Aviation’s vulnerability to climate change on the rise – EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE release new briefing to prepare air transport stakeholders for climate-related disruptions

Rome, 28 November 2024: In a joint effort to support the climate resilience of the aviation sector, EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE, together with the European Aviation Climate Change Adaptation Working Group, have today released a new briefing on the effects and impacts of climate change on aviation. "Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate" was launched at the AIRPORTS INNOVATE 2024 conference in Rome which brought together over 450 aviation industry leaders, experts, and innovators from 26-28 November.

The European aviation community strives to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions, notably through DESTINATION 2050 at sectorial level, as well as the airport-specific Net Zero pledge and the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, both spearheaded by ACI EUROPE and supported by EUROCONTROL However, already today the sector is grappling with disruptive weather patterns affecting aviation operations, airport infrastructure, passengers, and personnel, and which are set to increase with climate change. Harnessing innovative technologies and strategies to foster meaningful adaptation within the aviation sector will be essential for overcoming this resilience challenge. The newly released briefing serves as a resource for identifying climate change impacts of concern and conducting climate change risk assessments, enabling stakeholders to develop effective adaptation plans tailored to their specific operational contexts.

EUROCONTROL supports the aviation industry in its efforts to decrease its environmental impact. At the same time, we are also providing advice on how the sector can safeguard its infrastructure and ensure the continued provision of safe and reliable passenger and cargo services. Today's release of our new briefing is a concrete deliverable of our joint work with ACI EUROPE and our partners across the industry, which we hope contributes to helping aviation organisations in their climate change risk assessments and developing adaptation plans. All industry stakeholders will be impacted by increasingly disruptive weather, therefore it is key that we collectively raise awareness of those impacts and the importance of investment in preparedness.

For years, we've addressed climate change from both mitigation and adaptation perspectives within ACI EUROPE. Through key industry-led initiatives like Airport Carbon Accreditation and DESTINATION 2050, we've focused on reducing the sector's carbon footprint. Today, we are providing our members with a toolkit to help airports assess, plan and prepare for the effects of climate change on their operations, which are increasing in frequency and intensity. Quite aside from the safety aspect, the impact of extreme weather events is jeopardising the resilience of our infrastructure, as well as having a knock-on effect on airport capacity - an increasingly scarce resource here in Europe, which needs to be maintained and protected accordingly. Fundamentally, this is about safeguarding connectivity and the socioeconomic benefits that depend on it.

The briefing "Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate" was developed in cooperation with 39 member organisations of the European Climate Change Adaptation Working Group.

Following the release of the briefing the Working Group will now be developing regionally-focused guidance on climate impacts, risk assessment and adaptation measures to further support aviation stakeholders in developing climate resilience.

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Joint press release