Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA), serving Oranjestad, capital of the Dutch autonomous country of Aruba, became the first air terminal in the world to receive Green Globe sustainability certification, one of the world’s leading programmes of its kind.
It is a certification that requires players in the tourism sector to apply the highest international sustainability standards. Green Globe audits and certifies hotels, conference centres, cruise ships, attractions and other key industry infrastructure in around eighty countries.
In 2021, the Aruba Airport Authority, which manages Queen Beatrix International Airport, began addressing a series of measures to quantify, reduce, optimise and offset emissions associated with operations. In 2022, it chose to undergo an independent assurance audit that would review its performance.
To make progress in optimising operations and reducing environmental impact, airport management implemented initiatives to reduce energy consumption, pilot waste management projects, offset policies and greenhouse gas emission reporting, among other measures.
The results of the evaluations were positive. Thus, days ago it became the first airport in the world to receive the certification.
«As a busy tourism spot, the Aruba Airport Authority has set the benchmark for the Caribbean aviation industry», said Birte Pelayo, CEO of Gleen Globe. «Airport operations can contribute greatly to reducing emissions through innovations on the ground and support better flight planning», he added.
«The efforts of the Aruba Airport Authority and the airport community over the past years to make our operations more sustainable have paid off in achieving this prestigious certification», said Angeline Flemming, the agency’s director of Health, Safety and Sustainability.
See also: Aruba’s airport presented its annual corporate social responsibility report (2021)
