Airport Carbon Accreditation programme launches new Level 5

Airports Council International today officially launched Level 5 certification of its global Airport Carbon Accreditation programme at the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP28).

Amsterdam Schiphol, Christchurch, Göteborg Landvetter, Madeira, Malmö and Rotterdam The Hague airports are among the first 10 airports on the planet to reach the new highest certification level in the programme designed to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint.

The introduction of Level 5 builds on the trajectory of evolution set by the introduction of Levels 4 and 4+ in 2020. These earlier levels already certify airports for following a CO2 emissions reduction pathway aligned with the objective of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming by 1.5°C/2°C.

Level 5 thus recognises the ultimate achievement and maturity in airport carbon management, based on the following requirements:

•  Extensive carbon reduction in absolute terms: To achieve Level 5, airports need to reach and maintain ≥ 90% absolute CO2 emissions reductions in Scope 1 and 2 in alignment with the ISO Net Zero Guidelines and commit to achieving net zero in Scope 3 by 2050 or sooner.

•  Investment in carbon removal: Any residual emissions need to be removed from the atmosphere through investment in credible carbon removal projects. To guide airports in this endeavour, ACI has analysed the carbon removal options available and outlined the most effective removal strategies in the updated edition of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Offset Guidance Document.

•  Establishment of a Carbon Management Plan: Level 5 accredited airports need to outline detailed steps to achieve their emissions reduction targets, as part of their Carbon Management Plan.

•  Extended carbon footprint: Airports need to submit a verified carbon footprint for Scope 1 and 2 (direct and indirect emissions under the airport’s control) and all relevant categories of Scope 3 (indirect emissions outside of the airport’s control) as per the requirements of the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Guidance, notably covering all significant upstream and downstream activities from third parties – including airlines.

•  Establishment of a Stakeholder Partnership Plan: Underpinning airports’ commitment to net zero in Scope 3, Level 5 accreditation requires the setup of a Stakeholder Partnership Plan, engaging with the entire airport ecosystem at a much deeper level, and actively driving third parties towards delivering emissions reductions themselves. The Plan needs to include regular milestones to gauge progress towards reaching net zero across the airport site.

As has been done since the inception of Airport Carbon Accreditation for all accreditation levels, ACI will keep the requirements of Level 5 under regular review based on the latest science to ensure their continued robustness.

Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI EUROPE, said: “Since its launch back in 2009, Airport Carbon Accreditation has become the global standard for carbon management at airports with 557 airports certified across five continents to date.

“While the programme’s requirements and structure have evolved overtime to reflect both science and societal expectations, the launch of Level 5 today marks a pivotal shift. The establishment of a reference framework for airports achieving and maintaining a net-zero carbon balance for emissions under their control reflects the fact that airports are starting to deliver on their net zero commitments.

Crucially, Level 5 also pushes airports to extend their focus beyond those direct CO2 emissions, by following a comprehensive approach in measuring their Scope 3 emissions and influencing their reduction towards net zero by 2050.”

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He added: “Level 5 signifies genuine business transformation, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the trailblazing airports from the Royal Schiphol Group, Christchurch, VINCI Airports and Swedavia  that have pioneered it and met all its stringent requirements.”

Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only institutionally-endorsed, global carbon management certification programme for airports.

It independently assesses and recognises the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions through its levels of certification: ‘Mapping’, ‘Reduction’, ‘Optimisation’, ‘Neutrality’, ‘Transformation’, ‘Transition’ and ‘Level 5’.

In addition to today’s ACA news, ACI World has released Version 7 of the Airport Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT), a complimentary resources that has consistently helped airports worldwide to identify, quantify and manage their greenhouse gas emissions.

The latest version is compatible with all Levels of the Airport Carbon Accreditation program and is available in English, French, and Spanish.