Launch of Airport Carbon Accreditation

On 16 June, ACI EUROPE launched Airport Carbon Accreditation at its Annual Assembly in Manchester. At launch, the scheme secured 33 participating airports, representing 26% of European passenger traffic - a testament to how seriously European airports are responding to the issue of Climate Change, even in the midst of the worst trading conditions that the sector has ever seen. 

There are four levels of accreditation - Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality - with the process encouraging airports to reduce their carbon emissions with the ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutral operations. 

For more information about the launch, click here.

Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director Air Transport, DG TREN, answers some questions on Airport Carbon Accreditation and environmental policy related to the air transport sector.

What do you think of Airport Carbon Accreditation?
The Commission congratulates ACI EUROPE on taking this important initiative. The scheme not only offers the possibility for European airports to demonstrate the contribution they are making to addressing the challenge of climate change, but to have this verified by an independent organisation. We fully support initiatives of this kind, which we believe have an important role to play in helping move the European aviation system on to a more sustainable footing.

Climate change has gone from footnote to headline status in just a few years - with such urgency in the air, how do you see air transport in the EU in the future?
Air transport in Europe is an essential driver of economic prosperity and social cohesion. It will certainly continue to play a key role in Europe's future development. All sectors of the economy have to play their part in addressing the challenges presented by climate change, and this includes of course the air transport sector. The future air transport system in Europe will clearly need to meet these challenges by becoming more environmentally efficient and by ensuring that it fully covers its external environmental costs.

Europe appears to be very much the global test-bed for environmental regulation at the moment - would you agree?
The EU has certainly taken a leadership role in taking action to combat climate change, in particular through the establishment of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. But other countries are fast developing measures of their own, notably Australia and New Zealand, and of course we are watching with great interest to see if the U.S. adopts cap-and-trade legislation of its own. What is important from an aviation perspective is to ensure that measures applied in different parts of the world interact effectively with each other and do not result in double burdens on industry.

With the COP15 meeting fast-approaching, do you feel that the air transport sector is responding adequately to the issue of climate change?
IATA's recent announcement of its commitment to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5% a year to 2020, to achieve carbon neutral growth thereafter and a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 2005 levels is a welcome and significant step forward. At the same time, it is important to understand that this implies continuing significant growth in the absolute level of aviation emissions until 2020. Governments have a crucial role to play, not only in delivering more efficient infrastructure through initiatives such as the Single European Sky and supporting research and development of new technologies, but also by creating a regulatory framework which provides strong incentives for environmental efficiency. This is why Europe believes it essential that aviation is brought within a global framework that includes clear targets for emissions reduction. 

The Role of the Administrator

Since the launch of Airport Carbon Accreditation in June 2009, WSP Environment & Energy have had the role of Administrator, independently managing the scheme for ACI EUROPE and assisting airports with their applications to become Airport Carbon Accredited.
 
As part of this WSP Environment & Energy have two primary roles for those participating in the scheme:

1. the provision of a helpdesk facilities to answer any questions that airport operators may have when considering participation in the scheme, or in collating information for their applications; and
2. to review and manage those submitted applications and renewals

Link to further information on WSP's role.

Participant news 

On 16 June, 33 airports committed to participate in Airport Carbon Accreditation. Those participant airports

spread across 11 countries in various corners of Europe, account for 26% of European air passenger traffic.

Their commitment is currently being applied to the various scheme documentation and criteria involved in becoming

Airport Carbon Accredited. WSP Environment & Energy, as administrator of Airport Carbon Accreditation

is tracking the applications of each of these airports and providing advice and assistance.

So what's the update?  Here are the latest developments....

On 18 September, Frankfurt Airport

was the first ever airport to become Airport Carbon Accredited, achieving the 'Reduction' level of accreditation for its efforts.

The airport, which is one of the busiest in Europe, achieved a reduction of about 42.000 tonnes of CO2, due to efficiencies put in place during the last three years.

Dr Stefan Schulte, CEO of Fraport AG commented

"We are delighted to be the first airport certified according to the stringent criteria of Airport Carbon Accreditation. This is a validation of our efforts and underscores the actions taken by Fraport to minimise our impact on climate change."

Following hot on the heels of Frankfurt's accreditation, on 28 September, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (operated by TAV Izmir, an affiliate of TAV Airports Holding) in Turkey became the first airport to achieve the 'Mapping' level of accreditation.

The TAV Airports Holding President & CEO, M. Sani Şener

said, "As TAV Airports Holding we have carried out many projects centered around environmental awareness at our airports. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, has been become Airport Carbon Accredited. Thus, all of our projects aimed at environmental awareness will be certified and recorded from now on. We aim to continue this participation with Istanbul Atatürk, Ankara Esenboğa and our other airports. At a time when global warming is threatening the earth we live on, we at TAV Airports aim to meet our responsibilities. Managing and reducing the carbon emissions under the direct control at our airports through step-be-step accreditation is the best way for us to advance this integral part of our environmental strategy."

Furthermore, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport scooped an award at the Leaders in Aviation Awards, at this year's Doha Aviation Summit organized under the high patronage of His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Noami, Chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. The awards honor and award individuals and organizations across a range of categories in the aviation sector. Their recently achieved Airport Carbon Accredited status saw

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport take home the award for Green Initiative of the Year by an Airport.

Before the end of the year, we expect a number of other airports to receive their formal accreditation status, across the four different levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation. We continue to receive inquiries from airports all over Europe, as well as increasing interest from other parts of the world.

In other next edition of Airport Carbon Accreditation

News, we may even see a couple of new additions to our current list of 33 participants.

Technological Trends

Frankfurt Airport (Fraport) has started comprehensive testing of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the first electric vehicle ready for mass production in Europe. Fraport plans to increase the share of electric vehicles in its fleet to more than 20% by 2015, and to 60% by 2020, significantly reducing its carbon emissions.

London-Heathrow airport has recently started operational testing of the world's first Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) system. The PRT system consists of a fleet of 21 low-energy, battery-powered, driverless vehicles capable of carrying around four passengers and their luggage. PRT generates zero local emissions and will be typically 50% more energy-efficient than traditional buses. Watch a video showing how Heathrow's PRT system will look.

LFV and SAS recently tested green approaches on a large scale throughout Sweden. A green approach involves an aircraft descending continuously to the airport using almost no engine thrust thus reducing fuel requirements, emissions and noise. Every green approach reduces carbon dioxide emissions by at least 150kg. LFV aims to offer eight out of ten approaching aircraft the option of green approaches by 2012.