As defined by ICAO, an Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a methodology and framework to systemically identify and cost-effectively manage significant environmental aspects in the operation of aviation organisations. It has been proven effective across a wide range of organisations, including airports, air carriers, manufacturers and government agencies. EMS is one of the tools available for managing environmental matters at an airport, along with sustainability plans, certifications and other processes.
Through the support from EU funded projects to the ASEAN Member States, Thailand, Laos PDR, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam have all developed technical capacity for the implementation of EMS in selected airports within their network. The support provided through a series of training sessions, and the exchange of experiences between airport officials, has facilitated the local implementation of the EMS and the progressive transformation of airport infrastructure to reduce its environmental impact.
As an example, Iloilo Airport in the Philippines was supported in developing and implementing their EMS, including associated manuals, processes and action plans, which led to certification against ISO14001 in 2023
. This attested to a well-established system and the commitment from airport senior officials to mitigate the impact of the infrastructure and its operation on the environment and surroundings. The environmental team from Iloilo Airport, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Philippines (CAAP) and the support of EU Projects, has subsequently developed an EMS implementation package to support CAAP in progressively rolling out the EMS across the airport network from 2024 onwards.The implementation of EMS is location specific and faced different scenarios and environmental challenges at each airport. For example, Luang Prabang Airport in Laos PDR is an airport surrounded by UNESCO sites where the need to respect the local cultural heritage was essential during the implementation of their EMS.
All the expertise accumulated in the various EMS implementations is being shared among the ASEAN Member States in thematic workshops facilitated by EU funded projects, and in a dedicated workstream at ASEAN level led by the ASEAN Air Transport Working Group (ATWG).
