal including Lisbon, and Stockholm Arlanda and Göteborg Landvetter airports in Sweden upgrade to the highest levels of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme

09 May 2022 – The global carbon standard for airports, Airport Carbon Accreditation, has today announced that 12 more airports in Europe have aligned their operational reality with global climate goals. Basel-Mulhouse Airport in France/Switzerland, Lisbon, Porto, Madeira, Faro, Flores, Porto Santo, Horta, Santa Maria, Ponta Delgada airports in Portugal, and Stockholm Arlanda and Göteborg Landvetter airports in Sweden have secured upgrades to Levels 4/4+ of the programme. They join a tight list of 14 early adopters globally1, airports that have already made this crucial step enabling deeper carbon cuts since the addition of the new levels in 2020.

Achieving Transformation and Transition

The recently introduced Levels 4 and 4+ of Airport Carbon Accreditation come with a set of stringent requirements. These include alignment of an airport’s carbon management with the Paris Agreement, inclusion of additional emissions sources in an airport’s carbon footprint, notably covering all significant operational emissions from third parties including airlines, and enhanced stakeholder engagement geared towards effective partnerships to deliver emissions reductions.

Requiring airports to align their carbon management strategies and plans with the ambition of the Paris Agreement, according to which global warming should be limited to below 2⁰C and ideally 1.5⁰C, means that airports must define their reduction targets and associated emissions pathways accordingly.

Swedish airports upgrade to Level 4+ ‘Transition’  

Sweden’s two busiest airports, owned and operated by Swedavia, achieved the highest level of the global carbon standard for airports, Level 4+ ‘Transition’. Their accreditation builds on one of the strongest track records of airport climate action in the programme’s history: Stockholm Arlanda Airport was among the 17 pioneering airports which joined Airport Carbon Accreditation in its first year back in 2009. Göteborg Landvetter Airport came on board with the programme just one year later. Notably, both airports joined directly at the then highest level of the framework, Level 3+ ‘Neutrality‘, demonstrating an exceptional level of climate management maturity right from the start.

All Swedavia airports have been operating fossil-free as of 2020, becoming de facto Net Zero carbon emissions for all their operations – a worldwide first. Swedavia has now mapped out the next steps in their commitment to climate change, by supporting other companies and organisations at its airports in their own transformations. Airport Carbon Accreditation provides this additional dimension within the programme framework; as part of Level 4/4+ of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports are required to develop a comprehensive Stakeholder Partnership Plan with the aim of motivating airport business partners and third parties active at the airport site to reduce their carbon emissions. One of the initiatives put forward by Swedavia’s airports in support of this was the introduction on 1 January 2022 of an incentive for all stakeholders active at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and Göteborg Landvetter Airport to start refuelling HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), fossil-free diesel. The goal is now for all ground operations at every Swedavia airport to be fossil-free by 2025.

Basel-Mulhouse Airport moves to Level 4 ‘Transformation’

Basel-Mulhouse Airport has met all the necessary requirements to upgrade to Level 4 ‘Transformation’, having first joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation at Level 2 back in 2018.

In order to reduce CO2 emissions, EuroAirport, the company operating Basel-Mulhouse airport, is acting on two complementary levels. On the one hand, it is reducing its own CO2 emissions with a binding target. In October 2021, EuroAirport decided to set the Net Zero emissions target for its own infrastructure as early as 2030, instead of 2050. In order to achieve this, the airport is implementing a number of initiatives, such as the purchase of 100% green electricity, the replacement of the airport’s vehicle fleet with electric transportation and the gradual connection of the airport to an existing biomass powered district heating network.

On the other hand, the airport is also committed to reducing emissions across the entire platform in cooperation with its partners. Projects feeding into this goal include the future rail connection to the airport and a cross-company mobility plan that is supported by the French Government.

9 airports in Portugal achieve Level 4 ‘Transformation’

Understanding that climate change represents a global security challenge for humanity, ANA|VINCI Airports  proceeded to develop a rigorous framework to reduce its carbon emissions and to promote the decarbonisation of the broader aviation sector. The climate emergency is the key motivator for the group to accelerate their actions and to work collectively with partners to achieve better environmental results.

Up until now, the 9 Portuguese airports operated by ANA|VINCI Airports have been accredited at Level 2 ‘Reduction’. As a result of great commitment and an ambitious and global environment policy deployed across the entire VINCI Airports network, it was possible for them to upgrade by two levels and secure Level 4. This new level of accreditation means that ANA|VINCI Airports are actively reducing their CO2 emissions, through initiatives such as: 100% renewable electricity, fleet electrification and LED deployment, and forging effective partnerships to secure absolute emissions reductions across the airports’ sites.

To this effect, in June 2021, ANA|VINCI Airports launched the Stakeholders Carbon Forum in order to work with the main partners that operate at their premises to achieve an overall reduction of carbon footprint. The Forum is the main platform of collaboration between the airports and their partners, including airlines, handlers, major energy consumers and entities linked to mobility, such as city councils and transport companies. From this vast variety of stakeholders, dedicated working groups were created to define partnership plans focused on climate change and carbon management. ANA|VINCI Airports assume booster role in this process, in line with their firm belief that only joining efforts and sharing a collaborative path will enable faster and more significant results towards positive mobility.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, said: “I am delighted to witness more and more airports reach the two highest levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation. These achievements mean that airports are not only committed to addressing and eliminating emissions under their own control, but that they also embrace their role as catalysts for climate action across their entire sites. Airports are uniquely placed within the air transport eco-system, acting as the industry’s representation on the ground, connecting a global industry to the local communities they serve. This unique position makes it part of their DNA to serve as platforms for greener, smarter, more climate-friendly operations and solutions. I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate all twelve airports on their excellent results.”

1 Full list of Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4/4+ airports

We are glad to announce that Shannon Airport, Ireland, joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation certification at Level 1 'Mapping'.

Having previously become a signatory on the ACI net zero 2050 pledge, the airport now joins 79 other accredited airports in 15 countries that have been certified for Level 1 – Mapping of the carbon accreditation programme.

The award follows the airport signing up to the groundbreaking Toulouse Declaration in February of this year, which marked the first time that European Governments, the European Commission, industry, unions, and other key stakeholders formally aligned on aviation decarbonisation.

 Read more in the airport's Press Release.

One of the busiest airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States has just joined Airport Carbon Accreditation. The airport started off their engagement with the programme at Level 1 'Mapping'. Congratulations!

Scotland's Edinburgh Airport fulfilled all the requirements to upgrade to Level 3 of Airport Carbon Accreditation. Achieving Optimisation means that Edinburgh Airport is not only actively reducing its own CO2 emissions, but also influencing other companies operating at the airport site to address their carbon footprint. Congratulations! 

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) achieved Level 2 'Reduction' of Airport Carbon Accreditation!

Entering the global carbon standard directly at the second level is testament to BSCA's robust environmental policy, based on 8 key areas (air quality, water, noise, energy, soil, waste, mobility and biodiversity).

A number of practical measures have been implemented by BSCA to reach level 2 of the programme, including fitting LED lighting around the site, installing efficient natural gas air conditioning and heating equipment (resulting in a 25% reduction in consumption), installing solar panels on the roof of terminal 2 and electrical connection points for all parked aircraft.

Other projects are already underway and could mean that BSCA will reach level 3 of this accreditation programme by 2023.

Learn more about BSCA's work for the environment here. 

We are delighted to confirm that Luxembourg Airport has met all the requirements to become certified carbon neutral within Airport Carbon Accreditation. The airport has undertaken many CO2-reducing initiatives including the use of 100% renewable electricity across its premises, switching to energy efficient alternatives for lighting and heating, as well as taking a stab at the aeronautical emissions through inclusion of an environmental factor into its airport charges structure.

Congratulations on your well-deserved Level 3+ 'Neutrality' certification!  

Congratulations to Aéroports de Lyon and their business aviation airport - Lyon Bron for joining Airport Carbon Accreditation straight at Level 2 'Reduction'! Lyon-Bron has achieved its first-time accreditation, joining Lyon Airport, which has been carbon neutral since 2017, in the collective carbon action of airports. In addition, Lyon Airports are part of the VINCI Airports group, who are committed to accredit every airport they own and operate! Right now, 53 of their airports are part of the programme and counting. Lyon Bron's direct accreditation at Level 2 is a recognition of their active CO2 reductions under their direct control. Keep up the great work!