SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABILITY
Green neighbour
Hong Kong International Airport is committed to being one of the world’s most environmentally friendly gateways, writes Martin Putnam.
S
ince Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) opened 12 years ago, both passenger and cargo traffic have experienced exponential growth. To ensure the sustainable development of the airport, it is committed to achieving high environmental standards.
From green purchasing and energy efficiency to waste and water recycling,
good environmental management is embedded in daily operations and guides policy making. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has a corporate environmental policy
in place, which provides executive management support for programmes designed to minimise pollution and maximise energy and natural resource use efficiencies according to the principal of continual improvement in environmental performance. As a manager and an operator of the airport, AAHK ensures that airport
businesses meet stringent environmental standards. All business partners at HKIA must complete an Environmental Management Plan and co-ordinate with AAHK on all environmental aspects of facility development and operation. Some of the key and ongoing areas of our environmental management
include air emissions management, waste minimisation and increasing emphasis on the ‘green design’ of the airport’s buildings and facilities.
Local air quality Air pollution is an issue of public concern in Hong Kong, with the region subject to episodes of poor air quality from both the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Hong Kong generated emissions. AAHK operates three air quality-monitoring stations on and near
HKIA, which continually gather air quality data. The data is periodically interpreted by independent experts from a local university, which also take into account meteorological information. And data interpretation shows that episodes of ‘poor air quality’ near the airport are predominantly driven by air pollutants from the north and north west of
42 AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
HKIA, such as power generation and emissions from industrial and transport sources in the PRD. HKIA sourced air pollutants, including the airport’s most significant air
pollutant – Nitrous Oxides – are identified as having a small influence on the air quality of the residential areas near the airport. Nevertheless, HKIA has come up with a number of initiatives aimed at
reducing emissions from airport activities and operations. These include: • Providing an LPG fueling point for airside vehicles and ground service equipment;
• Using B5 biodiesel recycled from used cooking oil in AAHK diesel vehicles; • Requiring all new airside vehicles at HKIA to conform to the latest environmental standards for respective vehicle types as a prerequisite for gaining operating permits;
• Mandating an idling engine shutdown for vehicles and ground service equipment in airside areas since 2008;
• Replacing AAHK vehicles with electric alternatives; • Teaming up with business partners in increasing the existing 200-strong fleet of electric vehicles and ground service equipment, including the provision of opportunity charging infrastructure;
• Enhancing Fixed Ground Power and Pre-conditioned Air systems at aircraft frontal gates to increase utilisation to over 90% of flights.
Waste minimisation Hong Kong is faced with rapidly depleting landfill space and waste minimisation is a key responsibility for all businesses. A long-standing waste minimisation programme at HKIA has achieved good levels of waste separation for recycling, including aluminium, plastic, cardboard, unused food wastes, metal, wood and used tyres. AAHK is also actively involving airport tenants and businesses to drive increased separation at source including retail and office tenants,
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