As the aviation industry faces mounting pressure to deliver on its climate promises, 2026 marks a defining year for accelerating the sector’s sustainability transition, writes Alexandre de Joybert, Director of Sustainability, ACI EUROPE.
As the aviation sector charts its course toward 2050 and beyond, 2026 will be a pivotal year for accelerating delivery on sustainability commitments. Despite recent headwinds facing sustainability on the political front, it remains a defining priority for the aviation sector. While public debate around the cost and pace of climate action grows louder, airports continue to advance steadily – reducing emissions, investing in renewables, and delivering measurable progress toward net zero.
Under ACI EUROPE’s Net Zero Resolution – adopted in 2019 and renewed every year since then with more airports joining – and through the evolving framework of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports are delivering measurable results and embedding decarbonisation across every facet of their operations. Yet they continue to face significant financial, regulatory and technical challenges that demand coordinated action, innovative design and stronger collaboration across the entire aviation ecosystem.
Progress you can measure
When ACI EUROPE first launched its Net Zero 2050 Resolution in 2019, it marked a defining moment for airport climate action. Since then, the resolution has been renewed every year, with more airports joining and strengthening their commitments. By mid-2025, 314 airports across 36 European countries representing 87% of the continent’s passenger traffic had published detailed net zero roadmaps, aiming to reach net zero by 2050. 122 of these airports have set even more ambitious targets, aiming to achieve net zero by 2030 or earlier. These are verified blueprints for fully decarbonising operations under airports’ direct control.
In its 15th year running, accredited airports collectively achieved a reduction of over 1,037,000 tonnes of CO2 in Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
That determination is also reflected in the results of Airport Carbon Accreditation, the only globally endorsed carbon management framework for airports, which recognises and certifies their efforts to manage and reduce carbon emissions across seven progressive levels. In its 15th year running, accredited airports collectively achieved a reduction of over 1,037,000 tonnes of CO2 in Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Today, more than 600 airports worldwide are accredited, with 105 aligning their carbon management strategies with the Paris Agreement (Levels 4 and 4+), and 28 having reached Level 5, pioneering net zero operations from sources under their direct control and advancing meaningful engagement on Scope 3 emissions.
The core roadblocks and the pivotal role of regulation
Decarbonising aviation faces substantial headwinds that demand urgent solutions. The latest Destination 2050 roadmap, developed by Europe’s airports, airlines, manufacturers and air navigation service providers, puts the total investment needed for net zero at €1.3 trillion by 2050 – a 57% increase on previous forecasts, driven by higher costs for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and green technology. Airports are navigating tightening budgets, limited public funding, and the struggle for capital to invest in renewables, electrification and SAF infrastructure.
A particularly critical bottleneck lies in the deployment and accessibility of SAF – responsible for more than half of the emissions reductions expected in European aviation by 2050. The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation provides a forward-looking framework for scaling up SAF production and use across the European Union, but its success depends on effective implementation and predictable policy signals. Binding targets for SAF and e-SAF, coupled with mechanisms that ensure price stability and long-term investment security, are essential to develop a robust and competitive SAF value chain in Europe.
In this context, the forthcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) from the European Commission is expected to play a pivotal role in supporting the deployment and scale-up of SAF. While its details are yet to be published, the STIP is anticipated to help channel financial resources and regulatory support towards expanding SAF production – particularly e-SAF, which offers the most scalable and sustainable long-term solution. Its effectiveness will ultimately depend on whether it provides the investment certainty and market confidence the industry urgently needs. Co-ordinated action between the public and private sectors remains essential to accelerate SAF availability, integrate renewables more rapidly, and deploy zero-emission ground assets – all critical to maintaining Europe’s leadership in sustainable aviation.
LED lights are significantly more energy efficient than halogen bulbs using up to 80% less electricity.
Collaboration, innovation and ecosystem integration
The strongest reason for optimism lies in how airports are transforming from isolated operators into collaborative ecosystems. Decarbonisation has become a shared mission, supported by co-operation, innovation and accountability across the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework. From Level 3 upwards, airports are required to engage their business partners in joint reduction plans, and from Level 4 onwards, to establish formal partnerships that drive meaningful emissions reductions.
Energy efficiency remains a proven first step. Airports that began with smart upgrades – from LED lighting to advanced insulation – are already reaping the rewards. Predictive energy systems powered by Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors are allowing airports like Zurich and Vienna to optimise energy use across terminals in real time, cutting emissions and costs alike.
Renewable energy is rapidly scaling up. VINCI Airports now operates approximately 40 solar farms worldwide. Istanbul and Athens airports are nearing full electricity self-sufficiency through large-scale solar power projects integrated into their facilities, while regional airports such as Ostend-Bruges and Dalaman are producing surplus clean energy and feeding it back into local grids.
Collaboration is amplifying this progress. At the higher levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation, airports must work with ground handlers, suppliers, passengers and other partners to reduce emissions collectively set and meet shared reduction targets. Copenhagen Airport leads a consortium advancing hydrogen and e-fuel solutions. Schiphol Group coordinates zero-emission ground handling through a joint sustainability platform. In India, Delhi and Hyderabad airports are electrifying airside operations with their service providers, while Sydney Airport has introduced a Renewable Energy Matching Service to support tenants in sourcing clean electricity for their operations.
This co-operative approach is mirrored in the governance of Airport Carbon Accreditation itself, which operates under the strategic oversight of both the UNFCCC and ICAO. This ensures that airport action remains fully aligned with the Paris Agreement and global climate goals. At the 42nd ICAO Assembly in 2025, airports were recognised as “engines of sustainable growth” – a statement that reflects both their leadership in decarbonisation and their broader role in ensuring aviation’s long-term viability.
Technological innovation is reinforcing this transition. Smart building management systems now use artificial intelligence to control energy demand dynamically. Microgrids integrating solar, battery storage and advanced inverters are making airports more self-sufficient. And with the electrification of ground vehicles and SAF distribution infrastructure expanding, airports are creating ecosystems ready for the next generation of low-carbon flight.
Smart building management systems now use artificial intelligence to control energy demand dynamically.
Airports as catalysts of change
The political winds may shift, but the progress on the ground remains constant – measurable, visible, and accelerating. Airports are not waiting for certainty; they are shaping it through innovation, partnerships and data-driven action. Despite shifting political narratives around sustainability, climate action continues to move forward when anchored in engineering, collaboration and evidence. Every other month, a pioneer airport breaks through the frontier of net zero by achieving Level 5 of Airport Carbon Accreditation, setting new benchmarks for the sector.
The task ahead is clear: maintain the momentum, close the funding gaps and strengthen collaboration across the aviation value chain.
As we move into 2026, the task ahead is clear: maintain the momentum, close the funding gaps and strengthen collaboration across the aviation value chain. Through Airport Carbon Accreditation and ACI’s continued leadership, airports have the structure, guidance and transparency needed to translate climate commitments into tangible outcomes.
Because even as global politics shift, every new solar farm, every electric bus, every hydrogen refuelling station, and every accreditation achieved tells a clear story: aviation’s decarbonisation isn’t a distant goal – it’s already happening. As airports keep innovating, they’re not just transforming the way they operate – they’re also sustaining the millions of jobs and communities that depend on air connectivity, showing that sustainability and prosperity can – and must – move forward together.
Alexandre de Joybert, Director of Sustainability, ACI EUROPE
Alexandre joined ACI EUROPE in February 2022 and is responsible for the co-ordination of all aspects of the association’s sustainability strategy. In this regard, he represents ACI EUROPE in various high-level EU, ECAC and EUROCONTROL fora. He also monitors the administration and ongoing evolution of the global carbon standard, Airport Carbon Accreditation which belongs to ACI EUROPE.
He is a French national with Masters in International & European Law (Nanterre & Sorbonne Universities), a Master in Political Sciences (Sciences Po Paris) and an MSc in Political Economy of Europe (London School of Economics). Before joining ACI EUROPE, he has worked for Total, The Oil & Gas Year, the Brunswick Group and most recently for Plastics Europe – with a focus on energy and sustainability issues.
