Nice Côte d’Azur Airport achieves carbon neutral status

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has become the first carbon neutral airport in France following certification by the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Nice Côte d’Azur, France’s third busiest airport, has achieved carbon neutral status according to the independent carbon management programme Airport Carbon Accreditation.

The airport group has been participating in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme since 2011. Over time, it has engaged with 37 partner companies on its airport sites to work with them to lower their collective carbon footprint. This has included airlines, freight companies, helicopter companies, retailers, restaurateurs, fuel providers, cleaning companies, security providers and more.

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport lowers carbon emissions by 75% per passenger kilogram

In the intervening 5 years, Aéroport Nice Côte D’Azur has successfully reduced its carbon footprint, lowering its carbon emissions by 75% per passenger kilogram and has now taken the additional step of purchasing recognised carbon offsets for the remainder of the carbon emissions under its direct control.

The Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, launched by the airport association ACI EUROPE in 2009, certifies airports at 4 different levels of accreditation covering all stages of carbon management (1. Mapping, 2. Reduction, 3. Optimisation and 3+. Neutrality). It is independently administered, institutionally-endorsed and has the support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC ), United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the European Union (EU) and others.

Reacting to the news of Nice Côte d’Azur’s achievement, Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE commented:  “I would like to warmly congratulate all of the team at Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur for their work and this historic achievement that sees Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur become carbon neutral – the first in France. The demands of the 4 levels of certification of Airport Carbon Accreditation are rigorous, requiring strategic engagement and diligent work from the airport operator. Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur today becomes the 25th carbon neutral airport in the world. During COP21, our industry formally committed to having 50 carbon neutral airports in Europe by 2030. With the good example of innovative airports like Nice Côte d’Azur, we are on the right track.”

Dominique Thillaud, Chairman of the Management Board of the Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA) Group added:  “Our group committed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its daily activities. Today we are proud that the Nice platform is the first French airport to make it all the way to carbon neutrality – 2 years ahead of our initial target – and this in spite of increased capacity due to growing traffic. This reflects our strong dedication to emissions reductions across all the ACA Group, including the airports of Cannes Mandelieu and Saint-Tropez and demonstrates that we are doing our part to achieve the goals set at the COP21, joining several other European airports already certified at Level 3+.

 In parallel, the sister airports of Cannes Mandelieu and Saint-Tropez have become certified at Level 3 ‘Optimisation’ of the programme.

Niclas Svenningsen, who heads the Climate Neutral Now initiative at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in Bonn, Germany, said: “Today’s announcement that Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur has achieved carbon neutrality through Airport Carbon Accreditation is excellent news. We are very encouraged by the growing number of carbon neutral airports here in Europe, all the more so when it is one as prominent as Nice, in the country that hosted COP21.”