Sustainability is becoming more important than ever. Not as part of the hype, but as a necessity. Sustainability will become just as important as any other field of business. As a result, airports can no longer keep this off their main agenda and need to take action now.

1. Aviation the way we see it
Green Airports
Creating sustainable airports
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Not as part of the
hype, but as a must-have. Sustainability will become just as important
as any other field of business. As a result, airports can no longer keep
sustainability off their main agenda and need to take action.

2. Attempts to reduce aviation carbon Taking advantage of the sustainability in all areas of the
emissions have focused on airlines disadvantage business and communicating them
and aircrafts. However, non-aviation Often, sustainable investments are clearly, we believe that airports can
emissions, such as those generated seen as goodwill investments or capitalise on this emerging trend and
by ground operations, can make up a mandatory investments that are of ensure that they are the preferred
relatively large part of total aviation- little business value. At Capgemini choice for both passengers and
related emissions. In addition, we believe that all sustainability airlines.
inefficiencies in airport design can investments should lead to value
keep airplanes circling in the skies creation for the airport. An effectively Capgemini’s Green Airports initiative
overhead or idling on the ground. run airport, in addition to improving not only aims to create a sustainable
Many of the Western world’s main its environmental impact, is likely to airport on environmental aspects,
airports were built almost 70 years ago prove more attractive for passengers but also on economical aspects. All
when sustainability was not generally and airlines. Traditional thinking investments should have a positive
considered as part of the design sees airports as little more than a business case, and it should be
concept. Consequently those airports stepping stone for travelling to and possible to place them in one of the
are amongst the worst environmental from a destination. However, today, quadrants shown in Figure 1. If this is
offenders. due to increased competition and not possible, different options need to
emphasis on an airport’s facilities be pursued. Sustainability must not be
Through the Green Airports and image, airports are beginning seen as a disadvantage that only costs
initiative, Capgemini can assist to be considered as a destination resources, but as an opportunity to
airports in embracing opportunities on their own. By visibly embracing realize unknown benefits.
and managing risks derived from
economic, environmental and social
developments.
Figure 1: Creating value through sustainability
It can be expected that the demand
for air transport will increase. To
accommodate this demand airports
need to grow, otherwise they are
Increasing
exposed to the risk of airlines moving Growing opportunities
awareness
Maximise advantage
their operations to other airports. Revenue
Generation:
Intangible Value
Creation:
However, the growth of an airport is New areas of growth
Innovation Disclosure &
Enhanced reputation
Better access to finance
Clean technologies Benefits Benefits
limited by many factors, including New products & services
Stakeholder
engagement
Preferred partner
Increased employee loyalty
physical space, noise pollution, quality Direct financial impact Indirect value creation
of life in the surrounding areas, and Increased productivity
License to operate
Minimise damage
Resource efficiency
environmental allowances. In addition, Decreased waste
Benefits Cost Reduction Risk Mitigation Benefits Compliance
Improved risk management
Recovery of by products
many airports face serious image Value chain
performance
Governance & risk
management
problems in the community, which
Increasing need for Governments &
constitutes another limiting factor. sustainability Regulations
Putting sustainability high on the
corporate agenda, and taking the
necessary steps, may provide the Adapted by Capgemini from D.S. Esty, A.S. Winston (2006), Green to Gold
airport the necessary license to operate
and possibly a license to grow.

3. the way we see it
Sustainability Circle 1 Vision on sustainability 6 Monitor & Reporting
To develop a sustainable operation The first step is to create a corporate Once an airport commits itself to
that combines business and social vision on sustainability, which helps becoming a ‘green airport’, it should
responsibility objectives, the airport to focus activities and report progress be open about its activities and
community needs to determine key of activities to the outside world. A progress. An airport needs to allow
areas for emission reduction as well as multidisciplinary team should be the outside world to see how it is
monitoring closely and reporting on created to ensure that the initiative is improving itself, which will create
CO2 emissions. Airports should also implemented smoothly and with input additional momentum for further
encourage passengers to contribute by from all divisions. achievements. Consistent and regular
setting objectives and informing them monitoring and reporting should
on how to be sustainable and bring 2 KPIs and boundaries be done to ensure that the airport
their individual CO2 footprints down. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) remains on top of sustainability issues.
make it possible to measure the vision.
At Capgemini we believe that Setting boundaries that determine
all airports can deploy a six-step where the airport’s responsibility starts
approach to developing a sustainable and ends contributes to the ability to
operation. Figure 2 depicts this six- measure values. Figure 2 The Sustainability Circle
step approach as the Sustainability
Circle. Although the Circle suggests 3 Sustainability footprint
6
that all activities should be done in a Developing a sustainability footprint 1
sequential manner, some overlap and provides the starting point for Monitor &
Reporting
annual repetition of the various steps identifying areas in which benefits Vision on
sustainability
will take place. Below, the steps are can be realized. The initial year’s
briefly discussed. footprint should be used as a basis for 5
The road to
comparison for the following years. Airport 2
Implemen- Sustainability
tation
KPIs and
4 Strategy boundaries
Investigate possible improvement 4
3
opportunities by presenting a business
case to determine whether value Strategy Sustainability
footprint
is created by implementing that
particular solution. Based on these
business cases a sustainability strategy
can be created and the appropriate
solutions can be selected by industry
experts.
5 Implementation
The selected solutions need to
be implemented in the most
efficient manner, possibly with a
project manager overseeing the
implementation. This may take
months or even years, depending
on the time needed to implement all
solutions.

4. the way we see it
improve the performance of their
Examples of solutions processes as well as their reaction
Solutions to reduce emissions can times, leading to increased air traffic
be found in all areas. An example without a compromise on air quality.
is a flight track monitoring system Additionally, this can reduce delays
to classify noise burden caused by and optimize the distribution of
both aircrafts and aircraft handling. resources.
Another example is the usage of
LED lighting, which has replaced Act proactively
traditional lighting to reduce light By acting now, before legislation forces
pollution as well as reduce CO2 mandatory changes and because
emissions and energy costs. Also heat solutions may be time-consuming,
recycling systems, heat exchangers proactive airports can demonstrate
and heat pumps are known examples their dedication to the environment
of implemented solutions. and their surroundings. This will
inevitably lead to stronger support
At Capgemini, we believe that from the community and stakeholders,
Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) which is necessary if an airport is to
can also contribute to reducing compete, operate and grow in today’s
emissions by tackling the current volatile marketplace.
fragmentized and uncoordinated
operations common at many airports. More information:
The process of CDM involves
Hikmat Mahawat Khan MSc MBA
streamlining IT systems, improving
Principal Consultant
efficiency of the sequencing process Hikmat.mahawatkhan@capgemini.com
through evaluating software solutions, +31.(0)6.15.03.09.46
improving take off predictability
and establishing disaster recovery Xander de Jong MSc
Senior Consultant
and business contingency plans
Xander.de.jong@capgemini.com
for all IT and information sharing +31.(0)6.45.898.158
platforms at an airport. Through CDM
implementation airports are able to
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