26 June 2019: This morning, ANA Aeroportos de Portugal / VINCI Airports committed to achieving carbon neutrality in the Portuguese airports by 2050. The agreement was signed at the 29th ACI EUROPE Annual Congress in Limassol, Cyprus. At this annual meeting for CEOs from airports across Europe, carbon neutrality also became an objective for the entire European airport industry.

ANA Aeroportos de Portugal / VINCI Airports took on the Net-Zero 2050 commitment as members of the ACI EUROPE, the European representation of the Airports Council International (ACI). The collective commitment – subsequently signed by 194 airports, managed by 40 operators in 24 countries – marks a significant change in the climate action ambitions of the airport industry.

Thierry Ligonnière, CEO of ANA Aeroportos de Portugal / VINCI Airports stated that “it is with pride and the greatest sense of environmental responsibility that we commit to this ambitious goal. We recognise the importance of being successful in this and we will do our utmost to always be at the forefront of the good environmental practices”.

When it comes to mobility and air transport, people are demanding more ambition from governments and businesses, and this commitment is a milestone in that direction. Net-Zero 2050 is not a promise made lightly, but stems from the industry’s confidence that, through research and investment, knowledge exchange and partnerships, it will be possible to identify solutions to decarbonize airport operations.

Michael Kerkloh, the Chairman of ACI EUROPE and CEO of Munich Airport, highlighted that “Europe’s airports have been leading the way in climate action with annual reductions announced every year for the last decade. According to the current requirements of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, which sets the global standard for the airport industry, 43 of these airports have already achieved carbon neutrality. However, today’s compromise adds a new dimension, without offsets. With the Net-Zero 2050 commitment, the airport industry follows the Paris Agreement and the new climate target adopted last week by the EU.”

Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) added that “the special report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) last October is unequivocal about the need to achieve neutral emissions by the middle of the century. We need all sectors of society to work towards this goal. It is therefore encouraging to see the airport industry voluntarily raising its ambitions and we look forward to working with this vital sector.”

The 2050 deadline is in line with the latest IPCC evidence and with the decarbonisation strategy established by the European Commission and adopted by the Council of the European Union.

The Net-Zero 2050 resolution remains open to other signatories who want to work towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.