VINCI Airports, the first airport operator to take action to protect the environment, rolled out AirPact in 2015. The environmental policy is designed to set an example, reducing its own CO2 emissions and help cut air travel emissions, which accounted for 2.8% of global emissions in 2019.
AirPact consists of a series of tangible solutions that will immediately start to limit the impact of airports, airlines and passengers, and has already helped reduce the network’s carbon footprint by 28% between 2018 and 2021.
Low-carbon motorways: tangible measures to reduce CO2 emissions
Reducing the carbon footprint of roads, from the production plant to the user
Sustainable building with a new range of low-carbon concretes
Positive energy buildings: turning problems into opportunities
Powering airports and craft on the ground with renewable energy:
the network’s airports produce and consume their own solar power with photovoltaic panels generating more than 35 MWp installed in 2022, including 22 MWp for its own use, and offer airlines clean energy solutions for their aircraft on the ground.
Emissions-based landing charges:
in 2021, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to apply emissions-based landing charges to airlines using its airports in France encouraging them to renew their fleets with lower-emission aircraft.
Sustainable biofuels:
in April 2021, VINCI Airports became the first French airport operator to offer users sustainable biofuel at Clermont-Ferrand airport. They have since also been made available in London Gatwick, Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Lisbon. Emissions-based landing charges will encourage airlines to use these sustainable biofuels.
Forest carbon sinks:
at Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Lyon-Bron airports, a local reforestation program is being rolled out to absorb all residual emissions.
Green hydrogen:
with the first hydrogen-powered aircraft due in the 2030s, VINCI Airports is preparing to transform its airports into green hydrogen hubs that can meet the needs of the entire ecosystem.
Exemplary airports:
VINCI Airports is the first international airport consortium to have all its platforms enter the Airports Council International’s voluntary Airport Carbon Accreditation programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Lyon-Saint Exupéry and London Gatwick airports have now both obtained Level 3+ certification, while nine airports in Portugal and three airports in Kansai have already achieved ACA level 4, one of the programme’s top levels. Furthermore, Guanacaste airport in Costa Rica has been recognised as carbon neutral by the non-profit organisation Earth University. In Brazil, Salvador Bahia airport was recognised as “Brazil’s most sustainable aerodrome in 2019” by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
The next step is to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 at our airports in Europe and by 2050 throughout the rest of the world.
-28 %
LESS EMISSIONS BETWEEN 2018 AND 2021 THANKS TO AIRPACT.