New success for iGA Istanbul Airport’s ‘Carbon Net Zero’ target

New Success in the 'Carbon Net Zero' target

iGA Istanbul Airport has reached Level 4 in the ‘Airport Carbon Accreditation’ certificate awarded to airports by ACI EUROPE, with its actions in line with the 2050 Net Zero Carbon commitment in the fight against climate change.

As the first recipient of this certificate in Level 4 in Türkiye, iGA Istanbul Airport has moved one step closer to its ‘Net Zero by 2050’ goal.

The airport, in its dedication to combatting the climate crisis and aligning with the commitment of ‘Net Zero by 2050’, is actively pursuing initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint.

Thanks to these efforts, iGA Istanbul Airport has reached the Transformation Level 4 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Level 4 means that the organisation’s carbon management is aligned with global climate targets in line with the ‘IPCC 1.5°C 2050 Net Zero’ targets and that operations are carried out with absolute emission reductions in mind. The highest level in this regard is level 5.

Since 2019, the airport has achieved a 21 percent reduction in total carbon emissions, moving from Level 1 in the certification programme to Level 4 (Transformation) after just 2 years.

Remaining committed to limiting and lowering its environmental impacts by reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 45% by 2030, iGA Istanbul Airport has encouraged its international partners and stakeholders to reduce their emissions as a part of global airport ecosystem’s response to climate change.

iGA Istanbul Airport CEO: “We are committed to our goals regarding environmental sustainability”

Stating that reaching Level 4 in the ‘Airport Carbon Accreditation’ certificate is an indicator of iGA Istanbul Airport’s commitment to environmental sustainability, iGA Istanbul Airport Acting CEO, Selahattin Bilgen, made the following statements: “As iGA Istanbul Airport, we are constantly working to provide our passengers with a safe and comfortable travel experience, and we continue to contribute to our country’s efforts to building a sustainable future. In light of our goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, we plan to be the first airport to start generating all of its electricity consumption through renewable energy sources with our project named İGA GES, which we will launch in the first quarter of 2024 and plan to complete by the end of that year. We also contribute to the development of environmental awareness in our country with our zero-waste projects.

“In line with our principle of ‘Our Focus is the World, Our Goal is the Future’, we are pleased to see that our activities to combat climate change, the most important ESG (environmental, social, governance) risk of our era, have been approved and appreciated at the highest international level. We believe that we will soon reach Level 5, the highest level, with our efforts in this regard.”

ACI Director General: “iGA Istanbul Airport is forging ahead”

Congratulating iGA Istanbul Airport for achieving the next level within the scope of the “Airport Carbon Accreditation”, ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec underlined that iGA Istanbul Airport is the first airport in Turkiye to achieve this success, with its CO2 (carbon) reduction path fully in line with the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement; this also includes close engagement with operational partners to pursue annual absolute CO2 (carbon) reductions in Scope 1* and Scope 2* emissions, as well as Scope 3*** reductions.

Jankovec continued: “iGA Istanbul Airport was first certified under the “Airport Accreditation” programme just two years ago, and their progress in reaching Level 4 from Level 1 has been remarkable. I commend the entire iGA Istanbul Airport team for their efforts towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Some of the main activities of iGA Istanbul Airport in reducing its carbon footprint are as follows:

• *To achieve Scope 1 emission targets, create platforms that encourage employees through mechanical system automation studies, building insulation activities, conversion to electric/hydrogen vehicles, and practices that increase employee awareness,
• In line with **Scope 2 emission targets; energy management system applications, lighting automation system, IoT and energy efficiency data analytics applications, green energy purchases, and solar panel installations,
• For ***Scope 3 emission targets; A-SMGCS Level 4 follow-the-green application, optimisation of public transport routes and timetables based on passenger density,
• Continuing to increase carbon sink areas through afforestation in cooperation with the General Directorate of Forestry,
• Establishing the iGA Hub programme in order to support initiatives in the field of civil aviation and airport management as part of the social sustainability efforts,
• Development of the innovation management and entrepreneurship ecosystem by collaborating with brands such as Plug&Play in order to meet the technology needs of iGA Istanbul Airport and support entrepreneurs and intrapreneurship.