Brussels Airport among world’s 67 best in CO2 reduction

Brussels Airport is among the 67 most efficient airports in the world in terms of CO2 emissions. It has achieved Lever 4+, the penultimate level of Airport Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program (ACA).

A total of 592 airports worldwide participate in the ACA program that compares and certifies airports in terms of CO2 emissions.

First in Belgium

This makes the Zaventem airport, which has been offsetting its CO2 emissions since 2018, the first in Belgium to reach Level 4+, the second-highest accreditation level. “Brussels Airport is thus getting closer to Level 5 because we still have the ambition as an airport operator not to emit any CO2 at all by 2030,” says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.

Brussels Airport owes this higher rating to the calculation’s inclusion of more emission sources, which is in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. These include the impact of purchased goods and services, waste treatment (from the airport and partners), and wastewater.

In addition, Level 4+ includes full-flight emissions for all departing flights. Lower levels only limit this to the ‘Landing and Take-off’ phase.

Carbon Management Plan

Brussels Airport has also drawn up a Carbon Management Plan, a roadmap of its actions to become carbon neutral by 2030. These include working on a ‘modal shift’ for passengers and employees and converting the boiler rooms that heat the airport buildings to a fossil-free alternative.

In addition, airport charges and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) encourage airlines to use more environmentally friendly aircraft.

Only internationally recognized standard

Furthermore, the airport has also established a Stakeholder Partnership Plan with its key partners to reduce carbon emissions at the airport site through, for example, electrifying ground handling equipment, reducing waste to a minimum, and recycling smarter.

The Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only internationally recognized standard that independently evaluates and certifies airports’ efforts to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions using seven levels. ACI Europe, or Airport Council International, leads the program, the umbrella organization of more than 500 airports in Europe spread across 55 countries.

So far, Amsterdam Schiphol, Beja, Christchurch, Delhi, Eindhoven, Göteborg Landvetter, Ivalo, Kempegowda, Kittilä, Kuusamo, Madeira, Malmö, Ponta Delgada, Ronneby, Rotterdam-The Hague, Rovaniemi, Stockholm Arlanda, and Toulon-Hyères airports have reached Level 5.