UN lauds Beijing airport's strides in green transformation

NAIROBI, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Beijing Capital International Airport has made huge strides in reducing its carbon footprint thanks to robust uptake of clean energy and transport systems, the UN Environment said in a new report released on Wednesday.

The Assessment Report on Beijing Capital International Airport launched in Nairobi during the third edition of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA3) says China's largest airport managed to cut carbon emissions by 16 percent between 2014 to 2016 by reducing consumption of fossil fuels to power its key operations.

The report reveals that use of gasoline or diesel vehicles in the airport reduced by 45 and 49 percent between 2010 and 2016 respectively.

At the same time, the airport's per capita water consumption declined from 23.75 liters in 2012 to 21.24 liters in 2015 which translated into a 10 percent reduction.

"Beijing Capital International Airport has shown strong commitment towards sustainability, balancing growth in air, cargo and passenger traffic with enhanced environmental performance," said Steven Stone, chief of UN Environment's Economics and Trade Branch.

Stone noted that electric vehicles, energy saving lighting and sustainable water consumption systems have reduced carbon emissions and air pollution in China's capital.

Beijing Capital International Airport which is the largest in China handled an estimated 90 million passengers in 2016 and is a major source of jobs in the metropolis.

Zhang Wei, Vice President of Beijing Capital International Airport, said it has set a precedent in green aviation.

"We have made some improvements in the past years, including energy and resources efficiency and pollution reduction. This assessment report is just a start for our green airport journey," Zhang said. Enditem