ACI EUROPE has announced the launch of its new Sustainability Strategy for Airports 2.0, which aims to set out a practical framework to aid airports in the integration of sustainability across their operations, investments and long-term business strategies.
Unveiled during the Joint ACI EUROPE and ICAO EUR/NAT Environmental Protection Seminar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; the new Strategy builds on the initial ACI EUROPE Sustainability Strategy published in 2019, and seeks to reflect how the airport sector and sustainability agenda have evolved in the years following its launch.
The new Strategy recognises that the long-term sustainability and resilience of airports now depends on a wider range of environmental, social and economic considerations, from climate adaptation and biodiversity to circular resource use, sustainable mobility, accessibility and community engagement – all whilst retaining decarbonisation at its core.
Olivier Jankovec, ACI EUROPE Director General, said:European airports have come a long way since we launched our first Sustainability Strategy in 2019. Decarbonisation has moved from commitment to delivery, with hundreds of airports now working towards net zero and investing in cleaner energy and infrastructure.
But true sustainability means much more than just addressing carbon. Airports are critical infrastructure, major employers and integral parts of the communities they serve. Their long-term resilience and competitiveness increasingly depend on how effectively they adapt to climate change, manage resources, protect nature, improve accessibility and maintain the trust of their people and communities. Ultimately, this is about future proofing our sector, strengthening our societal relevance, and ensuring that aviation continues to support Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness.
This new Strategy is therefore deliberately about moving from commitment to action. It does not prescribe one model for every airport. Instead, it gives airports practical tools to understand where they are, decide where they need to go next and embed sustainability into the decisions they make every day.
The Strategy aims to combine a set of practical actions, Key Performance Indicators, airport case studies and relevant regulatory guidance for a set of 7 key areas:
- Decarbonisation & Energy Transition
- Climate Adaptation & Resilience
- Local Environmental Quality & Community Impacts
- Circular Economy & Resource Management
- Biodiversity, Land Use & Airside Ecology
- Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility
- People & Community
It also addresses governance, sustainability reporting and anti-greenwashing, whilst providing airports with updated guidance for navigating the evolving European regulatory landscape.
The seminar in Tashkent also saw the celebration of a significant decarbonisation milestone for Uzbekistan Airports, with nine airports under its management now achieving certification within Airport Carbon Accreditation, with Tashkent International Airport recently entering the programme directly at Level 2.
