New toolkit released for airports to tackle climate change
10 December 2024
Harnessing innovative technologies within the aviation sector will be crucial for the industry to face the challenges of climate change, says a new briefing.
The paper aims to serve as a resource for identifying climate change impacts of concern and conducting climate change risk assessments, enabling those in aviation to develop effective and tailored adaptation plans.
“For years, we’ve addressed climate change from both mitigation and adaptation perspectives within ACI EUROPE,” said Alexandre de Joybert, Director of Sustainability, from ACI EUROPE, which together with EUROCONTROL produced the toolkit. “Through key industry‑led initiatives like Airport Carbon Accreditation and DESTINATION 2050, we’ve focused on reducing the sector’s carbon footprint. Today, we are providing our members with a toolkit to help airports assess, plan and prepare for the effects of climate change on their operations, which are increasing in frequency and intensity.”
The European aviation community strives to achieve net zero CO2 emissions, notably through DESTINATION 2050 at sectorial level, as well as the airport‑specific Net Zero pledge and the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. However, the sector is already grappling with disruptive weather patterns affecting aviation operations, airport infrastructure, passengers, and personnel, and which are set to increase with climate change.
“Today’s release of our new briefing is a concrete deliverable of our joint work with ACI EUROPE and our partners across the industry, which we hope contributes to helping aviation organisations in their climate change risk assessments and developing adaptation plans,” said Marylin Bastin, Head of Sustainability at EUROCONTROL. “All industry stakeholders will be impacted by increasingly disruptive weather, therefore it is key that we collectively raise awareness of those impacts and the importance of investment in preparedness.”
Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate was launched at ACI Europe’s Airports Innovate 2024 conference in Rome, and was developed in cooperation with 39 member organisations of the European Climate Change Adaptation Working Group.
Following the release of the briefing the Working Group will now be developing regionally‑focused guidance on climate impacts, risk assessment and adaptation measures to further support aviation stakeholders in developing climate resilience.
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