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28-Jun-2023 11:15 AM

Over 500 airports now certified under ACA programme but public enthusiasm for net zero is waning

Analysis

The global Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme, managed by ACI EUROPE, has been a success story, racking up 500 participants with 200 of them actively encouraging other firms on the airport site to keep emissions under control.

Because the measures they take are often visible to the public, airports will probably retain public support for them.

That is not the case with the airlines, whose 'net zero' measures have only manifested themselves to the public by way of higher fares, which are likely to rise higher still.

Net zero is coming under increasing scrutiny by a general public that is hammered mercilessly by inflation and high living costs. The air transport industry (and tourism in general) should not make the mistake of thinking that it can continue to price its products highly as a form of virtue signaling.

Summary
  • The Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme has certified over 500 airports, with more than 200 actively engaging other companies on their site to reduce emissions.
  • Airports have a more visible face in working towards 'net zero' emissions compared to airlines, which may help retain public support.
  • The commitment to 'net zero' is facing increasing scrutiny from the public, who are concerned about rising living costs and inflation.
  • Airlines should be cautious about maintaining high ticket prices due to environmental commitments, as public sentiment towards 'net zero' is fading in favor of economic survival.
  • Airports are better positioned to achieve environmental targets and retain public support, with the ability to power themselves through alternative sources such as solar power.
  • The Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme has introduced two new accreditation levels, and new airports from various regions have joined the program.

Summary

  • The Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme has now notched up 500 certified airports.
  • Over 200 of them are also engaging other companies on their site to play their part.
  • New accreditation levels have been introduced.
  • New programme entrants are from across the globe.
  • Working towards 'net zero' has a more visible face at airports than it does for airlines and the public will continue to support it.
  • But with that support for the net zero concept generally starting to wane airlines ought to be wary of continuing to foist ticket prices that are high because of environmental commitments.

500 airports certified as part of ACA programme

Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) announced that more than 500 airports have now been certified under the stringent requirements of the ACA programme.

Airport Carbon Accreditation is an 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 six levels of certification: 'Mapping', 'Reduction', 'Optimisation', 'Neutrality', 'Transformation' and 'Transition'.

Of the 500, over 200 airports are working on reducing not just those CO2 emissions under their control (scope 1 & 2), but also engaging other companies on their site to do the same (scope 3).

63 airports are delivering absolute emission reductions based on a pathway aligned with the objective of the Paris Agreement.

Launched in 2009 by ACI EUROPE, with then only 17 airports achieving accreditation, the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme has since become the global standard for carbon management by airports.

ACI regards the 500 airport milestone as being testament to the programme's continued robustness and relevance in "providing the toolbox that enables concrete and performance-driven airport climate action."

As such, Airport Carbon Accreditation plays a crucial role in ensuring that the airport industry progresses towards achieving its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Can a net zero commitment be sustained in the face of economic adversity?

Whether that commitment itself remains sustainable is open to question in the light of the problems facing the aviation industry such as mass production of SAFs, the competition from other industries for the fuels, and logistical problems in operating commercial scale aircraft powered by electricity or hydrogen.

As Air Lease Corporation executive chairman Steven Udvar-Házy, an astute observer of the industry, said recently on the aviation industry's goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, "I think it's a very tough goal to achieve…I would not be surprised if it's delayed between five and 10 years".

High ticket prices may not be 'sustainable' for much longer

Moreover, public sentiment towards 'net zero' has faded in many countries in favour of an economic survival mindset and airlines need to be wary of keeping ticket prices high on account even partially of their environmental commitments.

As Airlines across the Americas ponder when the demand bubble will burst, a recent CAPA report on North American trends, suggested, the 'post pandemic revenge travel' surge is abating.

Airports in a better position to achieve environmental targets and retain public support

At least the airports business is in a better place to achieve whatever 'net zero' targets evolve as it can power itself much more easily by way of alternative sources including the solar power that is deployed at so many airports today, in many cases (where the sun shines consistently) supplying entire supply needs and with some to spare.

Moreover, those measures have a greater degree of visibility than those that are employed by airlines.

And the entire industry continues to maximise its efforts to improve its environmental 'status'. The CAPA news briefs categorised under 'environment and sustainability' average around 10 such briefs a day.

Chronicling the 'latest achievements', the ACA statement points out that from 2019 and ACI EUROPE's "pioneering pledge" committing all European airports to achieving net zero CO2 by 2050, through a resolution at the global ACI level in 2021, followed by the landmark ICAO Long-Term Aspirational Goal voted in by the triennial assembly in Oct-2022, binding the global aviation industry with the net zero goal, the ambitions have "kept on rising."

Two new accreditation levels

Catering to these developments, in Oct-2020, the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework was expanded to include two new levels: Level 4 'Transformation' and Level 4+ 'Transition'. Despite the novel and demanding nature of these new levels, and their introduction during the most acute of crises ever witnessed by the global aviation industry, the COVID-19 pandemic, airports in all world regions are embracing the challenge they present.

Currently, 63 airports have managed to become certified at Levels 4/4+. Since the beginning of this year, the following airports managed to achieve:

New programme entrants from across the globe

The 500 airports milestone was reached thanks to a groundswell of airports joining the programme at all levels of the framework. The most recent airports to join Airport Carbon Accreditation in each world region are:

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE which runs the global programme commented: "Today's news is a watershed moment for airport climate action. More than 500 airports including the busiest hubs on the planet are committed to decarbonising within the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework. While we note this excellent achievement, brought about by increasing ambition of airports in all world regions, we do not intend to stop there. The next frontier for the programme will be providing a blueprint for a net zero carbon airport operation. Watch this space!"

The commitment and enthusiasm of ACI EUROPE, and its willingness to manage a global programme, deserves the highest recognition but needs to be tempered with a dose of reality. Throughout the pandemic there was almost universal support in surveys for the introduction of measures which hastened net zero across all sectors but increasingly, now that consumers understand what the cost will be to them personally, that support is starting to slip.

Net zero comes at a cost that will increasingly be scrutinised

Even a mathematical illiterate can grasp the significance of figures like USD275 trillion and UD9.2 trillion per annum to 2050 to achieve the much-vaunted target globally and of who is going to pay for it.

Those measures taken at airports are unlikely to be questioned too deeply by the public in the short term and indeed will continue to be welcomed.

But the airports' clients, the airlines, will need to think hard about keeping air ticket prices high, let alone of increasing them further to fund a transition to greener status, if they want to avoid a backlash.

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