Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is one of the strategic goals for the Lithuanian airports. Vilnius Airport has achieved significant recognition from the international environmental programme Airports Carbon Accreditation (ACA). Lithuania’s largest airport has managed to reduce its average carbon dioxide emissions per passenger by more than a third in just a few years. This and the results of various environmental projects have enabled the airport to reach the third stage of the international programme – the best rating among Baltic airports.
All ACA member airports are committed to achieving zero emissions from their operations by 2050. 91 airports want to achieve this goal by 2030, including three Lithuanian airports.
All three airports in Lithuania have entered a new programme level at the same time and Vilnius Airport, which has been participating in the ACA programme since 2016, has moved from the second to the third stage, while Kaunas and Palanga airports, which will join the programme in 2019, have moved to the second stage.
“We are pleased with the progress the Lithuanian airports are showing in this environmental programme. Vilnius Airport is entering the third level of the programme, which means that not only the airport but also its partners will be directly involved in reducing carbon emissions. Kaunas and Palanga airports have also shown real progress in actively reducing emissions from direct airport operations. I am pleased that Lithuanian airports are showing leadership in the Baltic region,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, the organisation that unites European airports.
Moving into the third phase of the ACA programme, Vilnius Airport will aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2024 or to achieve a reduction of approximately 1 kg of CO2 per passenger. In addition, this phase will require efforts not only to introduce more sustainable processes in its own operations but also to involve the airport’s partners. It will take into account third-party airport operations, tenants’ electricity and heating costs, waste disposal and other aspects.
Leadership in the Baltics is based on carefully planned and consistently implemented steps to modernise a wide range of activities.
“The fact that all three Lithuanian airports are successfully participating in the environmental programme, which unites as many as 235 airports from all over the world, is an important achievement in the Lithuanian aviation history. We have been implementing complex actions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in our direct operations for a number of years, and we will continue to do so even more actively, and in the near future we will also involve our partners operating at the capital city’s airport,” comments A. Stikliūnas, the Interim CEO of Lithuanian Airports.
Vilnius’ ambition is to continue its leadership and become the first airport in the Baltic States to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations.
