On 4 February, during the European Aviation Summit that took place in Toulouse, SACBO signed the Toulouse Declaration, with the aim of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
This is a project that forms part of a much wider-ranging process involving the entire airport sector, which was set in motion in 2009 with the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme promoted by ACI on a global level, and other initiatives such as NetZero2050 and Destination2050, which focus on the same commitment as the one proposed by the Toulouse Declaration.
SACBO has always approached these initiatives with responsibility and diligence, and was one of the first to sign NetZero2050 in 2019, as well as receiving various certifications over the years as part of the ACA programme; in 2014 we received level one (MAPPING) recognition, and the following year, in 2015, level two (REDUCTION) certification, demonstrating continuous reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere through the identification and implementation of a series of actions aimed at energy efficiency.
Over the years that have followed, we have successfully renewed level-two certification, and in 2020, despite the health emergency surrounding the pandemic and in confirmation of our commitment to sustainability, we reached the goal of rising to level three (OPTIMISATION) certification. Third-level accreditation, which was also maintained in 2022, is recognition of the involvement of third-party operators working at the airport, the so-called “Airport Community” (air carriers, handlers, contractors, etc…), through awareness-raising initiatives and actions aimed at engaging and involving these operators in the common goal of containing and reducing their own CO2 footprint. It is a goal that our airport shares with major European hubs such as Aeroport de Paris, Heathrow, Copenaghen, Frankfurt, Brussels and Aena Aeropouertos.
The data show how, between 2005 and 2019, there was a decrease of more than 56%, from 1.44 kg of CO2 produced per User to 0.62. With regards to the years after 2019, it should be remembered that the statistics were inevitably conditioned by the pandemic and by the relative reduction in flights, not only in 2020 but also in 2021 due to the fall in passenger and freight quantities compared to 2019.