Together with the European Aviation Climate Change Adaptation Working Group, Eurocontrol and ACI Europe are collaborating to support the climate resilience of the aviation sector.
In the briefing, titled ‘Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate’, the three organisations explore the effects and impact of climate change on aviation, providing a resource for stakeholders to identify climate change impacts and conduct climate change risk assessments that will enable them to develop effective adaptation plans tailored to their specific operational contexts.
With the sector already grappling with disruptive weather patterns affecting airport, aviation operations are already being disrupted, while airport infrastructure, passengers and personnel are also being impacted. Harnessing innovative technologies and strategies to foster meaningful adaptation within the aviation sector will be essential for overcoming this resilience challenge.
Eurocontrol’s Head of Sustainability, Marylin Bastin, described the briefing as “concrete deliverable of our joint work with our partners across the industry, which we hope contributes to helping aviation organisations in their climate change risk assessment and developing adaptation plans.”
She also called on stakeholders to collaborate more effectively as increasingly disruptive weather will affect players across the industry. “Therefore, it is key that collectively we raise awareness of those impacts and the importance of investment in preparedness.”
Bastin was joined by ACI Europe’s Director of Sustainability, Alexandre de Joybert, who said: “Through key industry-led initiatives like Airport Carbon Accreditation and DESTINATION 2050, we’ve focues on reducing the sector’s carbon footprint. [Now] we are providing our members with a toolkit to help airports assess, plan and prepare for the effects of climate change on their operations, which are increasing in frequency and intensity. Quite aside from the safety aspect, the impact of extreme weather events is jeopardizing the resilience of our infrastructure, as well as having a knock-on effect on airport capacity – an increasingly scarce resource here in Europe, which needs to be maintained and protected accordingly. Fundamentally, this is about safeguarding connectivity and the socioeconomic benefits that depend on it.”
Following the release of the briefing the Working Group will now be developing regionally-focused guidance on climate impacts, risk assessment and adaptation measures to further support aviation stakeholders in developing climate resilience.
Photo: ACI Europe
