Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program has awarded Bristol Airport, UK, Level 2 Reduction status, following a 28% decrease in carbon emissions per passenger between 2014 and 2017.
ACA is an independent, voluntary program which certifies airports at four levels of accreditation – mapping, reduction, optimization and neutrality. It is independently administered and has won praise from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the European Commission.
Bristol Airport became the 23rd airport in Europe to achieve accreditation at the mapping level in 2015. This entailed measuring energy use over a nine-year period and committing to a Carbon Management Plan to reduce carbon emissions across its 196-hectare site.
This has seen solar photovoltaic panels installed on the terminal, air source heat pumps used to heat the building, and LED lighting fitted throughout, as well as ongoing engagement with colleagues to encourage energy saving.
Level two accreditation recognizes the results delivered by these initiatives. Alongside the 28% reduction in emissions per passenger, absolute emissions have fallen by more than 6% over the same period despite major developments including two terminal extensions, the most recent of which added 9,000m² (97,000ft²) to the building.
James Shearman, head of sustainability at Bristol Airport, said, “Achieving Level 2 accreditation demonstrates our continued commitment to reducing Bristol Airport’s carbon footprint. It is an important step on the journey toward carbon neutrality, which is our ultimate long-term goal.”
The next level in the four-stage process is optimization, which requires airports to widen the scope of its carbon footprint to include third-party emissions, such as those generated in the landing and take-off cycle of aircraft. The final stage in the accreditation process is carbon neutrality, which Bristol Airport aims to achieve by 2030.