“Aviation plays a vital role in the world economy, providing connectivity for people and business. Our industry has also taken a lead in climate action, putting in place a comprehensive framework and goals to reduce emissions from air transport. The Aviation Climate Solutions are a set of case studies showing how different parts of the industry all over the world, including Avinor, are working together to reduce our climate impact explains Michael Gill, executive director of the Air Transport Action Group, which compiled the report.
The four measures initiated and implemented by Avinor are:
1. As the world's first international hub, Avinor, in cooperation with Air BP and SkyNRG, offers biojet fuel to all airlines refuelling at Oslo Airport (OSL). Lufthansa Group, KLM and SAS have already signed contracts. The biofuel will be distributed via the airport’s hydrant system.
2. Oslo Airport offers free charging of electric vehicles for its passengers and employees. The airport currently has 240 charging points. In 2014, Oslo Airport had a public transport share of 68%, up 3% from the previous year. Oslo Airport has a stated goal that 70% of all OSL passengers are to use public transport. We hope to reach our goal within a few years.
3. A new snow depot will be built in connection with the terminal expansion at Oslo Airport. Pure snow will be stored in a holding basin and covered with wood chips, and the cold from the melt water will be used to cool the new passenger terminal, the North Pier.
4. More than 7,500 curved approaches have been performed at Oslo Airport since 2012. The flights utilise satellite-based navigation technology to reduce their overall noise impact and greenhouse gas emissions. The approach procedures will be implemented on a permanent basis. “By international standards, Avinor is not a very big player, but our innovation and environmental projects are being noticed. I am very proud of the fact that as many as four of our projects have been included in this report. Our environmental efforts are being recognised far beyond the country's borders, and I hope this can be an inspiration to others and even bigger players internationally,” says Avinor CEO Dag Falk-Petersen.
Aviation Climate Solutions was released at the Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, alongside an open letter from industry chief executives which reaffirms the industry’s commitment to climate action; and calls on governments to support it with the development of a global market-based measure for aviation emissions, improved efficiency in air traffic management and accelerating research for alternative fuels and new technology.
In 2008, the aviation sector became the first to set global goals to proactively manage its climate change impact. The industry will stabilize its net CO2 emissions from 2020 through a concept called carbon-neutral growth, whereby traffic would continue to rise to meet the demands of society and the economy, but growth would be offset through a global market-based measure. The longer-term goal is to actually reduce net CO2 emissions from aviation to half of what they were in 2005, by 2050.