Christchurch Airport in New Zealand has become the first in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, to reach Level 4 of the ACI’s Transformation of Airport Carbon Accreditation.
The airport, which was previously accredited at Level 2 – Reduction of Airport Carbon Accreditation, has, according to ACI, successfully achieved the upgrade by taking swift and concrete actions to transform its operations, in order to achieve CO2 emissions reduction in alignment with the Paris Agreement.
The organization also notes the airport has addressed broader emissions in its carbon footprint that include all significant operational sources on- and off-site. Furthermore, it has demonstrated evidence of actively engaging and leading its stakeholders toward delivering emissions reductions.
Following the award of the new accreditation, Malcolm Johns, CEO Christchurch Airport, commented, ‘’Achieving Level 4 Transformation of Airport Carbon Accreditation is a giant leap for our airport community. We are very proud to be the first airport in New Zealand and in the world to reach this accreditation. As a regional airport, we set a good example for our regional peers and for the airport industry as a whole. We show that small is big when you are bold enough to set the bar higher on climate actions and to deliver on ambitious environmental goals. We will continue to work diligently to build a more sustainable aviation in strong cooperation with our business partners.”
Stefano Baronci, director general, ACI Asia-Pacific, added, “This achievement demonstrates the airport’s firm commitment to invest in a more sustainable future for aviation and for the region it serves. Without a doubt, it is a remarkable milestone at a time of unprecedented challenges for aviation. For airports, it is essential to recover from Covid-19 in a more agile and sustainable way and Christchurch Airport is clearly leading the way in working toward decarbonization. We hope other airports in the region will follow Christchurch Airport’s leadership.’’
