How today’s modern airports reduce carbon emissions

Airports worldwide are reducing emissions through electrification, sustainable aviation fuels, and exploring hydrogen infrastructure. Pioneering efforts are seen in Rome and Sofia, a WEF reports shows.

While airports are busy reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions directly under their control, a significant part of their long-term strategy involves integrating sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to tackle Scope 3 emissions – those along their value chains. Several airports have adopted comprehensive electrification strategies to reduce carbon emissions, including airports in Rome and Sofia.

Decarbonization strategy

In the short term, airports should evaluate their current carbon footprint to establish a science-based decarbonization strategy, pinpointing immediate actions to reduce emissions directly under their control – Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which account for around 3% of all airport emissions. While focusing on Scope 1 and 2, airports can also facilitate the scaling of SAF, which will be increasingly important to tackle their Scope 3 emissions until zero-emission propulsion matures in the longer term.

Electrification of operations

Several airports have already adopted electrification of airport operations as an innovative strategy to reduce carbon emissions. Italy’s Rome-Fiumicino Airport has developed a comprehensive electrification strategy, including large photovoltaic plants with a capacity of 60 megawatts of clean energy. Sofia Airport in Bulgaria is transitioning to electric mobility for its ground-handling fleet, enhancing the grid infrastructure needed for electric vehicles.

Scaling SAF adoption

Airports are also looking towards SAF to reduce Scope 3 emissions. Scaling SAF adoption effectively requires a collaborative effort that includes airlines, SAF producers, passengers, and policymakers. Innovative approaches such as SAF incentive funds and passenger levies are emerging to mitigate the cost disparity between SAF and conventional jet fuels.

Hydrogen as a fuel source marks a significant step towards sustainable air travel. However, this could require between 600 and 1,700 TWh of clean energy by 2050, equivalent to the energy generated by around 10-25 of the world’s largest wind farms. According to the WEF report, airports will need to conduct feasibility studies to provide insights into hydrogen aircraft concepts, operations, supply, infrastructure, and refueling needs.