Do you remember that we talked about Incheon Airport’s eco-friendly vision and strategy in the previous post? As ambitious as the vision sounds, the question now is how to implement it well. What if we told you that Incheon Airport not only takes eco-friendly action, but has also been accredited by external organizations? 😉 Today, we are going to talk about Incheon Airport’s eco-friendly management, certifications and awards!
Airport Carbon Accreditation! Renewed ACI accreditation level of OPTIMISATION
Incheon Airport has produced various outcomes under its strategy of advancing eco-friendly management by 2020. To begin with, Incheon Airport has yet again earned the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) level of “Optimisation,” assessed and recognized by Airports Council International (ACI).
ACA is a voluntary participation program adopted by the ACI Europe Annual Assembly in 2008, which began for climate change response in airports.
It is an international certification that evaluates the ability to manage and reduce carbon footprint of international airports. It is divided into four levels—Level 1 of “Mapping”; Level 2 of “Reduction”; Level 3 of “Optimisation”; and Level 3+ of “Neutrality”—granted depending on the level of greenhouse gas management in airports. It is quite a big certification system as 237 airports from 60 countries around the world participate.
Incheon Airport was the first airport in Korea to acquire ACA Level 3 of “Optimisation” in 2014, and earned it yet again in 2017. Level 3 is very significant, which means all carbon emissions related directly and indirectly to airport operations have been tallied and managed to strategically manage carbon. In the future, Incheon Airport will continue its various efforts, such as expanding green aprons to reduce fuel and replacing old freezers with highly efficient ones. We hope Incheon Airport can continue to maintain Level 3!
Systematic environmental management with ISO certification!
Incheon Airport obtained environmental management system (ISO 14001) certification for airport construction in 1998 and operations in 2002. Incheon Airport has also continued to maintain and improve its environmental level by implementing the requirements of ISO specifications. In addition, the airport ensures an acceptable environmental management system through post-certification review and re-certification by external certification agencies.
Incheon Airport has also completed review for the re-certification of the energy management system. With the introduction of energy management system (ISO 50001), which provides an overall operation system for greenhouse gas energy targets, Incheon Airport is committed to its responsibilities as an eco-friendly management company.
Incheon Airport obtained preliminary certification in the building category February 2012 for the first time in the world, acquired official certification in June 2014, and completed re-certification review in May 2017.
Rigorous energy management, minimizing energy waste with LED lights!
Incheon Airport has greatly improved energy efficiency with eco-friendly LED lights, which improve efficiency by 13-25% without using mercury and discharge gases. Since 2009, it has replaced old lights with LED lights, which allowed the airport to reduce energy greatly. As of the end of 2019, the replacement rate of high-efficiency LED lights has reached 97%. The airport effectively manages energy by minimizing factors that can potentially waste it.
On top of that, the airport greatly contributes to expanding the supply of renewable energy by increasing solar and geothermal power generation. It also operates the energy storage system (ESS), which saves energy during off-peak hours and provides efficient energy during peak hours.
Green airport with highest G-SEED grade!
Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2 and front-end facilities obtained Green Grade 1, the highest grade for Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED). Transportation Center 2 and Government Agency Building 2 in Terminal 2 obtained the highest grade in preliminary certification at the end of 2013 during their design phase. In 2018, the airport finally acquired the highest grade in G-SEED after the main certification review. In particular, it had a perfect score in the categories of materials, resources, and maintenance!
Terminal 2 has made multi-faceted efforts to establish eco-friendly conditions, including daylighting, ventilation and insulation design, as well as using the latest energy-efficient LED lights and renewable energy, such as solar and geothermal power, and incorporating eco-label products and green space for over 26% of the land area. By doing so, Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1 has become an eco-friendly facility with improved energy efficiency by over 40%!
Today, we have looked at Incheon Airport’s performance in environment friendly management. You can see now that Incheon Airport delivers outcomes backed by its continuous actions, not just words, right? That is why we are looking forward to the future of Incheon Airport, seeing its continued actions as an eco-friendly airport! 😊
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