European Airports Lead the Way Towards Net Zero Carbon Emissions in Aviation
303 European airports commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with 118 setting more ambitious targets for 2030. This significant step in sustainable aviation marks a substantial progress towards a greener future.
European Airports Commit to Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050
ACI EUROPE has announced that 303 European airports have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, marking a significant step towards sustainable aviation. These airports represent 80% of Europe’s air passenger traffic. Out of these, 118 airports have set more ambitious targets to meet these goals by 2030 or sooner.
The commitment is part of the enhanced ACI EUROPE Resolution, which mandates the attainment of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The resolution, first adopted in 2019, was updated to require airports to publish their net zero roadmaps. Currently, over 80 such roadmaps from 303 airports across 36 countries are available on the ACI EUROPE website.
Under the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, 290 European airports have been recognized for their carbon management efforts, with 47 achieving certifications in line with the Paris Agreement goals. These airports collectively prevented the emission of 500,000 tonnes of CO2 between May 2022 and May 2023. In December 2022, ACI introduced a new accreditation level, Level 5, certifying airports that achieve a net zero carbon balance for controlled emissions and enhance efforts across all emissions.
ADNOC Secures $3 Billion Green Financing with JBIC
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed a general agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for a $3 billion green financing facility under JBIC’s GREEN program. This marks ADNOC’s first green funding initiative aimed at accelerating its decarbonization efforts and supporting global energy transition goals.
The agreement, building on a Heads of Agreement signed in January, underscores the strategic energy partnership between the UAE and Japan. The proceeds from this credit facility will be used to support ADNOC’s strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 and reduce its carbon intensity by 25% by 2030. ADNOC is investing $23 billion to decarbonize its operations and expand into renewable energies and carbon capture technologies.
Khaled Al Zaabi, ADNOC Group CFO, emphasized the long-standing collaboration with JBIC and highlighted the importance of the financing facility in supporting ADNOC’s ambitious growth and decarbonization targets.