Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program has grown to 614 airports across five continents, representing 55.8% of global passenger traffic. This milestone reflects accelerating decarbonization efforts in the aviation sector.
The program, covering seven certification levels from basic measurement to net-zero operations, saw three additional airports—Salvador Bahia in Brazil, and Adelaide and Parafield in Australia—achieve Level 5 during COP30 in November 2025. Level 5 requires maintaining net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions with at least 90% absolute reductions, using credible carbon removals for residuals, and committing to net-zero Scope 3 by 2050.
Earlier data from May 2024 to May 2025 showed 590 airports in 91 countries, with 104 new entrants, handling 53.6% of passengers. These sites reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 542,559 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, an 8.1% drop. Emissions efficiency improved, with per-passenger emissions at 1.54 kg CO2e (down 30.6% from three-year average) and per-traffic-unit at 1.34 kg (down 26.8%).
Level 5 airports now total 29, including recent additions like Lyon, Nice, Åre Östersund, Kiruna, and Visby. New participants span regions: Julius Nyerere in Tanzania, Red Sea International in Saudi Arabia, Skopje in North Macedonia, multiple Brazilian sites, and Cleveland Hopkins in the US.
Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe Director General and Accreditation Board Chair, stated: “Airport Carbon Accreditation is 16 years old, but its role in guiding and supporting airports’ efforts to decarbonise has never been more important.” The framework supports airports in measuring, managing, and reducing emissions through structured plans and stakeholder engagement.