Sharjah Airport has passed the third level of the International Accreditation Certificate on carbon emissions for airports, becoming first in the UAE and the third in the Middle East to pass this accreditation.
The achievement was announced during the meeting of the Airport Council International, ACI, in Narita, Japan, where Sharjah Airport’s achievements and efforts to limit carbon emissions, within the framework of the Airport Carbon Emissions Management Programme, were highly praised by the council.
The accreditation certificate is the only certificate recognised in relation to the management of carbon emissions for airports, worldwide.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority, praised Sharjah International Airport’s carbon emission third-level accreditation from the Airport Council International and confirmed that it demonstrates the extent of the airport’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions through its adoption of green initiatives and programmes, in accordance with the UAE’s commitment to sustainable development and reduction of carbon emissions, the UAE’s strategy for green development, and Sharjah’s Vision 2021 initiative.
"Within the third level of the certificate, Sharjah Airport succeeded in realising such a high achievement due to its cooperation with its partners including airlines companies, ground-handling service agents, fuel service providers, food suppliers and other concerned entities. This full cooperation encouraged all partners to adopt a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing carbon emissions.
"We executed a new action plan to pass the third level and to receive the certificate of accreditation after the airport was awarded the second-level certificate of carbon emissions accreditation. We will now prepare solid plans, in cooperation with specialists, to pass the fourth level (Neutrality) within a short timeframe," Al Midfa added.
Patti Chau, Regional Director of the ACI Asia-Pacific, said, "I wish to congratulate Sharjah Airport on achieving the Airport Carbon Accreditation at Level 3, Optimisation. This accreditation demonstrates the airport’s ongoing commitment to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner and sets an example, encouraging other airports to also exercise and achieve higher standards in carbon reduction."
With this accreditation, Sharjah Airport joins the list of other airports that have been awarded level-three accreditation, including Sydney Airport and Brisbane Airport in Australia, and Queen Alia Airport in Jordan.
In addition, Sharjah Airport always seeks to preserve the environment through its implementation of green initiatives and programmes, a commitment to the standards of ISO certificates, including ISO14001, and the adoption of the best international practices for preserving the environment using the most recent internationally recognised programmes.