Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) has launched an Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme in the US, marking a major development in carbon management.
Administered by Canadian firm WSP, the initiative comes as a part of the global airport industry’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
The institutionally endorsed programme will independently assess and recognise the efforts being made by airports to manage and reduce their CO² emissions.
Airports will be certified at four different accreditation levels under the programme, which include mapping, reduction, optimisation and neutrality.
A total of 108 airports across Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific have earned airport carbon-accredited status in the past year.
ACI-NA president and CEO Kevin M Burke said: "Today’s launch of Airport Carbon Accreditation here in US shows that our airport industry has become more demanding of itself. The success of the programme in other parts of the world is both an inspiration and a challenge."

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By GlobalDataWSP UK head of sustainable aviation and airports and ACA programme administrator Leonie Dobbie said: "WSP has been the administrator of Airport Carbon Accreditation since the programme’s launch in 2009 and has seen the programme grow from 17 to 108 airports.
This reflects the fact that carbon management is high on the airport industry agenda worldwide, but also that the programme is recognised as a gold standard that many airports wish to attain."
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport became the first airport in the US to achieve certification within the programme.
Image: Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) has launched an Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Photo: courtesy of WSP.