Munich announces plan to become Germany's first carbon-neutral airport

Munich Airport has announced plans to become Germany's first airport to achieve carbon-neutral operations.

The governing bodies of the airport operating company adopted a resolution to approve this target stating that the CO2 emissions directly attributable to the airport's operations will be reduced by 60 per cent by 2030. The remaining 40 per cent will take the form of carbon offsets that will 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.

"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," said dirport CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh."With the goal of achieving carbon-neutral airport operations, we are paving the way to sustainable, resource-conserving air transportation."

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.