Muharraq, May 18 (BNA): Mohamed Yousef Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Airport Company, received two prestigious awards for sustainability on behalf of Bahrain International Airport (BIA) at the 18th session of the Airports Council International (ACI) for the Asia-Pacific region. Gathering, conference and exhibition in Japan, which was held for the first time in three years after the pandemic.
Bahrain International Airport was honored with the Green Airports Recognition 2023 Silver Award, for airports serving 8 to 15 million passengers annually, and a certificate marking its upgrade to Level 4 “Transformation” of the ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation Program.
The Green Airport Recognition Initiative promotes environmental best practices and honors ACI Airport members in Asia Pacific for outstanding achievements in their environmental projects. Every year, a different environmental aspect is chosen as a theme. This year it was to “get rid of single-use plastic”.
“We are pleased to be recognized for our efforts to create a cleaner and more sustainable future for Bahrain and the rest of the world. In line with our commitment to sustainability, Bahrain Airport Company launched a plastic waste management project in 2020, in coordination with airport stakeholders, to monitor and divert plastic waste from landfills,” said the CEO. to BAC Corporation.
“The project saw 3,400 kg of material diverted from landfills annually and 137,600 kg of material recycled each year. Furthermore, we have set up a central control panel to monitor plastic waste streams at BIA airport. We are currently working on further improvements, including This includes replacing single-use plastics with reusable items, and encouraging recycling within stakeholder operations.”
Commenting on the achievements of ACI carbon accreditation, Al-Binfalah said that this achievement represents another important step in our journey to becoming a carbon-neutral airport. It also reflects the dedication of the Health, Safety and Environment team at Bahrain International Airport (HSE) and the valuable support of our airport partners.
“Working together, we remain committed to further reducing BIA’s carbon footprint. Achieving the global air transport sector’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires careful coordination across the entire industry, including airports. Bahrain Airport Company is proud to support this initiative and raising awareness of the importance of environmental protection.
To further support airport sustainability efforts, the Environment Committee at Bahrain International Airport meets monthly to discuss key environmental issues, including carbon management, waste management, energy and water management, green procurement, air quality, noise, climate change adaptation, and resilience.
BIA’s sustainability goals align with those of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP). Developed by Bahrain’s Sustainable Energy Authority, NEEAP aims to conserve resources and reflects the kingdom’s efforts to achieve the sustainable energy transition outlined in its Economic Vision 2030. One of its main goals is to reduce Bahrain’s energy consumption by 6% by 2025. BIA is the largest green building in Bahrain and will play a vital role in achieving this goal.
HF