Adelaide and Parafield Airports internationally recognised for reducing carbon emissions

2 October, 2014

Adelaide and Parafield Airports have become the first Australian capital city airports to be recognised by the global Airport Carbon Accreditation program for managing and reducing their carbon emissions.

Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL), which operates both airports, is now certified as Airport Carbon Accredited at Level 2 (‘Reduction’), for its work in reducing its carbon footprint. The company received Level 1 accreditation in June 2013.

Airport Carbon Accreditation is a voluntary, internationally-renowned, institutionally-recognised carbon standard for the airport industry.

AAL Managing Director, Mark Young, said the company was proud to be the first Australian capital city airport to achieve Level 2 accreditation.

“For the past six years we have been assessing our carbon footprint associated with activities such as our terminal operations, use of plant and vehicles and staff travel,” Mr Young said.

To achieve Level 2, AAL implemented a number of initiatives including office and terminal lighting upgrades, improving the energy efficiency of T1 heating and cooling system, and running an extensive staff awareness campaign to improve energy ‘habits’ and reduce electricity used throughout Adelaide Airport facilities.

Adelaide Airport has also developed a five-year sustainability strategy and carbon management plan, which has identified a number of future carbon friendly initiatives.

The certificate of Level 2 accreditation was presented to Adelaide Airport at the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific Regional Environment Committee meeting in Hong Kong.

Mr Young said the airport had previously received Australia-wide recognition for its environmental activities and the Level 2 accreditation was a significant achievement to receive international recognition for this work. It is consistent with the South Australian Government’s commitment to sustainability and the recent achievement and extension of the State’s renewable energy targets.

Adelaide Airport has already undertaken a number of green initiatives including solar power, energy reduction in the main terminal and stormwater recycling.

In addition, its ‘clean energy’ partnership with the University of Adelaide has supported the development of initiatives to significantly change the way in which we use energy in the future.

Mrs Patti Chau, Regional Director ACI Asia-Pacific said: “I wish to congratulate Adelaide and Parafield Airports on the accreditation. This accreditation is a further level of formal recognition of Adelaide Airport’s long standing commitment to sustainability.”

Airport Carbon Accreditation was first launched by ACI Europe in 2009, and was extended to ACI Asia-Pacific in November 2011, ACI Africa in June 2013 and ACI North America in September 2014. It is an independent program administered by WSP Group, an international consultancy appointed to enforce the programme’s strict certification criteria.

Currently, there are 108 airports certified at one of the 4 available levels in the program. Those airports welcome 24 per cent of global air passenger traffic.