Edinburgh Airport has set a new benchmark for sustainability in Scotland, becoming the first airport in the country to achieve global carbon accreditation. The airport, part of the VINCI Airports network since June 2024, has been recognized for its significant progress in reducing absolute emissions, achieving Level 4 ‘Transformation’ in the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme. This is one of the highest levels in the global carbon management certification program for airports.
This achievement is the result of extensive collaboration with stakeholders, including airlines and campus partners. The airport has also mapped emissions within its supply chain and launched a new Net Zero strategy.
Key actions taken by Edinburgh Airport to reach ACA Level 4 include:
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Data Verification:
All submitted data has been externally verified.*
Next Milestone:
Plans are underway to achieve the next ACA milestone, Level 4+ ‘Transition,’ where the airport will offset its remaining carbon emissions with credible carbon credits.Edinburgh Airport’s commitment to sustainability aligns with VINCI Airports’ broader goal of reaching net zero emissions across the European Union and the UK by 2030. VINCI Airports operates over 70 airports, with 54 currently ACA accredited. Four of these airports—Toulon Hyères in France and Beja, Madeira, and Ponta Delgada in Portugal—have already achieved Level 5, signifying net zero emissions.
The ACA, coordinated by Airports Council International (ACI), is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification program for airports. It evaluates airports’ carbon footprint management and reduction performance through seven certification levels. Level 5 certifies an airport’s commitment to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions (Scopes 1 and 2), the removal of residual emissions through certified solutions, and actions to help partners achieve net zero emissions (Scope 3) by 2050.
