Climate Protection

Airport Carbon Accreditation

The main objective of the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) initiative is to support airport operators in their attempts to minimise the production of greenhouse gases from airport activities. Currently, 173 airports worldwide are certified under the ACA programme, annually mapping their carbon footprint and implementing procedures aimed at its reduction. A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emission caused by an entity expressed as carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent.

All airports are not equally active in their attempts at reducing greenhouse gas emission from their operations. Therefore, the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme is divided into four levels, such as mapping of the carbon footprint, its reduction and management towards a reduced carbon footprint, optimisation involving third party engagement and carbon neutrality, i.e. a zero carbon footprint.

Advancing into Level 3 of the programme, Prague Airport has joined the group of 22 important European airports, including, for example, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Copenhagen and Athens.

Learn more about the programme at www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org.

Shares by Individual Sources

Carbon footprint is observed in three SCOPES:

SCOPE 1 = direct emissions from airport operations, e.g. fuel and natural gas consumption, emissions from wastewater treatment, losses of coolants during AC use, etc.

SCOPE 2 = indirect emissions from electricity consumption originating outside of the airport as a direct result of airport activities.

SCOPE 3 = additional indirect emissions originating as a result of airport operations, but not subject to airport ownership and control, including emissions produced during individual flight phases – approach, landing, taxing and take-off (i.e. the LTO cycle), emissions from transport of passengers to/from the airport, employee business trips, use of airport ground machinery, apron operations, etc.