The Airport Regions Council (ARC) has agreed to join Eurocontrol’s Collaborative Environmental Management (CEM) to build the shared understanding of environmental/operational interdependencies among internal operational stakeholders and make the sector more sustainable.
Eurocontrol’s CEM Specifications describe a process whereby core operational stakeholders at an airport can coordinate actions to reduce the environmental impact of airport operations while maximizing the airport’s current and future performance. These specifications also take into account current challenges such as the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
The CEM will focus on identifying the root causes of environmental impacts/risks and facilitating common sustainable solutions. Having done this, the partners plan to create a transparent dialog that can harmonize relations with authorities and engagement with local communities and businesses.
CEM Specification’s cooperative design is therefore intended to improve the efficiency of public administrations and airports by creating solutions that benefit all stakeholders involved. Adopting CEM as a continued and organized dialog with local authorities and communities is expected to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals and delivering in other areas such as quality of life, health outcomes, air quality and noise.
Philippe Merlo, who leads the Directorate European Civil-Military Aviation (DECMA) at Eurocontrol, said, “In the coming years the aviation sector will have to tackle the historic challenge of decarbonization. Eurocontrol’s CEM supports airports and their partners to put in place the best processes to successfully lower their environmental impact. The ARC, as the association representing regional and local authorities that host or neighbor an airport, is an important partner for airports and communities as they seek to minimize environmental impacts. We welcome the opportunity to cooperate closely with ARC and their members to accelerate aviation decarbonization.”
Erich Valentin, president of ARC, said, “After years of successful collaboration, Airport Regions Council and Eurocontrol have decided to strengthen their common and committed work for sustainable aviation by signing this memorandum of understanding. The MoU underlines that the shared vision on environmental matters at airports is the best way to ensure quality of life for citizens, and a sustainable future for aviation.”
To learn more about the partners of the CEM initiative, click here.
