The Hong Kong Airport Authority and nearly 40 airport business partners on Friday pledged to reduce Hong Kong International Airport’s carbon emissions by 25 percent per workload unit by 2015, the airport authority said in a statement.
This marked not only the first airport-wide carbon intensity reduction pledge among airports in the world, but also the first voluntary, sector-wide carbon intensity reduction pledge in the Chinese territory, it said.
Airlines, cargo operators, aviation services providers, franchisees, contractors, government departments and the Airport Authority have developed more than 300 carbon-reduction initiatives to fulfill the pledge, according to it.
The reduction will be measured against the baseline emission levels determined in the maiden airport-wide carbon audit for 2008, which covered all major buildings, facilities and vehicle fleets on the airport island. One workload unit is equal to one passenger or 100 kilograms of cargo.
“The carbon reduction pledge is an important step in the right direction, and I am confident that the (Airport) Authority will be able to meet the pledge by 2015, and do more beyond 2015,” Secretary for Transport and Housing of the city’s government Eva Cheng said at the ceremony.
According to the Hong Kong Airport Authority, some of the major carbon-reduction programs undertaken or to be undertaken by the airport community are as follows:
— Replacing traditional lighting with 81,000 LEDs by 2013 in passenger terminal buildings;
— Integrating the cooling systems in Terminal 1 and Ground Transportation Center by 2011 so that the seawater chilling unit of various sizes can be used more effectively;
— Upgrading fixed ground power and pre-conditioned air systems at aircraft stands to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency;
— Increasing the energy efficiency of flight simulators and enhancing building design to reduce heat gain;
— Introducing more energy-efficient vehicles and equipment, and improving vehicle maintenance to reduce fuel combustion and consumption;
— Initiating trials of green roofs and renewable energy, e.g. solar panels and wind turbines;
— Launching green educational programs among the airport community, e.g. proper use electric appliances or systems.
