Adelaide and Parafield first Australian airports to reach highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation

Adelaide and Parafield Airports have become the first airports in Australia to be recognised by the global Airport Carbon Accreditation program for reaching the highest level of accreditation on the path to Net Zero.

Both airports are now certified as Airport Carbon Accredited at Level 5, which requires maintaining a Net Zero carbon balance on Scopes 1 and 2, and actively addressing Scope 3 emissions sources that it can significantly influence on the pathway to Net Zero. Only four other airports in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions have reached this level.

Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification programme that independently assesses and recognises airports for their efforts to measure, manage, and reduce carbon emissions. 

Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox, said Adelaide and Parafield Airports had reinforced their credentials as the benchmark for environmentally friendly airports in Australia. In December 2024, Adelaide Airport became the first major airport in Australia to reach carbon neutrality.

“Our participation in this program is recognition of the importance of long term sustainability to aviation sector and the value of collaboration to achieve our industry goals,” Mr Cox said.

“Achievement of Level 5 accreditation validates that we have transitioned from carbon management to decarbonisation, with credible evidence of emissions reduction and long-term planning.

“Our sustainability and decarbonisation efforts aim to create long-term value for our shareholders and our customers who represent the broader community.

Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, said Adelaide and Parafield Airports have demonstrated strong leadership in advancing environmental sustainability.

“Achieving Level 5 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme reflects their sustained effort and collaboration with stakeholders to reduce emissions and this accomplishment aligns perfectly with airport industry’s shared vision of achieving net zero goals by 2050,” Mr Baronci said.

“Asia-Pacific is the second region in the world with the highest number of Level 5 accredited airports, six in total, with airports in India, Australia, and New Zealand joining this exclusive club. We hope this milestone encourages other airports in the region to continue strengthening their environmental performance and contributing to a more sustainable aviation sector.”   

Recent achievements across Adelaide and Parafield Airports include:
•    Generating more than 15 per cent of the domestic and international terminal’s electricity needs via onsite solar installations;
•    Reducing electricity consumption through a major LED lighting upgrade and by choosing energy efficient options for major equipment upgrades;
•    Purchasing all remaining electricity consumption through a renewable purchase power agreement via a South Australian wind farm; and
•    Offsetting residual emissions by purchasing carbon credits from a land regeneration project in South Australia.

Mr Cox said Adelaide Airport continues to focus on supporting the development of a domestic Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry.

“We want to help bring SAF to our airline partners sooner by maintaining open access to our fuel infrastructure and offering commercial incentives for use of SAF,” he said.

Airport Carbon Accreditation acknowledges that airports are at different stages in their journey towards comprehensive carbon management. It is a programme for airports of all sizes, extending beyond hubs and regional airports with scheduled passenger traffic, to include general aviation and freight-focused airports.