Net Zero CO2 Emissions

The ACI EUROPE Sustainability Strategy was launched in 2019

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, which included the Net Zero Resolution that has been updated in 2024

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. 303 European airports have since committed to net zero⁴ carbon emissions from airport operations within their control by 2050 and provided a roadmap detailing how this will be achieved

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net zero logo This net zero commitment covers Scope 1 direct airport emissions and Scope 2 indirect emissions (e.g. consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam). 118 airports have announced a net zero target by 2030 or earlier, and 16 airports have already achieved net zero. In 2022, guidance on reducing Scope 3 emissions from others operating at the airport which are the largest share of emissions (e.g. aircraft, surface access, staff travel) was published

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and this was followed in 2023 with guidance on developing Net Zero carbon roadmaps

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STAKEHOLDER ACTIONS

Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme

The Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme

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was launched in 2009 by the Airports Council International Europe and, as of June 2024, now includes 564 airports on a global basis. The ACA is a voluntary industry led initiative, overseen by an independent Administrator and Advisory Board, that provides a common framework for carbon management with the primary objective to encourage and enable airports to reduce their CO₂ emissions. All data submitted by airports is externally and independently verified. As of the latest 2022-2023 reporting period, there were 290 European airports participating in the programme corresponding to 77.8% of European passenger traffic (

The ACA programme was initially structured around four levels of certification (Level 1: Mapping, Level 2: Reduction, Level 3: Optimisation; Level 3+: Neutrality) with increasing scope and obligations for carbon emissions management (Scope 1: direct airport emissions, Scope 2: indirect emissions under airport control from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam and Scope 3: emissions by others operating at the airport such as aircraft, surface access, staff travel).

In 2020, Levels 4 (Transformation⁵ ) and 4+ (Transition⁶ ) have been added as interim steps towards the long-term goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions and to align it with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Guidelines were also published to inform airports about offsetting options, requirements and recommendations, as well as dedicated guidance on the procurement of offsets.

In 2023, a new Level 5 was added to the ACA programme. When applying for Level 5 airports are required to reach and maintain ≥ 90% absolute CO₂ emissions reductions in Scopes 1 and 2 in alignment with the ISO Net Zero Guidelines, as well as commit to achieving net zero CO₂ emissions in Scope 3 by 2050 or sooner. Any residual emissions need to be removed from the atmosphere through investment in credible carbon removal projects. To support airports in this endeavour, an update to the Airport Carbon Accreditation Offset Guidance Document

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was published on carbon removal options and most effective removal strategies. Level 5 accredited airports need to outline detailed steps to achieve their emissions reduction targets, as part of their Carbon Management Plan.

Level 5 also requires airports to submit a verified carbon footprint for Scopes 1 and 2, and all relevant categories of Scope 3 as per the requirements of the GHG Protocol Guidance

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, notably covering all significant upstream and downstream activities from third parties, including airlines. Finally, airports must establish a Stakeholder Partnership Plan underpinning their commitment to net zero CO₂ emissions in Scope 3, by engaging with the entire airport ecosystem and actively driving third parties towards delivering emissions reductions with regular milestones to gauge progress.

Ten airports were certified against Level 5 at launch, including 9 European airports (Amsterdam Schiphol, Eindhoven, Rotterdam-The Hague, Beja, Madeira, Ponta Delgada, Göteborg Landvetter, Malmö and ToulonHyères). Ivalo, Kittilä, Kuusamo and Rovaniemi airports were also subsequently accredited to Level 5 in 2024.

The carbon emissions per passenger travelling through European airports at all levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation has increased to 1.8 kg CO₂/passenger (

). A total reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to a three year rolling average⁷ of 452 893 tonnes of CO₂ for all accredited airports in Europe was also reported (

). This represents about 20% reduction compared to the three-year rolling average.

Further developments in the ACA programme are envisaged in 2025 that will focus on the efforts of airport supply chains to reduce their CO₂ emissions.

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Airport Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE)

ACI EUROPE represents over 500 airports in 55 countries, which accounts for over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. It works to promote professional excellence and best practice amongst its members, including in the area of environmental sustainability.

Digital Green Lane

man using phone inside vehicle The Digital Green Lane

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was launched in 2023 and is a fully digital system for the delivery and collection of goods between freight forwarders and ground handlers, facilitated using cloud-based applications. This process offers numerous benefits, including shorter waiting times for the trucks that deliver and collect goods, a reduction in CO₂ emissions, increased transparency and less paper. The Digital Green Lane was further expanded by cargo community organisation Air Cargo Belgium and some 95% of all cargo in the Brussels Airport cargo zone is now processed via this system. A pilot programme incorporating this same system has also been launched at Athens airport.

Airport Regions Council (ARC)

airport regions council logo ARC is an association of local and regional authorities hosting or adjacent to both major European hub airports and smaller airports. The organisation’s expertise is at the intersection of airport operations and local/regional policies, and it supports maximising benefits and minimising environmental impact, ultimately striving to improve the well-being of residents in airport regions.

Digital Twin

3d map of brussels airport Within the EU Horizon 2020 research project ‘Stargate’

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, IES and Brussels Airport have developed a Digital Twin of the airport’s 40 most energy-intensive buildings before modelling scenarios such as installing solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and replacing gas boilers with heat pumps to find the most effective routes to net zero carbon emissions by 2030. This marks a significant step up from the current use of digital twin technology, where it has most commonly been used to optimise commercial operations. Through rigorous modelling stages, it was verified that energy saving measures had the potential for up to 63% CO₂ savings against the 2019 baseline year. This approach will also be replicated at Athens, Budapest and Toulouse airports and promoted across ARC Members.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

logos Environmental NGOs are actively involved in policy-making discussions to address the environmental impacts of aviation. They communicate civil society concerns and positions associated with noise, air pollution, climate change and social justice. They also contribute to raising awareness on aviation’s environmental impact through transparency of data.

Tracking progress of business travel emissions savings

emissions tracker logo Travel Smart is a global campaign aiming at reducing corporate air travel emissions by 50% or more from 2019 levels by 2025, led by a coalition of NGOs in Europe, North America and Asia. The campaign ranks over 327 companies based on the sustainability of their business travel practices and holds them accountable through an Emissions Tracker

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. This tool uses Carbon Disclosure Project

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corporate emissions database, and allows users to track the progress of a companyʼs business air travel emissions reduction target.

The tracker shows through coloured bars whether companies have returned to levels of emissions above their targets or whether they have maintained reductions of -50% or more, thereby highlighting leaders and incentivising competition between companies. Through this Travel Smart campaign, various company best practices have highlighted that reducing flying is compatible with continued development of profitable businesses

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⁴Net zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are achieved when CO₂ emissions from human activities are balanced globally by CO₂ removals from human activities over a specified period. Net zero CO₂ emissions are also referred to as carbon neutrality.
⁵Definition of a long-term carbon management strategy oriented towards absolute emissions reductions and aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Demonstration of actively driving third parties towards delivering emissions reductions.
⁶All Levels 1 to 4 plus offsetting of the residual carbon emissions over which the airport has control.
⁷Emissions reductions have to be demonstrated against the average historical emissions of the three years before year 0. As year 0 changes every year upon an airport’s renewal/upgrade, the three years selected for the average calculation do so as well. Consequently, airports have to show emissions reductions against a three-year rolling average.

Net Zero CO₂ Emissions