Airports are increasingly being asked to reduce their carbon footprint. The specter of federal and state regulation is looming, and airports need to understand what their current impact on the environment is and how to mitigate that in the future. One of the sessions scheduled for the Wisconsin Aviation Conference, May 3-5, 2010, at the Country Springs Inn, Waukesha, Wisconsin, will address this topic. This presentation will include a brief history of how the construction and operation of buildings affects the environment, and discuss what technological strategies can be employed to achieve emissions compliance. Specific case studies will be reviewed.
Definition & Background
Absent widespread consensus in either the corporate, public or academic world, the definition of a “carbon footprint” is subject to an ongoing evolution. From Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is the “total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product.”
The term carbon footprint is nested within a more global term of “ecological footprint” and also of the comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). An ecological footprint compares the population’s consumption of resources and land with the planet’s ability to regenerate. Life cycle analyses evaluate all of the environmental impacts that a product is responsible for over its lifetime.
A carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be put in place to reduce it. Reducing carbon footprints through the development of alternative energy projects is a common strategy known as Carbon Offsetting.
Humans contribute daily to greenhouse gases in a variety of ways. Electricity creates carbon dioxide through the burning of coal. The main greenhouse gas that is commonly measured is CO2. Carbon dioxide is roughly about 0.04% of the Earth’s atmosphere and it absorbs more infrared radiation than any other of the greenhouse gases.
Transportation & Aviation Industry Impacts
Transportation accounts for 33% of CO2 emissions in the United States. 98% of atmospheric CO2 comes from the combustion of fossil fuels according to the Energy Information Association. According to the Encyclopedia of Earth, worldwide fossil fuels used for transportation contribute to over 13% of greenhouse gas emissions. Cars with average fuel efficiency produce nearly 20 pounds of CO2-eq for every gallon of gasoline burned.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that aviation accounts for about 3% of the warming caused by global greenhouse gas emissions. Air transportation has a larger carbon footprint than driving. The average round-trip flight across the U.S. emits about 6,000 lbs of CO2-eq, and short-haul flights emit more CO2-eq per mile traveled than medium-to-long-haul flights.
Aircraft emissions produce the majority of industry attributed carbon dioxide, followed by airport facilities, ground service equipment and operations.
Accounting
In How Stuff Works, Sarah Dowdy states “A carbon footprint is simply a figure – usually a monthly or annual total of CO2 output measured in tons. Web sites with carbon calculators turn easy-to-supply information like annual mileage and monthly power usage into a measurable tonnage of carbon. Most people try to reduce their carbon footprint, but others aim to erase it completely. When people attempt carbon neutrality, they cut their emissions as much as possible and offset the rest. Carbon offsets let you pay to reduce the global greenhouse gas total instead of making radical reductions of your own. When you buy an offset, you fund projects that reduce emissions by restoring forests, updating powerplants and factories or increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and transportation.”
Air Quality Regulation
According to Reason Magazine, air quality standards must be set at the level “requisite to protect the public health” with “an adequate margin of safety” and “requisite to protect the public welfare from any known or anticipated adverse effects.” States then must develop implementation plans detailing how they will ensure that local air quality meets the standard before a deadline. These plans must include more stringent facility permitting requirements and whatever other measures are necessary to ensure the target is met, including regulation of automobile use. States that fail to comply, risk sanctions – including loss of funds and direct imposition of even stricter rules.
Moving Forward
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has pledged a commitment to cap aviation emissions by 2020. Technological advances are being relied on to be the primary driver. Engine manufacturers have been working on biofuels for jets. The testing and approval process is underway and early results are very encouraging. Large-scale production will undoubtedly be the short-term roadblock.
The U.S. air traffic control navigational system is aging. Next-Gen’s satellite-based system is gaining funding support, but is still years away from full implementation. Using what it calls a “four pillar strategy,” which features investing in technology, flying planes more effectively, building efficient infrastructure, and using positive economic measures, IATA is eyeing a carbon-neutral future.
The proposed metrics are:
• To reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by 2050 compared with 2005 levels.
• To make all industry growth carbon-neutral by 2020.
• To cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5% per year over the next decade.
• To submit plans for joining a global carbon trading scheme to the United Nations by November 2010.
Their plan suggests a cap-and-trade scheme for the airline sector, requiring airlines from all countries to have permits that cover their emissions. In typical cap-and-trade policies, airlines that have excess credits could sell them to others. Airlines would also be allowed to buy credits from international carbon markets, such as the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme.
Conclusion
A footprint is a telling indicator of where we came from and where we are headed. The size of that footprint reveals much about that which left it. From an aviation industry perspective, the concept of “leave no trace” is presently not obtainable. Yet, new technologies, enhanced efficiencies and the ability to quantify the impact, are allowing the industry to best insulate itself from energy fluctuations, labor shortages and regulatory compliance. Embracing this approach allows airports to take a leadership position in mitigating climate change.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Matt Dubbe, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB is an architect with 25 years of professional experience in multiple project types with a concentration on implementing efficient green building and site development solutions within the aviation industry. Dubbe has completed projects throughout the United States that are recognized for their regional, environmental and contextual excellence.
Mead & Hunt is an employee-owned, privately held corporation consistently listed by Engineering News Record magazine as a top 300 architectural and engineering firm. The company has nearly tripled in size in the past 10 years. Offices are located in 10 states (www.meadhunt.com).
