Airport Carbon Accreditation Year 16 results show continued progress in global airport climate action

mars 25, 2026

The latest Annual Report of Airport Carbon Accreditation confirms that airports worldwide continue to deliver steady and measurable progress on climate action. Covering the period from May 2024 to May 2025, the results point to both the scale of the programme and the impact it is having across the aviation sector.

A total of 590 airports across 91 countries and territories were accredited. During the reporting period, 104 airports joined the programme for the first time. Together, accredited airports welcomed 53.6% of global passenger traffic. This means that more than half of the world’s passengers travelled through an airport actively managing and reducing its carbon emissions.

In absolute terms, accredited airports reduced their Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 542,559 tonnes of CO₂e, an 8.1% decrease over the reporting period. To put this into perspective, this reduction is equivalent to the emissions generated by producing around 136,000 tonnes of chocolate. These results were achieved at a time when passenger traffic continued to recover and grow.

Efficiency gains are also clear. Average emissions per passenger fell to 1.54 kg of CO₂e, while emissions per traffic unit declined to 1.34 kg of CO₂e. This corresponds to reductions of 30.6% and 26.8% compared with the three year rolling average. Airports are showing that traffic growth does not have to result in higher emissions.

Progress is also visible at the higher levels of the programme. A total of 98 airports worldwide have reached Levels 4 or 4+, a 27% increase compared to the previous year, aligning their long term carbon management strategies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. At the highest level, 21 airports were recorded at Level 5, having reached net zero for emissions under their direct control and committing to net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050.

The Year 16 results confirm that the global airport community remains engaged and determined to address its impact on the climate. Airports are not only improving their own performance, but also working with partners to reduce emissions across their ecosystems and support the wider decarbonisation of air transport.

Download the Airport Carbon Accreditation Annual Report 2024-2025 here.