DNV Business Assurance has recently independently verified Heathrow Airport’s Scope 3 carbon emissions under the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme.
The scheme was introduced in June 2009 to provide a framework for assessing the carbon emissions from airports and reducing the emissions associated with their operations with the final goal of carbon neutrality (zero net emissions). The scheme is voluntary and has been devised and administered on behalf of ACI Europe by an independent consultancy. A key part of the scheme is the independent annual verification of the carbon footprint of participant airports by a 3rd party verifier. This gives credibility to the data reported in the scheme.
Committed airports a positive indication
John Pepper, Lead Verifier in DNV Business Assurance says: “Heathrow’s participation in the scheme is a positive indication that airports are committed to managing and reducing their carbon emissions. The scheme is flexible in allowing airports to use surveys and other data sources to derive the best available estimate of emissions. This is essential under scope 3 reporting which has to include indirect carbon emissions.”
Scope 3 emissions account for the largest percentage
The scheme uses the principles of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, ISO 14064, to identify the source of CO2 emissions under 3 scopes: All direct GHG emissions from the airport (Scope 1); indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam (Scope 2); and emissions associated with the airport which can be influenced, but are not under the direct control of the organisation, such as emissions generated by passenger transport and the take-off and landing flight paths of aircraft using the airport (Scope 3). The Scope 3 emissions verified by DNV Business Assurance account for the largest percentage of the total carbon footprint at Heathrow.
To date, approximately 31 airports have signed up to the scheme with potentially another 420 airports yet to join.