Half of European airports part of scheme to cut their emissions (not the flight emissions though)
Airports account for perhaps around 5% of the total emissions from aviation. Airports handling about 50% of European passenger traffic are now certified under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme set up by ACI Europe. Since its launch in June 2009, 55 airports have become accredited at one of the 4 levels of certification. In Year One of the programme, 18 accredited airports achieved a reduction of 411,390 tonnes of CO2, rising in the second year to a reduction of 729,689 tCO2 as 25 further airports joined. All very commendable, and excellent news that airports are cutting their carbon emissions. However, putting it in context, the 729,689 tonnes of CO2 is only 0.34% of the total 212, 892,052 tonnes allocated to aviation under the European emissions trading scheme, in the first year of the ETS. And European air passengers increased in 2011 by 7% in 2011 – so the emissions are rising.
How much carbon do European airlines emit per year compared to the airport savings?
EU annual allowances for year 2012 for aviation correspond to 212,892,052 tonnes of CO2 and EU ETS aims to decrease this number by approximately 2% per year, which represents 208,502,525 tonnes in 2013
729,689 tonnes CO2 saved per year by the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme set up by trade body ACI Europe, to cut airport [not aviation] emissions.
= 0.34%
After thirty months of progress, airport carbon reduction programme expands to cover over half of European traffic
15.2.2012 (Green Air online)
Airports handling over half –52% – of European passenger traffic are now certified under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme set up by trade body ACI Europe and backed by the European Commission.
Since its launch in June 2009, 55 airports have become accredited at one of the four levels of certification: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality.
Airports’ own operations account for only around 5% of aviation’s two per cent share of global carbon emissions but, says ACI Europe, European airports are keen to tackle their contribution.
Last November, the programme was expanded to include ACI’s Asia-Pacific region, with Abu Dhabi International Airport becoming the first to be accredited (read article), and gained the support of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
A number of significant European airports have recently become newly accredited, and renewals within the programme have also seen Gothenburg-Landvetter retain its status as a carbon neutral airport, with Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands achieving the Reduction level for the first time.
“With Helsinki, Düsseldorf, Warsaw and the six airports of Finavia’s Lapland Group now accredited, joining 46 others, our industry continues to make tangible progress in addressing its carbon footprint and becoming more efficient,” commented ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec on the scheme’s milestone. “More than 750 million passengers a year are travelling through European airports that are now Airport Carbon Accredited.”
In Year One of the programme, 18 accredited airports achieved a reduction of 411,390 tonnes of CO2, rising in the second year to a reduction of 729,689 tCO2 as 25 further airports joined. Final results for Year Three will be announced at ACI Europe’s Annual Congress in June.
Earlier this month, Dublin, Cork and Bologna airports moved up the accreditation ladder to the Reduction level, in which airports put in place effective carbon management procedures towards reducing their carbon footprint.
So far, six Scandinavian airports – Oslo and Trondheim in Norway together with Stockholm’s Arlanda and Bromma airports, plus Gothenburg and Umea, in Sweden – and the two Milan airports, Linate and Malpensa, have achieved the highest Neutrality level.
To achieve this level, an airport has to fulfil all the requirements of the previous three levels and offset its remaining Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions to show its commitment to achieving carbon neutral operations for all direct and indirect emissions over which the airport has control, using internationally recognised offsets such as CERs, ERUs, VERs and EUAs.
Siim Kallas, European Commission Vice-President responsible for transport, commented that the number of airports now participating in the programme was helping to move European aviation onto a more sustainable footing.
“Genuine progress on greening transport and curbing emissions can only occur when the regulator’s work is complemented by citizens and businesses taking action of their own,” he said. “Airport Carbon Accreditation is a fine example of an industry taking the initiative in this regard.”
Adding her congratulations to the European airports taking part in the programme, European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, said: “It is important that all parts of industry and society join in our efforts against climate change, and examples like yours are inspiring.”
Airport Carbon Accreditation is administered by consultancy WSP Environment & Energy and overseen by an independent Advisory Board that includes representatives of the European Commission, ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference), Eurocontrol, ICAO and UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme).
Link:
Airport Carbon Accreditation
http://www.greenaironline.com/news.php?viewStory=1422
Related GreenAir Online articles:
The Airport Carbon Accreditation website says:
Why
The whole of humanity is coming to terms with the issue of climate change, and the role of carbon emissions as a cause. Airport Carbon Accreditation is the European airport industry’s response.
Energy generation, industrial manufacturing processes, domestic energy consumption and transport are amongst the human activities that contribute the most to carbon emissions. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001), aviation contributes to 2% of global manmade CO₂ emissions. It is estimated that airport activities account for up to 5% of total aviation emissions.
Along with other aviation industry stakeholders, European airports are seeking to address the challenge of climate change and have developed a wide range of activities to reduce carbon emissions linked to airport operations. These emissions are mainly stemming from energy use in airport buildings and infrastructure, transport to/from airports, airside vehicles, aircraft ground movements and energy consumption and refrigerants.
By providing airports with a common framework for active carbon management with measurable goal-posts, Airport Carbon Accreditation assesses and recognises efforts to manage and reduce carbon emissions from airport operations. Performance recognition is ensured with four levels of accreditation: mapping, reduction, optimisation andneutrality.
Airport Carbon Accreditation acknowledges that airports are at a number of different points on a journey towards comprehensive carbon management and carbon neutrality. The step-by-step process encourages airports to reduce their carbon emissions with the ultimate goal of carbon neutral operations.
AEA European member airlines report passenger growth of 7.1% to almost 363 million in 2011
Date added: February 13, 2012
Latest data from the 30 members of the Association of European Airlines (AEA) which report traffic data (this does not include airberlin and Olympic Air) shows that passenger numbers in 2011 were up +7.1% compared to 2010 to almost 363 million. Capacity (ASKs) is up 8.9% while traffic (RPKs) is up 8.0%, resulting in a load factor drop of 0.6% to 77.3%. Due to the troubles in North African countries, far fewer (about -23% fewer) European passengers travelled there. Cross-border Europe was up 9.7%. Domestic traffic grew + 2.7%. BA passengers were up + 11.6%. Virgin down – 0.%. BMI down – 7.5%. Over the 30 airlines covered, load factors were down 0.6%.