Airport Carbon Accreditation

Airport Carbon Accreditation logo
Airport Carbon Accreditation logo

Airport Carbon Accreditation is the carbon management certification for airports.[1] The programme assesses and recognises the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions with four levels of award: 'Mapping', 'Reduction', 'Optimisation' & 'Neutrality'. It was launched by European airports' trade body ACI EUROPE at their Annual Congress in June 2009,[2] and is independently administered by WSP Environment & Energy, an international consultancy agency. The programme provides airports with a common framework for active carbon management with measurable goal-posts. Individual airport carbon footprints are independently verified in accordance with ISO 14064 on the basis of supporting evidence. Claims regarding airports' carbon management processes are also independently verified.

The initiative is a direct consequence of the resolution on climate change adopted in June 2008 by the ACI EUROPE annual assembly,[3] and has been endorsed by both the European Civil Aviation Conference and EUROCONTROL. The administration of Airport Carbon Accreditation is overseen by an independent advisory board, members of which include representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme, the European Commission, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. On 30 November 2011 it was announced that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was also formally supporting the programme, and taking a seat on the independent advisory board.[4]

In addition to European Commission participation on the Advisory Board, the European Commission Vice President responsible for Transport Siim Kallas has strongly supported the scheme, participating in the presentation of accreditation certificates at several European Airports, including Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Brussels and Budapest Airports. He has also stated that he believes the initiative is playing a crucial role in helping move European aviation onto a more sustainable footing[5]

The programme has expanded beyond Europe, having been formally extended to the Asia-Pacific region on 30 November 2011, supported by ACI ASIA-PACIFIC.[6] The first airport to become accredited within this region was Abu Dhabi International Airport which achieved 'Mapping' level.[7]

The programme extended to the African region of ACI[8] in June 2013, with the official certification of the first African airport to the programme, Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport[9] in Tunisia, which was certified at the 'Mapping' level.

As of September 2013, 77 airports in 24 countries in Europe, 12 airports in 7 countries in Asia-Pacific and 1 airport in 1 country in Africa have become accredited, at each of the various levels possible. All the airports now certified by Airport Carbon Accreditation collectively represent 22% of global air passenger traffic.[10] Airport emissions have been reduced by 411,390 tonnes of CO2 in Year 1 of the programme and 729,689 tonnes in Year 2, and 414,128 tonnes in Year 3 as a result.[11][12] Year 4 of the programme had a CO2 reduction of 170,164 tonnes - enough to power 71,000 households a year.

The programme has also just achieved a place in the Top 10 shortlist of the EU’s World You Like Contest,[13] an EU wide competition for projects which help to achieve a low carbon economy. The contest had 269 entrants and the final winners - selected from the Top 10 shortlist will be announced in Copenhagen in November.

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