Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), reached an important milestone on their journey towards neutrality by achieving Level 3 (Optimisation) of the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.
The Level 3 of the programme provides an international airport-specific framework for active carbon management and continual improvement through partnerships between the airport and its service partners. It follows the successful completion of the preceding stages involving mapping of the airport’s carbon footprint, and implementation of projects to minimise carbon emissions.
Jamal Zaal, Vice President of Safety & Sustainability described the certification as a significant development for Dubai Airports in its mission to become a sustainable airport. “As part of our commitment to achieve environmental sustainability, Dubai Airports has introduced several environmental initiatives to drive a cleaner and more sustainable future. The Level 3 carbon accreditation is the result of our collective efforts in that direction and a reflection of our support and commitment to local and international initiatives and requirements.”
A number of green initiatives are underway at DXB and DWC including the project to replace ground service vehicle fleet with electric and hybrid vehicles, while existing light fixtures are being replaced with 150,000 LED bulbs to cut energy consumption. Earlier this year Dubai Airports completed the installation of a 15,000-panel solar array at DXB’s Terminal 2, the largest at any airport in the Middle East. More recently, the operator took a firm stance on single-use plastics by announcing a ban at both airports effective 2020.
“Dubai Airports is joining an ever-growing group of airport operators that are optimising their carbon footprint reduction. I extend my sincere congratulations to both Dubai International and Dubai World Central on completing step three of the four-step process toward carbon neutrality,” said Patti Chau, Regional Director, ACI Asia-Pacific.
Dubai Airports supports Dubai’s Plan 2020 and the UAE National Agenda 2021 as well as ICAO’s global strategy to deal with climate change.
With four different levels of accreditation covering all stages of carbon management, Airport Carbon Accreditation is independently administered, institutionally-endorsed and supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Commission (EC).