"Taking into account the need to accelerate climate change mitigation and strengthen [the] company's reputation for sustainable development in the aviation sector in Europe, RIX Riga Airport has revised the Airport's road map for achieving zero CO2 emissions. The company's Board has set 2035 as the new target deadline," said the announcement.
"We have reviewed the emission reduction targets and objectives set out in both the Airport's Medium-Term Strategy and Sustainability Strategy and are ready to set a much more ambitious timeline to achieve Net Zero. Although the initial deadline of the Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) "NetZero 2050" commitment was to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, Riga Airport, along with many other European airports, believes that by working with determination, this goal can be achieved earlier, by 2035," said Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of RIX Riga Airport.
Reaching the goal will involve two main elements: firstly, reducing the airport's own emissions from electricity, heat, and fuel consumption to as close to zero as possible and, secondly, neutralising emissions that cannot be reduced through CO2 sequestration.
The amount of green energy purchased by the Airport is expected to increase by an average of 10 % annually, while solar power generation from the Airport's solar parks is expected to reach 14 % of the total electricity needs of the company by 2026.
This year, the current diesel-powered passenger buses at the Airport will be replaced by electric buses, and in 2025 the plan is to start replacing fossil diesel with synthetic fuels, increasing by at least 10 % each year, and by 2035 to phase out the use of fossil fuels altogether.
At the same time, Riga Airport is already involved in an international INTERREG-funded project on the research and implementation of hydrogen technologies in aviation, cooperating with public transport and other transport service providers to reduce CO2e emissions and develop sustainable aviation fuels.
