Airports Council International (ACI) World has unveiled a report to assist airport executives with their holistic sustainability strategy.
Building on ACI’s European report, the ACI World Sustainability Strategy for Airports Worldwide provides an overview of how sustainable aviation can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also offers an overview of the most relevant and commonly reported material sustainability topics. Topics covered include service quality, infrastructure development and safe and efficient operations.
Case studies within the report showcase best practices on how airports are implementing social, environmental, and economic sustainability initiatives and embedding them in their overall business strategy and operations.
“While sustainability is a hot topic influenced by local issues global issues such as climate change and global trends related to Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting have also emerged,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “The finance community is calling for more uniformity and harmonisation on the ways stakeholders report on sustainability, including the material topics they choose to report on. Greater consistency in this regard would facilitate secure decision-making by reducing risks related to sustainability credit ratings and the allocation of finance and investment which require sustainability criteria.”
Adding that airports must be ready for the implementation of local initiatives which can be translated into common sustainability topics and objectives at an international level, Oliveira added: “We believe ACI’s Sustainability Strategy will help airports in this regard.”
While guidance in the report was made possible with the financial support of Hamad International Airport in Qatar, it was developed in collaboration with Tailor Airey and Vancouver International Airport in Canada.
