We all know that air travel is damaging to our environment – it contributes around 5% of all climate change causing emissions.
But did you know, it’s not just aeroplanes, but the actual airports themselves that contribute to the climate crisis?
Ground-based airport Green House Gas emissions are caused by petrol and diesel fuel for airport vehicles and ground support equipment.
Fossil fuel is often used for electricity and heating, jet fuel is used for auxiliary power units that power aircraft at airport gates, and there are other sources too.
So what can you do, personally, to help?
The obvious is to fly less or not at all if possible.
You could also try an alternate form of transport – it may take longer, but trains and boats are more sustainable and will help you lower your footprint.
If you can’t avoid flying, you can always offset your flight through your Play It Green forest garden.
You could also look out for more sustainable airports!
Sustainable airports are now a thing!
Swedavia, the Swedish airport operator recently announced that all ten of its airports have achieved Net Zero CO2 emissions across all operations!
This is a world first.
Swedavia is also the first airport operator to deliver on the European airport industry pledge to become Net-Zero by 2050 at the latest.
This ten-year journey led to the milestone which was marked as Swedevia published its 2021 Annual and Sustainability reports.
Their management is committed to stopping climate change and has offered to support other airports in transforming their operations to become more environmentally friendly.
The director-general of Airports Council International, Europe, Olivier Jankovec, said:
“Swedavia’s achievement is the culmination of a tireless focus on a sustainable future.
Realising their ambition to reach fossil-free operations across all ten of their airports is a testament to the commitment, innovation and vision they have shown for many years.
We congratulate them wholeheartedly on this remarkable achievement – in the most challenging of times.”
Airports across the UK and Europe are working towards a ‘decarbonised’ future with programmes such as the Airport Carbon Accreditation program and their commitment to Net Zero 2050 which was announced in 2019.
‘Air travel is currently damaging to the environment, but we are seeing the shoots of a more sustainable future.
Swedavia is to be commended for their innovation and hard work to produce not one, but ten climate positive airport operations.
In the short term, if you have to travel, try not to fly and if you have to, please, offset your flight!’
Richard Dickson – Co-Founder, Play It Green.
If you want to offset your monthly footprint (and your flights) through reforestation and take a gentle journey to a more sustainable you, then you really can’t do better than joining Play It Green.
