BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. Within the next decade, Riga Airport plans to produce no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Trend reports via Latvian media.
According to Riga Airport Chairperson of the Supervisory Board Laila Odina, the airport has revised its emission reduction goals in both its medium-term and long-term strategies, setting an accelerated deadline for achieving net zero.
“Although the original deadline for airports to achieve climate neutrality under the Airports Council International's (ACI) 'Net Zero 2050’ commitment was 2050, Riga Airport, along with many other European airports, believes that by working diligently, this goal can be reached earlier—by 2035,” she stated.
Reaching zero CO2 emissions at airports involves two key components: reducing the airport’s emissions from electricity, heat, and fuel consumption as close to zero as possible, and neutralizing any remaining emissions through CO2 capture.
The main steps in Riga Airport's “Net Zero” plan include purchasing and independently producing renewable energy, replacing heating equipment, and improving energy efficiency. The airport plans to increase its green energy purchases by an average of 10 percent annually, while solar energy production from the airport's solar panels is expected to account for 14 percent of the total electricity needed by 2026.
Additionally, the airport will replace diesel-fueled buses used for passenger transport around the airfield with electric buses this year. By 2025, it plans to begin replacing diesel fuel with synthetic alternatives, aiming to increase the use of synthetic fuel by at least 10 percent annually, with the goal of completely eliminating fossil fuel use by 2035.
Riga Airport is also participating in an international project funded by Interreg to explore and introduce hydrogen technologies into aviation. The airport is collaborating with public and other transportation providers to reduce CO2 emissions and develop sustainable aviation fuels.
In 2023, Riga Airport served 6.631 million passengers, a 23.2 percent increase from the previous year’s 5.381 million, solidifying its status as the largest air transportation hub in the Baltic States.
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