Budapest Airport On Course Towards Zero Emissions

In 2021, Budapest Airport once again took huge steps to maintain its carbon neutral operations and achieve its sustainability goals. Last year, the company further reduced its direct carbon dioxide emissions, which are now half the level of ten years ago, while emissions per passenger were only one third of 2011 levels, the operator of the Hungarian capital's Ferenc Liszt International Airport says in a statement.

In 2021, Budapest Airport set itself the primary goal of achieving net zero emissions 15 years earlier than the previously commitment, by 2035 at the latest, through the so-called zero carbon roadmap. Last year, the airport operator was again part of the global elite club of just 58 airports that fulfill airport carbon accreditation 3+ and are carbon neutral, i.e. fully offsetting the carbon emissions generated by their operations. A green summary of 2021 for Ferenc Liszt International Airport.

Net zero emissions by 2035
As the airport operator is committed to sustainable growth and environmental protection, in 2019 it officially joined ACI’s “NetZero by 2050” initiative, a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2050 at the latest. However, Budapest Airport announced last October that with the help of its net emissions reductions scheme, it is working hard to reduce its net emissions to zero up to 15 years ahead of the current deadline of 2050, by 2035. The airport operator has taken significant and real steps to reduce its carbon footprint over the past year, with direct carbon emissions from the airport now only half of what they were ten years ago. With this commitment, Budapest Airport aims to become the first airport in the region to achieve net zero carbon emissions, setting an example for other European airport operators.

However, Budapest Airport is able to most effectively reduce the environmental impact of the airport when it works in cooperation with its airport partners. It therefore launched its Greenairport program in 2015. The aim of the 40 partners participating in the initiative is for the airport and the organizations operating there to work together and help each other reduce their carbon footprint and the general impact of their operations on the environment. The main aim of the program is to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint, by reducing energy use, creating opportunities for renewable energy, developing electric mobility, reducing water consumption, phasing out single-use plastics, and encouraging selective waste collection and waste reduction at the airport.

Budapest Airport part of 58-strong global elite team
Budapest Airport was awarded ACI carbon neutral certification for the fourth time last year, continuing to be one of 58 airports in the world that operate in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner, fully offsetting the carbon emissions generated by their operations. Airport carbon accreditation, launched by Airports Council International, is the only institutionally endorsed, global program that assesses the carbon emissions of the world’s airports, through a six-tier certification scheme.

According to last year’s assessment, only 58 airports globally are carbon neutral, like Ferenc Liszt International Airport; they are the ones that currently meet the stringent requirements specified by ACI for level 3+. This means that, thanks to its consistent environmental strategy, the company is working with its airport partners to reduce emissions from its operations as much as possible and neutralizes the remaining emissions, by purchasing carbon credits. Budapest Airport is committed to achieve level 4+, thanks to efforts to be implemented in the next few years, placing it amongst the global leaders of the world’s airports in terms of sustainable operation and emissions reduction. Only 14 airports in the world currently meet the requirements for the highest levels, 4 and 4+, set in 2020.

Unique green financing for green causes
Last year, Budapest Airport concluded its first ESG-based financing agreement, i.e. one that is responsible from an environmental, social and corporate governance perspective, which is unique among airports not only in the region, but also in Europe. Eligibility for ESG financial products highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability, as well as other socially relevant issues, in its day-to-day operations. ESG-linked instruments can provide benefits in the form of lower financial costs (or “greenium”) for organizations that achieve ambitious ESG goals.

As part of the agreement, Budapest Airport committed, amongst other things, to meeting its full electricity needs entirely from renewable sources, to develop a solar power plant with a minimum capacity of 5 MW and to install at least 100 new electric charging stations at the airport. Secondly, in the financing agreement, the airport committed to achieve ACI’s highest level of carbon neutrality, 4+, by the end of 2023. The airport operator is constantly working to explore new opportunities to even further improve corporate social responsibility, in order to make sustainable decisions during its operation and financing.