Airports Around the World Are Going Green

By Felicity Bradstock - Dec 26, 2024

Airports across the globe are transitioning to renewable energy sources, including solar power, to reduce their carbon footprint.

Initiatives like India's Flexible Use of Airspace and the Australian government's renewable energy agreements are contributing to decarbonization efforts.

While progress is being made, a more coordinated global effort is needed to encourage wider adoption of renewable energy across the aviation sector.


Many airports around the globe are now powered by wholly renewable energy, as the aviation and buildings sectors strive to decarbonize in line with aims for a green transition. The International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and several other international bodies are encouraging developers to reduce the carbon footprint of their airports to support international climate goals.

The ICAO released a toolkit entitled “A Focus on the Production of Renewable Energy at the Airport Site” that offers developers advice on how to decarbonize airports. It refers to the Paris Agreement aims to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which requires significant decarbonization efforts to take place across all sectors.

The document is aimed towards states, civil aviation authorities, and airports, and is “the first in a series of practical and ready-to-use information documents to support the planning and implementation of airport infrastructure projects that envisage significant environmental benefits.” The toolkit has been used by airport developers worldwide to support decarbonization efforts and develop more environmentally friendly airports.

In India, a reported 80 airports are operating on entirely renewable energy. The Airports Council International has accredited airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru as carbon neutral. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has supported the installation of solar energy projects on-site at several airports across the country. Multiple airports have adopted green building standards, invested in fleets of electric vehicles (EVs), and installed energy-efficient air conditioning systems, lighting, and other equipment.

According to a press release from the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, the government’s Flexible Use of Airspace initiative helped reduce carbon emissions by 90,000 tonnes between 2020 and 2023. The Implementation of 2017 Central Air Traffic Flow Management helped reduce delays and optimize capacity, resulting in lower fuel consumption and a decrease in emissions.

In Australia, CS Energy and Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) recently entered a seven-year agreement to power two of the country’s busiest airports using wholly renewable sources of energy from 2025. Gold Coast and Townsville airports on the east coast of Australia, which handle more than 8 million passengers a year, will be shifting to green in support of sustainable tourism aims. The two airports are set to undergo a significant expansion to prepare them for a significant increase in passenger traffic ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. QAL has announced aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 by offsetting almost 90 percent of the company’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

In June 2024, Investment Fund Managers Investors and Queensland Investment Corporation, which have assets including Sydney and Adelaide airports, signed a $467 million renewable energy pact. The multi-state power purchase agreement will ensure the supply of over 500 GWh of green power annually to the companies’ infrastructure assets.

In the U.K., in 2019, Bristol Airport announced plans to make its operations carbon-neutral by 2025 by using 100 percent renewable energy. The Danish energy company Ørsted agreed to deliver 17 million kWh of annual electricity to the airport, generated from wind power, in a three-year agreement. This was expected to decrease Bristol Airport's carbon emissions by 14,000 tonnes over three years. London Gatwick Airport has also transitioned to using wholly renewable electricity, while Heathrow Airport aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

In the U.S., in 2019, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee became the country’s first airport to be powered by 100 percent solar energy. The airport's 2.64-MW solar farm was developed with around $5 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. At the time of the announcement, Terry Hart, the former CEO of the Chattanooga Airport, stated, “This project has immediate benefits to our airport and community, and we’re proud to set an example in renewable energy for other airports, businesses and our region. While generating a local renewable resource, we are also increasing the economic efficiency of the airport.”

In November this year, Boise Airport in Idaho announced that it had also shifted to 100 percent renewable energy sources. The City of Boise signed an agreement to power its airport using energy from the Black Mesa Energy solar project. Indianapolis International Airport is now home to one of the biggest airport-based solar farms in the world, providing enough power to supply 10,000 homes annually. Meanwhile, Denver International Airport produces over 10 MW of power via its solar installations. According to a 2020 study by the University of Colorado, 20 percent of public airports in the U.S. had adopted solar panels in some capacity.

While several airports around the globe have already shifted to green, there is no comprehensive effort for airport developers to transition to wholly renewable energy sources to power facilities. Better international guidelines and stricter national regulations could encourage greater cooperation from airports and help decarbonize facilities.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com