JKIA, 3 Kenyan Airports Earn Certification From World Company

Four international airports in Kenya, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, have achieved a major environmental milestone coinciding with the country hosting the Africa Climate Summit (ACS).

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), in a press release seen by Viral Tea, announced that JKIA alongside Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret International Airports earned the Level 2 'Reduction' certification.

The certification is under the Airports Council International (ACI) world’s esteemed Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Program.

ACA Program - the only institutionally endorsed, global carbon management program for airports, offers an impartial evaluation, measuring and rewarding airports for their carbon management efforts.

It strives to enable the airport industry to effectively reduce its carbon footprint and to benefit from increased efficiency through lowered energy consumption. 

The program consists of six progressive levels of certification: Mapping, Reduction, Optimization, Neutrality, Transformation, and Transition, each requiring strict adherence to environmental performance metrics.

There are currently 10 accredited airports in seven countries in Africa at level 2 'Reduction', representing 20.6 per cent of African air passenger traffic.

"Our Level 2 'Reduction' accreditation is not merely an accolade; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility; This laudable achievement underscores our role as a responsible environmental steward in the region," KAA acting Managing Director, Henry Ogoye, commented regarding the significance of the accreditation.

"We’re deeply committed to working alongside our various airport partners, from airlines to ground handling companies, and service providers, to explore additional ways to mitigate carbon emissions at our facilities. In doing so, we are not only fulfilling our duty to present generations but also laying a foundation for sustainable operations for the future."

The four KAA-managed airports joined the ACA in 2021 with the program providing a solid framework to optimize and, eventually, eliminate emissions at the facilities.

This initiative is in line with the authority’s strategic plan which highlights environmental stewardship as one of its main strategic pillars.

Organized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the Government of Kenya, the ACS summit brought together leaders from Africa and beyond to discuss sustainable solutions for climate change across the continent.

It was attended by over 14 Presidents including Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi) Brahim Ghali (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana) Macky Sall (Senegal) Samia Suluhu (Tanzania) and Salva Kiir (South Sudan) among others and hosted by President William Ruto.

The event sought to look into ways of helping African countries vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change cope with the same and also served as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes, as well as ultimately led to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.