Edinburgh Airport has reached Level 4 ‘Transformation’ in the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme, the first in Scotland to achieve global carbon accreditation.
ACA, coordinated by Airports Council International (ACI), assesses airports’ performance in managing and reducing its carbon footprint with seven levels of certification. Level 1 acknowledges carbon emissions mapping, while Level 5 certifies an airports’ commitment to achieving a 90 per cent CO2 emissions reduction.
To achieve this status, the airport published a Net Zero Strategy that set out plans for future sustainable growth, worked with airlines and airport partners to understand science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions, and mapped out how to act upon Scope 3 (indirect) emissions through the airport’s supply chain and the carbon value of goods and services purchased.
Edinburgh Airport has been a part of the VINCI Airports’ network since June 2024, where all 70+ airport members are a part of the ACA scheme. VINCI has a goal of reaching net zero for its airports in the EU and UK by 2030, and 54 VINCI airports globally have already received ACA accreditation. Toulon Hyères in France, Beja in Madeira, and Ponta Delgada in Portugal have achieved level 5 ACA.
“This accreditation marks another major milestone as we progress towards Net Zero emissions and build upon the important work already done through our Greater Good sustainability strategy,” said Jessica Briggs, Head of Sustainability at Edinburgh Airport. We’d like to recognise the role our airlines, campus partners, and suppliers have played in this and thank them for engaging with us as we work to better understand emissions created across our campus and beyond – and look at how we can further reduce these.”
The airport is now aiming for Level 4+ Transition, where it will have to offset its remaining carbon emissions with reliable carbon credits.
Briggs added: “Work is already underway, and we know that VINCI Airports’ environmental strategy will accelerate our climate transition to achieve higher levels of the Airport Carbon Accreditation by reducing as much as possible our direct emissions, working on the value chain and beyond, whilst supporting carbon removal projects with environmental and social benefits.”
Photo: Vinci Airports
