Energy and climate

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

Relevance

The vital necessity of limiting the global rise in temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions is now indisputable. The Zurich Airport Group acknowledged this fact early on: already in 1991 it began taking steps to save energy at Zurich Airport in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Despite expanding the infrastructure and doubling passenger numbers, Flughafen Zürich AG has succeeded in cutting its own CO2 emissions by around a third since then. It is aiming to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

GRI 103-1

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 Zurich Airport Group is endeavouring to reduce its energy demand and fossil fuel consumption as much as possible in order to lower the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. The company has set itself the goal of reducing its own CO2 emissions at its Zurich base to net zero by 2050. Net zero means that any anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions must be offset by removal of carbon from the atmosphere so that the balance is zero. In other words: those who continue emitting greenhouse gases must also ensure that they remove an equivalent amount from the atmosphere for a given period.

Flughafen Zürich AG has set itself intermediate targets of reducing annual CO2 emissions to 30,000 tonnes by 2020, 20,000 by 2030 and 10,000 tonnes by 2040. To help it meet these targets, the company has drawn up a reduction roadmap describing how it plans to gradually reduce its CO2 emissions. This is based on its 2050 Energy masterplan and its 2050 Vehicle Strategy which set out specific steps in these areas.

GRI 103-2

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

While the year under review saw more activity than in the previous year, it was still at a level below available capacities. This also affected energy usage. Expressed in primary energy terms, the rise in demand for the airport as a whole from the previous year was 11%.

A look at the final energy used by buildings owned by Flughafen Zürich AG reveals the increased need for heating. This is due to more buildings being included, to the initial requirements of the Circle and to increased electricity production at the airport's own heating plant. The slight rise in electricity used by Flughafen Zürich AG was covered by renewable sources, whose share rose from 26% to 30%.

The greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 at Zurich Airport amounted to 32,651 tonnes in the reporting period, i.e. 22% higher than in the previous year. The intermediate target of producing fewer than 30,000 tonnes of CO2 each year from 2020 was thus not reached. The shorter supply of natural gas resulted in a sharp rise in the price of gas in the autumn. Considerations in terms of supply security and the persistently uncertain business prospects meant that heating fuel was purchased and used as fuel rather than natural gas, as was recently the case. Heating oil has a much higher emissions quotient, resulting in higher CO2 emissions.

GRI 103-3

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)

Zurich Airport, Switzerland

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions Flughafen Zürich AG, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

26,218

 

26,284

 

32,632

CO 2 emissions Flughafen Zürich AG, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

1,632

 

1,212

 

19

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

27,850

 

27,496

 

32,651

CO 2 emissions at Zurich Airport, Scope 3 1)

 

Tonnes

 

4ʼ261ʼ934 2)

 

1,544,551

 

1,641,745

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florianópolis Airport, Brazil

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

256

CO 2 emissions, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

960

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

1,216

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vitória/Macaé Airports, Brazil

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

276

CO 2 emissions, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

1,221

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

1,497

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antofagasta Airport, Chile

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

22

 

10

CO 2 emissions, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

300

 

305

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

322

 

315

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iquique Airport, Chile

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

97

 

99

CO 2 emissions, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

236

 

251

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

333

 

350

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noida Airport, India

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

CO 2 emissions, Scope 1

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

CO 2 emissions, Scope 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

Total Scope 1 and 2

 

Tonnes

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

Scope 1: In accordance with GHG Protocol: Flughafen Zürich AG’s own sources (vehicles, machinery, heating).

Scope 2: In accordance with GHG Protocol: externally sourced electricity for Flughafen Zürich AG.

1) In accordance with GHG Protocol: aircraft in LTO cycle and complete route (outbound flight only), calculated by Eurocontrol, other emission sources at airport (ground handling, other heating) and all landside traffic from start to destination for all modes of transport.

2) Retroactive adjustment to the calculation method.

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

Zurich Airport, Switzerland

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Thermal energy

 

MWh

 

88,469

 

88,302

 

121,539

renewable

 

MWh

 

1,508

 

1,480

 

1,584

non-renewable

 

MWh

 

86,961

 

86,822

 

119,955

Fuels

 

MWh

 

6,110

 

3,662

 

4,922

renewable

 

MWh

 

0

 

0

 

0

non-renewable

 

MWh

 

6,110

 

3,662

 

4,922

Electricity

 

MWh

 

61,342

 

44,124

 

46,553

renewable

 

MWh

 

15,771

 

11,839

 

14,263

non-renewable

 

MWh

 

45,571

 

32,285

 

32,290

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

155,921

 

136,088

 

173,014

Overall consumption primary energy 1)

 

MWh

 

497,595

 

411,709

 

457,774

Energy intensity ratio according to GVV 2)

 

%

 

82.8

 

94.8

 

102.5 3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florianópolis Airport, Brazil

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Total fuel consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

252

Electricity consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

9,420

 

7,464

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

9,420

 

7,716

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vitória/Macaé Airports, Brazil

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Total fuel consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

254

Electricity consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

10,820

 

9,492

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

10,820

 

9,746

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antofagasta Airport, Chile

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Total fuel consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

89

 

40

Electricity consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

734

 

746

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

823

 

786

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iquique Airport, Chile

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Total fuel consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

393

 

400

Electricity consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

577

 

614

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

970

 

1,014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noida Airport, India

 

Unit

 

2019

 

2020

 

2021

Total fuel consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

Electricity consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

Total energy consumption

 

MWh

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

1) Scope total airport excl.fuel.

2) Energy consumption measured in terms of energy reference area and user units.

3) Increase in target to 109.5 owing to newly added buildings.