Gold Coast Airport Reaches International Emissions Target

The Airport Carbon Accreditation program is the only independent global standard for carbon management at airports, which recognises and accredits the efforts of airports to manage and reduce emissions.

The Level 2 accreditation is an acknowledgement of Gold Coast Airport’s success in achieving its goals and follows the airport’s award of Level 1 accreditation in December 2016.

Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said the accreditation was confirmation of the team’s dedication to reducing the airport’s carbon footprint.

“Level 2 carbon accreditation is recognition of our commitment to ensuring we look after our environment and reduce our carbon emissions as much as we can,” Ms Charlton said.

“We have instigated a wide range of initiatives to move in this direction, from installing LED lights throughout our facilities, upgrading drive motors on our baggage handling systems, improving efficiency of air-conditioning systems to initiating renewable energy systems in the future.”

Level 1 accreditation involves mapping of an airport’s carbon footprint to better understand sources of its carbon emissions before formalising a carbon management plan. Level 2 sees the setting of a carbon reduction target and the carbon management plan finalised and implemented to achieve the carbon emission reduction target.

Globally, the aviation industry contributes approximately two per cent of man-made CO2 emissions, with airport operations accounting for approximately two per cent of this.

Queensland Airports Limited is committed to reducing carbon emissions at all four ports, as part of its company-wide sustainability and environment policies.