Sunshine Coast Airport Awarded Carbon Neutral Status for a Second Year

01 Nov 2019

Sunshine Coast Airport has been awarded Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality status, the highest level achievable, for the second year running under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation Program.

Sunshine Coast Airport is the only airport in Australia to hold Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality status, alongside 54 other major airports around the world including Copenhagen International (Denmark), Athens International (Greece) and Manchester International (UK).

Sunshine Coast Airport Chief Executive Officer Andrew Brodie said it was a significant achievement for the Airport, and a milestone the whole community could be proud of. “This award recognises our commitment to sustainability and the environment both locally and on a broader international scale,” Mr Brodie said.

“Passengers and our local community have a growing expectation for us to have a strong track record on sustainability, given our position between National Park, spiritually significant Mount Coolum and the beautiful beaches that border our region.

“Sunshine Coast Airport will continue to prioritise environmental management and sustainability through a range of initiatives, including waste management and recycling, energy reduction and working closely with our airline and commercial partners to reduce our overall carbon footprint.”

Sunshine Coast Airport’s direct and indirect operational emissions were recorded and verified before submission to ACI, including diesel and electricity use as well as emissions not directly influenced by the Airport such as emissions produced by hire cars or waste taken to landfill.

Excess emissions were exchanged for offset credits via donation to a certified third party that actively undertakes carbon reduction initiatives including windfarms, solar power and reforestation. ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation Program was launched in Europe in 2009 as part of the aviation industry’s response to Climate Change, and now has more than 280 airports participating across the globe.

Other levels of recognition include carbon Mapping (Level 1), Reduction (Level 2) and Optimisation (Level 3).