Sunshine Coast Airport awarded carbon neutral for fourth year
Sunshine Coast Airport has been awarded carbon neutral status for the fourth year under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation Program.
The highest level of accreditation achievable under the scheme, Sunshine Coast Airport was the first airport in Australia to be recognised as carbon neutral in 2017, and remains the only airport in Australia to have achieved the Level 3+ certification.
Due to the impacts of COVID-19, Sunshine Coast Airport will hold the accreditation for two years.
Sunshine Coast Airport Chief Executive Officer Andrew Brodie said it was welcomed good news, and a proud moment for the region.
"This award is a significant achievement for the Sunshine Coast, placing us with only five other airports in Asia-Pacific to currently hold the title," Mr Brodie said.
"Our region is already renowned for its natural environment, with Noosa last year awarded UNESCO biosphere status for another 10 years.
"This award underlines our place at the forefront of industry standards, and we will continue to prioritise our commitment to waste management, recycling and energy reduction into the future."
Sunshine Coast Airport's achievements include:
- a reduction in C02 produced per passenger by 43% since 2012
- a 12% reduction in tonnes of C02 produced per passenger in the last reporting year
- a 10% reduction in fuel usage for airport operations
- waste reduction of 12% in the last reporting year.
ACI's Airport Carbon Accreditation Program was launched in Europe in 2009 as part of the aviation industry's response to climate change, and now has more than 313 airports participating across the globe. Other levels of recognition include carbon Mapping (Level 1), Reduction (Level 2) and Optimisation (Level 3).