Schiphol international airport based in Amsterdam, Netherlands has reached carbon neutrality. The airport invested in electric mobility and ground equipment to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Schiphol currently operates Europe’s largest electric bus fleet. Using these buses has cut down greenhouse gas emissions by about 1,734 tCO2e in the last three and a half years. The airport relies entirely on Dutch wind turbines for energy. Electric ground power units connect planes on the tarmac offering an alternative to traditional diesel-based units. Solar powered escalators are used for moving around passengers. Additionally, the roof of the airport’s new pier will in the near future be covered with solar panels. Schiphol airport is dedicated to making the aviation industry more environmentally friendly and aims to be the most sustainable airport by 2030. The airport recently reached level 3+ in the ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation benchmark which is the highest level attainable.
The Paris agreement aims to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century. Schiphol international airport in Amsterdam is climate neutral and is aiming to archive net zero emissions by 2030. The Netherlands has a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 49% by 2030 and these developments by Schiphol airport are a significant contribution to this goal. Before the Covid -19 pandemic the aviation industry accounted for 2 to 3% of CO2 emissions around the world and these where expected to increase. Currently, Schiphol is investigating new ways to compensate for its remaining emissions. Between 2017 and 2018, the airport’s CO2 emissions decreased by 70%. The company CEO believes that ‘zero-emission aviation is mission possible’. The CEO acknowledges that even thou important steps have been taken, there will need to be increased collaboration between the aviation industry, government and academic institutions to meet the sustainability targets. Solar energy, electric mobility, thermal energy storage and circular construction will play an important role in this respect. Innovation, investment and policy will drive these initiatives.
In the coming years, the airport expects an increase in the production of biofuel. Using clean fuel within the airport vehicles and clean power trains will enable Schiphol to achieve zero emissions. The airports’ vision is that clean aviation is possible. Currently, the group has been investing in the development of synthetic kerosene at Rotterdam, the Hague Airport. Schiphol group is also investing in a biokerosene factory in Delfzijl. This factory will be capable of producing sustainable fuel from waste flows. This investment is in conjunction with KLM, SkyNRG and SHVenergy and the Schiphol Group CEO states that Netherlands should play a pioneering role when it comes to more sustainable aviation.
Schiphol international airport intends to become the most sustainable airport in the world. Safety and environmental sustainability are the governing principles for all the aviation actions and activities throughout the group. There are four key areas of focus at Schiphol which are: zero emissions, zero-waste, sustainable aviation and wellbeing. All the airports operated by the Schiphol Group aim to be zero-waste and zero-emission by 2030 since the emission reduction of airports is covered by the Paris Agreement. This goal means that no carbon will be emitted in the use of energy for the airports operations as well as ground operations. Electricity is the largest chunk of the emission footprint at the airport. The draft climate agreement for sustainable aviation and the smart and sustainable action plan signifies the significant steps that have been taken in the Netherlands. The Group plays an important role in driving supply chain responsibility. Normally at airports many activities are operated by third parties. This makes the carbon footprint assessment and management complicated for the group. Many of the emission sources are not under the control of other users of the airports. These include airlines and ground handlers, and they must play an important role in improving overall emissions.
There are various alternatives that the airport aims to pursue to manage aviation demand well. These alternatives include but are not limited to the option of travelling by train for shorter journeys as compared to flying. The other initiative will involve ensuring better organisation of airspace which will make smarter flight paths. The estimation is that these initiatives will drive down greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent. In addition to these alternatives improving the energy efficiency of aircraft through regular service, developing more efficient engines and introducing electric planes will significantly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Potentially a 30–45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases could be achieved.
Furthermore, making the aircraft’s fuel more sustainable through the use of synthetic kerosene, hydrogen and biokerosene will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to as much as 100 per cent. Schiphol wishes to play a proactive role in driving down emissions from transport to and from the airport and in reducing the emissions of the airport itself. The main focus of the airports’ mobility and transport policies is clean travel. Currently airports from around the world are planning on examining leveraging innovations, adopting contactless technologies, changing the passenger experience, reorganising airport operations, utilising rapid testing and promoting business sustainability. These measures are being arranged in an effort to help pave the way for a return to pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels.
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