FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Airports Adopt Formal Position on Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions


Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2009)— The Airports Council International- North America (ACI-NA) Board of Directors has adopted the following position statement on climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:

“ACI-NA members are taking aggressive action to reduce emissions associated with sources under their control.  In addition, ACI-NA and its members believe that it is necessary to reduce GHG emissions from aircraft sources. Aircraft GHG emissions are best reduced through a multi-faceted approach that includes operational advances, technology improvements, infrastructure investments, alternative fuels, and economic measures.”

The ACI-NA position statement also addresses the specific need for economic measures, encouraging the U.S. and Canada to work with governments throughout the world to “incorporate the true environmental and economic costs of GHG emissions into the price of energy through the development of appropriate economic measures.”  Further, any revenues from economic measures “should be invested in a manner that will have the greatest impact on long-term GHG emission reductions within the aviation industry.”

In February, ACI-NA’s Board of Directors voted to adopt a slate of ambitious airport environmental goals to be achieved in the coming years. Several of the goals specifically address measures to reduce aviation’s GHG emissions.  However, given the discussion on the issue—not only in the United States and Canada but also at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)—it was recognized that ACI-NA should develop a more detailed and specific position on climate change.

“ACI-NA undertook this initiative to build on goals adopted by our Board earlier this year, and to further the industry’s proactive commitment to improving the overall environmental performance of airports,” said ACI-NA President Greg Principato. “These goals are a reflection of programs that have proved to be successful at reducing environmental impacts at many of our member airports and seen as an opportunity to mirror those achievements across the industry.”

About ACI-NA
Airports Council International - North America represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America.  More than 400 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the five worldwide regions of Airports Council International.

CONTACT:
Sheila Owens, sowens@aci-na.org, (202) 861-8098
Victoria Houghton, vhoughton@aci-na.org, (202) 861-8080