Another achievement by Sharjah Airport

The winning of the “first carbon neutral airport in GCC” tag is yet another huge achievement by the Sharjah Airport. Sharjah Airport has become the first carbon-neutral airport in the GCC and the second in the Middle East to attain Level 3+ Neutrality accreditation from the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, issued by Airports Council International, ACI.

This achievement, occurring when net carbon dioxide emissions over a full year are zero, reflects the excellence of the airport strategy in the implementation of many projects and practices that use the application of the highest standards of sustainability.

The accomplishment certainly marks an important milestone in Sharjah Airport’s journey towards continuous environmental and sustainable development as it continues to expand its operational capacity.

Sharjah Airport has made a firm commitment to ensuring its operations have a minimal impact on the environment while working towards reducing carbon footprint and energy consumption.

As Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, points out, the airport has adopted many green initiatives and programmes, in line with the commitment of the UAE towards reducing carbon emissions that fall under the UAE Green Growth Strategy and to support the national agenda to attain the UAE vision 2021. Environmental and sustainability projects implemented by Sharjah Airport include energy conservation initiatives, clean energy projects and circular economic initiatives to encourage all stakeholders of the airport to engage and contribute to good practice.

Besides strictly monitoring electricity and water consumption in the airport, an integrated waste management system, targeted at zero landfill waste was introduced.

Sharjah Airport has been recognised throughout the years by several entities for its contribution to sustainable initiatives.

A new milestone was marked by Sharjah Airport in June as it received the “Green Airport” Silver recognition 2020, which acknowledges airports’ achievements in environmental projects. Within the preservation of the environment program issued by the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific region, this accreditation is a testament to Sharjah Airport’s innovative advances in the field of water management and recycling.

On the cargo front, Sharjah Airport has increased its competitiveness, as a major destination on the international air cargo map, by effectively responding to the needs of cargo airlines, international air cargo agents, and logistics providers.

Currently facilitating the operations of more than 50 flights per week, and expanding its cargo network to over 60 destinations during May 2020, the airport continues to be a major distribution point for essential goods in the region. The airport remains a major destination on the international air cargo map, as a result of its efforts and investment in infrastructure, and by strengthening the relationships with existing and new partners.

It is heartening that sustainability has been the main priority for Sharjah Airport which has innovatively enhanced its operations by adopting an environmentally-responsible strategy to reduce resource consumption, reuse and recycle.