SHANNON Airport has reached new heights with the European Airports Carbon Accreditation programme, after being awarded Carbon Accreditation level 2 by the globally recognised Airport Council International.
The accreditation acknowledges the commitment set out in the Shannon Airport Group’s Sustainability Strategy to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint.
The programme is a voluntary carbon management certification standard that independently assesses and certifies airports for their efforts in managing and reducing their carbon emissions.
Steps taken to achieve the accreditation involved demonstrating a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over a three-year period through energy saving projects such as active energy monitoring and management and an airport wide upgrade to more efficient LED lighting.
It also included the submission of a carbon management plan that sets out a comprehensive programme of work to achieve a 51 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050.
Last year, Shannon joined over 200 European airports engaged in one of six available certification levels of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, after it received certification for Level 1 – Mapping of the programme.
This followed the airport’s signing up to the groundbreaking Toulouse Declaration in February 2022, which marked the first time that European Governments, the European Commission, industry, unions, and other key stakeholders formally aligned on aviation decarbonisation.
Group Head of Sustainability Sinéad Murphy said they were delighted to receive the accreditation and were already working towards achieving the next level of the programme in 2024.
“We have worked with experts to develop a detailed decarbonation plan for our airport and while there is more work to be done, we are excited to embark on this project that will future-proof our airport,” Ms Murphy added.
The accreditation recognises efforts in six levels: mapping, reduction, optimisation, neutrality, transformation, and transition.
