New holistic and practical framework guides airports in addressing decarbonisation, climate resilience, biodiversity, circularity, accessibility and local community engagement

Tashkent: ACI EUROPE today launched its new Sustainability Strategy for Airports 2.0, setting out a practical framework to help airports integrate sustainability across their operations, investments and long-term business strategies.

Unveiled at the Joint ACI EUROPE and ICAO EUR/NAT Environmental Protection Seminar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the new Strategy builds on the first ACI EUROPE Sustainability Strategy launched in 2019 and reflects how both the airport sector and the sustainability agenda have substantially evolved since then.

While decarbonisation remains at its core, the new Strategy recognises that the long-term sustainability and resilience of airports now depend on a much broader range of environmental, social and economic considerations – from climate adaptation and biodiversity to circular resource use, sustainable mobility, accessibility and community engagement.

Since 2019, European airports have made significant progress on climate action. 328 airports now have public net zero roadmaps, covering nearly 83% of European passenger traffic, while 297 airports are certified under Airport Carbon Accreditation and more than 100 airports are targeting net zero by 2030 or earlier.

Olivier Jankovec, ACI EUROPE Director General, said: “European airports have come a long way since we launched our first Sustainability Strategy in 2019. Decarbonisation has moved from commitment to delivery, with hundreds of airports now working towards net zero and investing in cleaner energy and infrastructure.”

“But true sustainability means much more than just addressing carbon. Airports are critical infrastructure, major employers and integral parts of the communities they serve. Their long-term resilience and competitiveness increasingly depend on how effectively they adapt to climate change, manage resources, protect nature, improve accessibility and maintain the trust of their people and communities. Ultimately, this is about future proofing our sector, strengthening  our societal relevance, and ensuring that aviation continues to support Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness.”

“This new Strategy is therefore deliberately about moving from commitment to action. It does not prescribe one model for every airport. Instead, it gives airports practical tools to understand where they are, decide where they need to go next and embed sustainability into the decisions they make every day.”

The Strategy combines practical actions, Key Performance Indicators, airport case studies and relevant regulatory guidance for 7 key areas:

• Decarbonisation & Energy Transition
• Climate Adaptation & Resilience
• Local Environmental Quality & Community Impacts
• Circular Economy & Resource Management
• Biodiversity, Land Use & Airside Ecology
• Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility
• People & Community
  
  

It also addresses governance, sustainability reporting and anti-greenwashing, while providing airports with guidance for navigating the evolving European regulatory landscape.

Uzbekistan Airports mark major Airport Carbon Accreditation milestone

The seminar also provided an opportunity to celebrate a significant decarbonisation milestone for Uzbekistan Airports, with nine airports under its management achieving certification within Airport Carbon Accreditation. Tashkent International Airport has entered the programme directly at Level 2, recognising both the establishment of its carbon management framework and demonstrated emissions reductions.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said: “I warmly congratulate Uzbekistan Airports on this significant achievement. Achieving Airport Carbon Accreditation for nine airports demonstrates both the scale of their ambition and their determination to translate it into concrete action. Tashkent International Airport joining directly at Level 2 is particularly encouraging and shows that strong carbon management can be embedded from the outset.”

The Joint ACI EUROPE and ICAO EUR/NAT Environmental Protection Seminar is being hosted by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent from 7 to 9 October 2026. The three-day programme brings together airports, regulators, financial institutions, manufacturers and sustainability experts to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing aviation – from CORSIA implementation and Sustainable Aviation Fuels to green finance, Airport Carbon Accreditation, climate resilience, sustainable airport infrastructure, new technologies and community engagement.