Athens International Airport “El. Venizelos” recently became carbon neutral after certification by an independent body which attested to the fact that the hub managed to successfully reduce CO2 emissions. They achieved a Level 3+ accreditation as certified by the independent carbon management programme Airport Carbon Accreditation. “El Venizelos” is the first air terminal in the country and the 25th in Europe to gain this status, while two other airports in Asia and North America hold the same accreditation.

The certification is the outcome of a commitment made by the international airport industry during the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21), held in Paris in 2015. The goal, is to for 50 European airports to obtain carbon neutral certification by 2030.

“The news that Athens International Airport has become carbon neutral through the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme is a great way to kick off 2017”, said Niclas Svenningsen, who heads the Climate Neutral Now initiative at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. “The ambitious efforts of a growing number of carbon neutral airports are testament to how seriously this industry is working on addressing its direct impact on climate change. With 25 European airports now carbon neutral, the industry is already halfway towards meeting its pledge at COP21. We look forward to more progress in the year ahead.”

Dr Yiannis Paraschis, CEO of Athens International Airport commented: “By achieving carbon neutrality, we continue to tangibly demonstrate our commitment to the fight against climate change. We are proud to be among leading airports, not only as a major economic engine, but also through our reduced ecological footprint thanks to the environmental awareness and complementary efforts of our colleagues and partners across the community.”