AUA Airport receives Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 2

ORANJESTAD – Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA) company that manages and operates Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport), with the ambition to be the most sustainable airport in the region, proudly announces its latest achievement, the Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 2.

AUA Airport entered the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program back in 2018 and has since taken numerous actions in favor of the environment. ACA is the only global, airport-specific program that certifies airports’ efforts to manage and reduce its carbon emissions. It is the ideal program for the Airport to support Aruba to become inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable while taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, according to goals #11 and #13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

By achieving the Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 2, the so called “Reduction level” ACA highlights AUA Airport’s efforts to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint. The actions taken to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint include the replacement of all lights with LED lighting, the placement of electrical timers in and around the airport terminal and the introduction of more efficient air conditioning equipment, amongst other efforts.

“As part of the corporate strategy, which is being developed together with all AAA employees, the team at AUA Airport is very dedicated towards the reduction of the airport’s carbon footprint. Despite the obvious effects of 2020, the team continued pursuing our efforts in mitigation of our carbon footprint. Level 2 means that we are on the right path and provides the confidence to achieve the next levels of the internationally recognized accreditation together with our service providers at the airport. We are happy, honored and proud to obtain this new accreditation and I can guarantee that the team will continue to be as committed and dedicated moving forward,” said Jurgen Benschop, COO at AAA.

Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only institutionally endorsed, global carbon management certification program for airports and independently assesses and recognizes the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions through 6 levels of certification: ‘Mapping’, ‘Reduction’, ‘Optimization’, ‘Neutrality’, ‘Transformation’ and ‘Transition’. 

Thanks to the Airport Carbon Accreditation program AUA Airport can contribute directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as set by the United Nations and adopted by AAA as its leading principles. These are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.