Energy and climate

The Zurich Airport Group has been striving to improve energy efficiency and protect the climate for many years.

Relevance

Of the known greenhouse gases, only carbon dioxide (CO₂) is emitted in any relevant quantity at Zurich Airport. Each year, therefore, the Zurich Airport Group records the CO₂ emitted by each of its airports in an emissions inventory in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Other greenhouse gases, such as those emitted by refrigerants for example, are recorded as CO₂ equivalents. All carbon sources are allocated to different spheres of influence known as “scopes”. Scope 1 comprises sources within the company. At Zurich Airport these mainly include heating systems, in-house electricity generation and the vehicle fleet. Scope 2 relates to emissions resulting from generation of the energy purchased from external suppliers. Finally, scope 3 covers all other airport-related sources (e.g. ground handling and aircraft, including flights to the final destination) plus sources from upstream and downstream processes, for example in connection with landside access traffic, energy production or waste disposal. At over 98%, by far the majority of emissions arising at Zurich Airport as a whole fall into scope 3.

The priority for the Zurich Airport Group is to reduce its own CO₂ emissions (scopes 1 and 2). It will also play its part in helping its airport partners reduce their emissions too (scope 3). At the same time it is taking on the challenge of combating climate change and adapting its business model and infrastructure accordingly.

To date only the carbon emissions for scopes 1 and 2 have been recorded for the airports in Brazil and Chile.

Approach and progress

Zurich net zero by 2050

The biggest contributor to carbon emissions is the airport’s own combined heat and power generation plant which both produces electricity for the airport and distributes heat over a district heating grid. The plant is operated with natural gas and fuel oil which, although used efficiently, also emits a considerable amount of CO₂. Reducing energy demand in buildings therefore has the highest priority. This is being achieved by upgrading buildings and optimising systems. Each renovated building leads to lower energy demand thanks to better insulation, more efficient systems and new concepts.

Alongside energy demand, the second focal point is generating renewable energy. As many as twenty years ago, Zurich Airport already utilised geothermal technology in Dock E to meet the majority of the dock’s heating and cooling energy requirements. Since then both the Circle and parts of the maintenance area have likewise been built using geothermal structures. In the medium term, the intention is to replace fossil fuels with underground geothermal storage for central heating and cooling purposes. However, the feasibility of this plan has not yet been fully established. Until it can be realised, the company plans to reduce carbon emissions by purchasing a quantity of biogas, and then later synthetic gas, which will enable existing systems to be operated with far lower CO₂ emissions.

To meet its electricity needs, Flughafen Zürich AG purchases fossil-free grid electricity. It also generates some electricity itself in the heating plant and from solar panels, the capacities of which are continually being increased.

In addition to buildings, emissions produced by vehicles are a further target. Many of the vehicles used today are already electric powered. The reduction roadmap outlines the full transition to electric vehicles, powered either by batteries or hydrogen. The planned airport in Noida, India has also set itself the goal of achieving net zero emissions.

Sustainable fuels

Another hurdle for the use of sustainable aviation fuels was surmounted during the year under review. Thanks to the efforts of Flughafen Zurich AG in collaboration with other stakeholders in the sector, it has been possible to structure and define the process for importing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into Switzerland so that airlines are able to refuel with SAF at any time. SAF was used for scheduled flights from Zurich for the first time in July 2021. SAF is fuel made from biogenic waste or synthetically manufactured fuel. It produces at least 80% lower carbon emissions than fossil-based kerosene.

Flughafen Zürich AG itself has signed an agreement with Synhelion, a company that plans to produce synthetic fuel at scale from water, CO₂, methane and solar energy. This agreement commits Flughafen Zürich AG to purchasing fuel at cost price from a test facility from 2023 onwards for use in its vehicles and machines at Zurich Airport. This type of fuel could also be later used in aircraft.

Large-scale consumers agreement

As a large-scale energy consumer, Flughafen Zürich AG has signed an agreement with the Building Department of the Canton of Zurich. This requires the company to make average annual efficiency improvements of 2% until 2030, measured on the basis of the heated area of the airport and the number of user units (passengers, freight, other visitors). The target for specific energy consumption was met in the reporting period.

Energy and climate leader

Participation in the Swiss Confederation’s “Exemplary Energy and Climate” initiative further underlines Flughafen Zürich AG’s intention to play a leading role in energy and climate protection. As part of this initiative it is implementing concrete measures to improve energy efficiency and cut CO₂ emissions.

Airport Carbon Accreditation

Flughafen Zürich AG’s climate protection programme has been accredited by Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) since 2010. The accreditation is audited every three years so the one carried out in 2019 is still valid until 2023. The ACA scheme was launched in 2009 as an initiative of ACI Europe, the association of European airports. The accreditation recognises airports all over the world that first draw up an inventory of their CO₂ emissions and then take steps to reduce them. Flughafen Zürich AG is accredited at the third of six levels. This means that the company is continually reducing its own CO₂ emissions and is helping its partners reduce theirs too.

Situation in the reporting year

CO₂ emissions in Scope 2 were much lower in the reporting period than in previous years. This was due to a change in the definition of the Scopes. Only emissions directly resulting from electricity generation now fall into Scope 2. Indirect emissions, such as arise from setting up and maintaining the power plant infrastructure for example, are now stated in Scope 3. The CO₂ emissions in Scope 3, determined primarily by emissions of aircraft en route to their destinations, reflected a modest increase (+8%).

Key data

Climate (GRI 305-1, 305-2, 305-3)

Energy (GRI 302-1, 302-2, 302-3, 302-4)