Antwerp, Belgium – 27 January 2025 – Climate change necessitates a shift in corporate finance to enable the transition to a low-carbon economy. Innovative planning, management, policies, technology, and global commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement are essential for modern businesses.
Sustainability is vital today, as economic and social activities must adapt to promote prosperity and resilience. This necessity greatly impacts organizations, especially in the transport sector, a key economic pillar. Due to increasing environmental awareness, airport ecological management has become essential for the aviation industry’s growth.
Airport operations emit significant pollutants, affecting air quality and contributing to climate change. To achieve carbon neutrality, airports implement measures to cut CO2 emissions and enhance their environmental practices. Clean mobility solutions aim to improve public health and meet our climate goals by offering clean, reliable, safe, and affordable GSE options.
European Climate Law 2021
In 2022, Europe moved toward climate neutrality by 2050 under its regulatory framework. Following the European Climate Law 2021, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 55% reduction by 2030, key agreements on the Fit-for-55 package were established to cut GHG emissions, promote renewable energy, and improve energy efficiency by 2030.
CO2 emissions reduction targets: The ‘Fit for 55’ package, Regulation (EU) 2019/1242, revises HDV emission standards. The aim is a 90% CO2 reduction per km from new HDVs by 2040, with 45% by 2030 and 65% by 2035. To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Europe must boost EV adoption this decade.
A 2040 emissions target will guide climate neutrality. The European Commission will propose this target next year, with the Advisory Board suggesting a 90-95% reduction in emissions from 1990 levels. Starting in 2027, the new trading system will cover road transport sector emissions.
Airport companies face increasing pressure from stakeholders, such as shareholders and customers, to manage their impacts responsibly. Their environmental strategies have evolved to focus on carbon management and support the sector’s sustainable transition.
Heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs)
Heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs) face challenges despite benefits, leading to EU incentives for adoption. Policymakers must identify cost-effective technologies to establish stringent, feasible standards now and in the future.
Governments and manufacturers support EV technologies and infrastructure, promoting a robust charging network and incentivizing consumer migration to heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs). These factors position HDEVs as a green choice and a sensible solution for future industrial and transportation needs.
Refueling Emissions Regulations
Adopting a mixed fleet of hydrant dispensers—using smaller vehicles for refueling narrow-body aircraft and larger ones for wide-body aircraft—might reduce overall emissions. The smaller vehicles for narrow-body refueling would produce fewer emissions and could enable the earlier electrification of part of the fleet. Fully electric trucks with an electric drive train and built-in pumping capabilities completely eliminate carbon emissions during aircraft refueling.
Reducing emissions from truck chassis will lower overall emissions from aircraft refueling operations. The EU mandates a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions from trucks by 2030, while the UK announced at COP26 that trucks up to 26 tons sold from 2035 must be zero-emission, expanding this requirement to larger trucks by 2040. Before these deadlines, government policy should promote zero-emission truck sales, with other European nations considering similar measures.
An electrified refueller is different from a normal electric vehicle. Under normal circumstances, electric vehicles only need to consider power consumption during travel. Still, since electric refueller vehicles have a specific service function, they must consider power consumption, such as fuel pumping during the service process.
In 2019, each refueller emitted 31.4 tons of CO2eq while servicing nearly 5,000 aircraft (eight to ten daily), totaling over 22,000 tons of aviation fuel, which equals 6.3 kgCO2eq per aircraft or 1.4 kgCO2eq per ton of fuel. Hydrant trucks uploaded about four times more fuel due to servicing wide-bodied planes in long-haul flights, resulting in GHG fuel emissions per ton of fuel being approximately seven times lower than refuellers. Source.