Egis-operated Abidjan Félix Houphouët Boigny (FHB) International Airport becomes the first airport in Africa to achieve ACI* Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Level 4+. This is the second highest level in the international certification programme for carbon management at airports.
Operated by AERIA with Egis support, Abidjan FHB airport has been leading sustainability standards in Africa since it joined the ACA programme in 2015, becoming the first carbon-neutral airport on the continent when it achieved level 3+ two years later. Now in 2024, Abidjan has become the first airport among the 26 African airports participating in the scheme to be accredited at level 4+ Transition. Only 51 airports worldwide have reached this milestone.
To achieve the “Transition” 4+ level, the airport has committed to an absolute reduction in its scope 1 and 2 emissions, formulating a long-term target aligned with the IPCC's 2°C pathway*. It means the airport reduces its own scope 1 and 2 emissions and those of its business partners in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and it compensates its residual scope 1 and 2 emissions using internationally recognised offsets. The achievement is independently assessed and verified by a third party.
Governance is provided by a specific carbon management plan and related stakeholder partnership plan to achieve the target. In more concrete terms, the airport management has implemented initiatives encompassing both direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3). Measures have included: reducing fuel and energy consumption (especially for air conditioning and lighting in buildings), using clean energy, and shortening take-off and landing (LTO) turnaround times. The airport has also developed Soil.is, an innovative soil management and restoration project enabling natural carbon sequestration at the site. Technical studies for the Soil.is project are underway and are supporting four land restoration initiatives, including restoring the vegetation of 83 hectares of runway strips, training gardeners in agro-ecological practices, restoring 2.63 hectares of degraded mangroves and converting 810 tonnes of bio-waste into compost each year.
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Additional information:
Soil.is by Egis is an innovative soil management and restoration solution that has played an important role in the airport reaching the 4+ level. Priority is given to insetting emissions, with carbon sequestration activities taking place at the airport. Read more in our case study.
AERIA is also a member of a CO₂ committee at the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). This committee operates under the supervision of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ensuring the effective implementation of the organization's strategies, including document 9988 (Guidance on the development of the States' action plan on CO₂ emission reduction activities), among others.
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*Airports Council International
*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
