Munich Airport will become Germany’s first airport to achieve carbon-neutral operations. The governing bodies of the airport operating company adopted a resolution to approve this ambitious target at their meetings today. It states that the CO2 emissions directly attributable to the airport’s operations will be reduced by 60 percent by 2030. The remaining 40 percent will take the form of carbon offsets. These are to be generated whenever possible through certified projects at the regional level. The costs of this climate protection program between now and 2030 will total 150 million euros.
Dr. Markus Söder, the Bavarian State Minister for Finance, Regional Development and Home Affairs and the chairman of Munich Airport’s supervisory board, said:
“With this target we are underscoring the enormous importance attached to climate protection by the airport and the Bavarian state government. We’re not just talking about it. We’re taking action and implementing innovative measures to effectively reduce emissions at the airport. Once again, Munich Airport is a trailblazer for all of Germany.”
The package of measures for achieving carbon neutrality at Munich Airport covers all areas, but especially the energy supply, efficiency improvements in building systems, vehicle fleet optimization, exterior lighting and further improvements in electric power use of the baggage transport system. The improvements range from intelligent control technologies to climate-optimized facades, including a switch to LED technology for runway lighting, increased reliance of renewable energy sources and greater use of electro-mobility in the airport’s vehicle fleet.
The CO2 strategy package represents the continuation of the airport’s successful climate protection efforts. Airport CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh explained the need for the measure:
“As Europe’s first five-star airport, we also set very high standards for climate protection. With our far-reaching climate targets we want to help ensure that the airport’s operations and ongoing development are pursued in ways that preserve the opportunities and possibilities of future generations. With the goal of achieving carbon-neutral airport operations, we are paving the way to sustainable, resource-conserving air transportation.”
