Airport Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management - Zurich Airport

5 GOAL SETTING FOR AIRPORT
OPERATORS
5.1 Goals for an Airport Operator’s Emissions
5.1.1 Having completed a GHG inventory, an airport operator, acting within a voluntary or unregulated
programme, might then choose goals that it will strive to achieve. These goals will mainly be
determined by the driver as discussed in Section 3.
goal setting
5.1.2 A first step or goal could be to implement cost saving measures by decreasing energy use and
improving energy and operational efficiency. The inventory will allow the airport operator to track
any resulting improvements in GHG emissions.
5.1.3 A second step may be to target “low hanging fruit” – specific emissions sources that might
be relatively easy or cost-effective to reduce. The inventory will be useful for identifying these
emissions sources or activities that should be prioritized for mitigation, possibly because they
make a major or disproportionate contribution to the total inventory. For example, an inventory at
a US airport identified one of the major non-aircraft emissions sources was hotel and car-rental
shuttle buses.
5.1.4 A next step may be to take the total emissions (e.g., all Scope 1 and 2 emissions or more) in the
inventory as a benchmark and set a numerical goal based on the total. For example, an airport
operator may set a goal to avoid any increase in total emissions higher than the level of the
inventory of a certain year, e.g., 2005, or to achieve a decrease in total emissions, e.g. to achieve
by 2015, total emissions 5% below those of 2005. Such a goal with an emissions target expressed
in absolute terms, set against a clearly defined benchmark and time lines, is the most rigorous
and credible method for setting a goal. It also highlights the need for inventory completeness
discussed is Section 4.7.
5.1.5 A less onerous goal might be to define an emissions intensity or efficiency, such as the total
emissions per passenger enplanement, and then to set a goal to maintain or decrease this metric
over a set period.
5.1.6 A total emissions goal might be appropriate for a large, long-established airport and an emissions
intensity goal might be needed to allow a younger airport to grow. Intensity targets can be
criticized as they can allow growth in total emissions, and may not reduce the airport operator’s
overall contribution to climate change, not necessarily providing the best benefit.
5.1.7 Carbon Neutral Growth means than an airport operator sets a goal of maintaining its total
CO 2 emissions at a constant level. Such a goal requires a clear statement of the emissions to
be included. Scopes 1 and 2 emissions should be included as a minimum and possibly with the
addition of some Scope 3A emissions like corporate travel. In this manner the airport operator
might achieve Carbon Neutral Growth (and later Carbon Neutrality) without necessarily the airport
(as a whole) achieving this.
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