Almaty, 6 November 2024: Today marks the opening of the Seminar on Green Airports organised by ACI EUROPE and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s European and North Atlantic (ICAO EUR/NAT) Office in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event hosted by Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of Almaty International Airport JSC and Groupe ADP aims at supporting and advancing climate action by airports in the Central Asian region.

Bringing together representatives of Governments, Civil Aviation Authorities, EUROCONTROL, airport operators, airlines, financial institutions and sustainable fuel suppliers along with sustainability experts and academics, the two‑day Seminar provides a collaborative forum to address the full spectrum of issues involved with the wide‑ranging sustainability efforts of airports and the wider aviation eco‑system.

Focusing on practical and scalable solutions for the unique environmental challenges faced by airports in the region, the event will review and address:

• Airport climate action progress within the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme,
• New technologies and innovation in carbon management,
• Production and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels,
• Best practices in sustainable airport operations, infrastructure management and development,
• Access to green finance,
• Local community engagement.

In addition to leading airports from Central Asia, the seminar welcomes many other international participants including Brussels Airport, Groupe ADP (Aéroports de Paris), SEA Milan Airports, TAV Airports, Tirana Airport, and Vienna International Airport — underscoring the airport industry’s collaborative, cross‑border approach to driving impactful climate action through sharing of best practices and lived experience.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said: "Environmental sustainability and in particular climate action has been at the forefront of our priorities for many years at ACI EUROPE, and we are delighted to engage with all relevant stakeholders together with ICAO in Central Asia — one of the World’s most dynamic aviation markets. With the science becoming ever more alarming about the speed at which global warming is accelerating, it is crucial that we all align and progress towards our shared objective of net zero emissions by 2050, as per the Long‑Term Aspirational Goal adopted by ICAO”.

He added: “Airports play a crucial role in advancing this ambitious goal. Within Airport Carbon Accreditation, the global carbon management standard, airports need to establish robust stakeholder engagement plans and this has really been a gamechanger for across‑the‑board climate action at airports. We eagerly await airports in Central Asia to join these efforts — and become part of the solution, actively driving aviation decarbonisation. But this also requires a truly supporting enabling policy and regulatory framework at national level”.

Nicolas Rallo, Director of the ICAO EUR/NAT Regional Office commented: “We have designed this seminar as an important step forward in promoting green airports throughout our office’s accreditation area, and with a special focus on Central Asia. By sharing best practices and fostering collaboration, we wish to equip stakeholders with the tools needed to reduce the environmental impact of aviation while supporting socio‑economic benefits of increased connectivity. It is a privilege for us to have the support and buy‑in from the Government of Kazakhstan, as well as eager partners such as ACI EUROPE and numerous airports. ICAO is fully committed to supporting States and industry as they establish the necessary frameworks to deliver on our common global target of net zero emissions by 2050".

He further stated: “In the discussions during this seminar, I wish to invite all stakeholders to explore bold strategies that can propel us forward — whether through advancements in technology, renewable energy initiatives, or collaborative efforts across the industry. I also wish to invite you to address existing challenges in an open manner, and to better understand their root causes so that we can address them more effectively, timely and efficiently. The path to a sustainable future for aviation is one we must continue to navigate together”.