Communicating a Balanced Look at Local Airport Activity and Climate Change (2025)
Chapter: 6 Strategies to Communicate the Airport's Side of the Story
CHAPTER 6
Strategies to Communicate the Airport’s Side of the Story
This chapter focuses on two issues:
- What is the airport’s story for the community in response to concerns about aviation activity?
- What are some strategies and approaches for the airport to get the story out?
The Airport’s Story in Response to Concerns About Aviation Activity
Several facts were established in earlier chapters that can be folded into existing or new communications and media channels. Ideally, the airport wants to position itself as a good and very productive “citizen” in the local community that is also making important contributions in the fight against climate change.
Here are the facts established in earlier chapters summarized in a Narrative. One of the important findings in the case studies (see Chapter 7) is that airports find themselves in different circumstances vis-à-vis their community’s interest in climate change and related matters. Airports may wish to use parts of this Narrative depending on local circumstances to develop their own communications.
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There is a path to zero aviation emissions by 2050.
- If there is no abatement and no new technology for aircraft, then economic and population growth would likely cause aviation emissions to double by 2050.
- However, there is a path to substantially reducing emissions. According to the 2021 U.S. Climate Action Plan, relative to a scenario where technology is frozen:
- New aircraft fleets that burn less fuel, new air traffic control technologies that shorten airline routes, and new technology engine units (earliest in the 2030s) will reduce emissions in 2050 by 33%;
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) would reduce emissions by a further 32% if it accounts for about 40% of fuel by 2050 and reduces emissions per gallon burned by about 80%;
- SAF would reduce emissions by a full 67% if it accounted for 80% of fuel burned and reduce emissions per gallon by 80%; and
- Battery-powered aircraft address less than 5% of the commercial market and so will likely make a modest contribution to reducing emissions.
- New fleets, new air traffic control technologies, and new technology engines will almost certainly happen, and airlines and other operators will have incentives to adopt them to cut fuel costs.
- The cost of SAF is the main challenge to realizing a zero-emissions path. It currently costs two to four times more than jet fuel. Many national governments, including the U.S. government, are subsidizing the commercialization of SAF, which will drive its costs down.
- The path to zero aviation emissions is a developing story. Advances in battery technology or fuel cells could speed the development of zero-emission commercial (airliner) aircraft sooner than expected.
- Combining hydrogen created by electrolysis using renewable energy and CO2 captured via carbon capture at industrial sites may also develop faster than anticipated and speed the development of economically viable SAF. Carbon capture and sequestration may also play a vital role.
- A useful way to organize, measure, and then promote accomplishments is to use the Airport Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT) from the Airports Council International (ACI) to document Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions at the airport and then apply for Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) certification as progress is made.
- Airports can also apply for certifications like Envision, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and awards such as those presented by ACI to communicate progress to the public and stakeholders.
- Ninety-seven percent of the emissions in the aviation sector are from the combustion of fuel and are attributable to airlines and other aircraft operators; airports do not control and do not have direct responsibility for these emissions.
- Airports account for about 2% to 3% of aviation emissions, counted as Scopes 1 and 2 emissions.
- Airports have a host of actions they can take to address their Scopes 1 and 2 emissions:
- Invest in energy-efficient infrastructure: Airports can invest in energy-efficient infrastructure, such as LED lighting, smart HVAC systems, and energy-efficient building materials. This can significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions.
- Invest in renewable energy sources: Airports can invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to generate their electricity, which can help reduce emissions and energy costs.
- Pursue on-site opportunities: As technologies develop, there may be opportunities for airports to invest in economically viable projects that support climate goals. For example, airports may themselves invest or partner with private entities to support charging electric aircraft with renewable energy or support the availability of SAF via interconnections with existing airport distribution systems.
- Invest in sustainable airport design: Airports can invest in sustainable airport design practices, such as green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and natural ventilation systems. These can help reduce energy consumption and emissions from the airport infrastructure. The Envision certification process is one way to realize these goals and communicate certified benefits to the community.
- Take advantage of FAA Airports Climate Challenge programs: These programs provide financial support for initiatives including charging stations for ground support vehicles, conversion of on-road vehicles to zero emissions, recycling, heating and cooling backup systems, and planning for new energy supply infrastructure.
- Purchase certified offsets: These offsets should satisfy key criteria: additionality, avoid overestimation, permanence, exclusivity, and avoid social and environmental harm. Airports can encourage other stakeholders, including passengers, to offset the environmental impact of their travel.
- Airports can work with stakeholders, including airlines and other aircraft operators, to cut Scope 3 emissions by encouraging the use of SAF and helping build infrastructure to support its delivery.
- Consider encouraging Book and Claim programs at the airport.
- Encourage accurate and transparent tracking of the benefits of substituting SAF for jet fuel through the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA).
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- Encourage the use of certified offsets by other stakeholders when the offsets have known and permanent benefits.
- Encourage the use of carbon removal (through carbon capture and storage) credits if and when they become more available.
- Encourage passengers and the workforce to use public transportation to cut Scope 3 emissions from automobiles at the airport.
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Airports are the engines of their local and regional economies.
- Airports create jobs, generate household income, and drive output in their local and regional economies.
- Forgoing aviation growth will mean lost jobs, household income, and transactions in the region.
- Forgoing efforts to improve the connectivity of the airport will also be costly.
- Considering all trips made to and from an airport, using alternative modes instead of aviation trips is more costly for consumers in terms of out-of-pocket costs and their time and would produce more emissions.
- Using a nearby airport with at least the same quality of service is also costly to consumers and produces more emissions.
- Airports create jobs, generate household income, and drive output in their local and regional economies.
Strategies and Approaches for Communicating the Story
How might an airport integrate these facts into its overall communications? Figure 6-1 is an example showing how targeting emissions is part of a broader airport initiative to be sustainable, which is good for the airport, its stakeholders, and the community.
Reviewing communications packages from 15 airports reveals several points of emphasis about getting organized, setting targets, undertaking specific programs, reporting progress on targets, sharing why sustainability is good for business, and the importance of stakeholder engagement. The airports that were reviewed ranged from large hubs to nonhubs and GA airports. The textbox “Lessons from Review of 15 Airports’ Communications” summarizes some of the common themes from this review.
Lessons from Review of 15 Airports’ Communications
How to get organized:
- Demonstrate board backing for emissions and sustainability.
- Adopt a climate resilience plan, including emissions reduction.
- Set a CO2 per-passenger goal.
- Have committed to reduced emissions targets.
- Reduce energy use with targets.
- Establish a science-based GHG reduction target.
- Include emissions reductions in strategic plan.
Carbon neutrality programs:
- ACA certification.
- Architectural features that promote energy savings.
- Buses/airport fleets use renewables.
- Encourage CO2 reductions from partners, including airlines.
- FAA Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) program.
- Provide infrastructure for low-emission vehicles.
- Achieved or is pursuing LEED certification for buildings.
- Provide opportunities for passenger offsets, e.g., Good Traveler.
- Purchasing power from renewables.
- Promoting the use of SAF.
- Implemented tree planting as an offset to air travel.
Sustainability is good business:
- Airport is an economic engine.
- Biodiversity plan.
- Cut energy costs.
- Good for customers and employees.
- Water stewardship.
- Zero or reduced waste target.
Stakeholder engagement
Key strategies also emerge from a broader review of airport communications, including those in Europe where climate concerns are already affecting the availability of aviation services due to bans on short-haul flying and business flying at some airports.
These are summarized in Figure 6-2. The most important points are having the CEO of the airport as the chief spokesperson and having clear plans with targets against which progress is periodically reported to the public.
Larger airports usually have more resources, more channels to communicate, and more staff dedicated to communications of all types. Focusing on the airport’s role in climate change and what the airport is doing about it is a natural extension of the communication function of a large organization. Large airports also have important economic incentives to track and report environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals in response to investor interest. Many large funds have established environmental sustainability as an important criterion for investing in airport bonds and other investments. To successfully attract capital from this segment of the investment community, some airports have found it advantageous to track ESG goals, including progress on cutting emissions. Most of the large bond rating agencies require airports issuing bonds to report their ESG policies and track progress (74).
Smaller airports can learn from the work these airports have already done and choose the communications channels they have easy access to and have experience with.
Figure 6-3 is a summary of the various communications channels airports can use to get their climate message out. The next chapter provides some examples.
Keeping Your Communications Current and Focused
A recent Harvard Business School article found that customers face an ever-changing set of unpredictable external forces that are changing their lives and the institutions around them. “A mere 20 years ago, a song typically stayed on the Billboard Top 100 charts for 20 weeks. Right now, it’s closer to two weeks. Similarly, the skillset that would once last your whole career now requires a complete refresh every three to five years. Corporate longevity is also rapidly changing: in 2020, the average company lifespan on Standard and Poor’s 500a was just over 21 years, compared with 32 years in 1965 (75).”
Climate change is one of those complicating factors. Keeping airport websites and other communications up-to-date makes it easier to understand the airport’s role in the community and the work being done to help abate emissions. This means taking down and replacing older material on the website and any other platforms and replacing it with up-to-date information.
a See the article on average company lifespan available on the Statista website: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1259275/average-company-lifespan/.
Chapter 7 presents examples of airport communications that are on point.
