Friday, August 23, 2024 Edinburgh Airport has been honored for its significant efforts in reducing absolute emissions, becoming the first in Scotland to achieve global carbon accreditation. The airport has attained Level 4 ‘Transformation’ within the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program, one of the highest distinctions in the global carbon management certification for airports. This accomplishment is the result of extensive collaboration with stakeholders, airlines, and campus partners, along with detailed mapping of emissions across the airport’s supply chain and the release of a new Net Zero strategy.
The ACA is the only globally recognized carbon management certification for airports, and this achievement underscores the airport’s commitment to its Greater Good sustainability strategy. Efforts at the airport to achieve ACA Level 4 included : All data submitted for this accreditation is verified by external auditors, and the airport is now focusing on reaching the next milestone, ACA Level 4+ Transition, where remaining carbon emissions will be offset using verified carbon credits. Edinburgh Airport is now part of the VINCI Airports network, the world’s leading private airport operator and a major contributor to the Airport Carbon Accreditation initiative.
With over 70 airports in its portfolio, VINCI aims to achieve net zero emissions across its European and UK airports by 2030, with four airports—Toulon Hyères in France and Beja, Madeira, and Ponta Delgada in Portugal—having already reached Level 5, the net zero emission stage. Jessica Briggs, Head of Sustainability at Edinburgh Airport, said : “This accreditation marks another major milestone as we progress towards Net Zero emissions and build upon the important work already done through our Greater Good sustainability strategy. “We’d like to recognise the role our airlines, campus partners, and suppliers have played in this and thank them for engaging with us as we work to better understand emissions created across our campus and beyond – and look at how we can further reduce these.
“Work is already underway and we know that VINCI Airports’ environmental strategy will accelerate our climate transition to achieve higher levels of the Airport Carbon Accreditation by reducing as much as possible our direct emissions, working on the value chain and beyond, whilst supporting carbon removal projects with environmental and social benefits.”.
