Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE, presented the Eco-Innovation Award to Jos Nijhuis, former CEO, Royal Schiphol Group.
An interview with Denise Pronk, Programme Manager Corporate Responsibility, Royal Schiphol Group. By Ross Falconer
Sustainability is central to the Schiphol corporate strategy. “We truly believe that sustainable business is key for our license to operate,” begins Denise Pronk, Programme Manager Corporate Responsibility, Royal Schiphol Group. “We are talking about a sustainable future for our society, here. We acknowledge that it is our responsibility to carry out our activities in a way that is well-considered and safe for our neighbours, the environment and our colleagues. It is not always easy to strike a balance while doing so, especially as the demand for aviation continues to grow. But in everything we do, we try to be as sustainable as possible.”
These efforts were recognised at this year’s ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards, where Amsterdam Airport Schiphol received the Eco-Innovation Award. The judges recognised the degree of innovation shown, for instance through the implementation of circular economy principles and the use of renewable energy.
“Our ambition is to be the world’s most sustainable airport,” says Pronk. “This is why we have embraced the circular economy. Taking a circular thinking approach enables us to integrate our green values with business insights even more effectively.”
Examples of this include the lighting in Departure Lounge 2. Philips, Cofely and Schiphol joined forces, inspired by a shared vision they called ‘Light as a Service’. “We transferred ownership to the manufacturer as an incentive to innovate. By the way, they also pay the electricity bill,” Pronk explains. “The fittings in this departure lounge were adapted to enable separate components to be replaced, effectively extending the life-cycle of the lighting by 75% and reduction of energy use by 50%.”
Schiphol has also opened a new morgue constructed entirely sustainably, according to the cradle-to-cradle principle. This means that, when the structure’s lifespan has ended, the materials can be easily reused in a new project. It is the first 100% cradle-to-cradle building at Schiphol.
The airport is also constantly seeking circular economy options while building its new pier, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2019. The facility will have 5,000sqm of solar panels.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is accredited at Level 3+ Neutrality of ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation. “We reach 4% energy efficiency each year through, for example, LED lighting, dynamic energy use and efficient air conditioning,” Pronk comments. “Despite passenger growth, we have reduced our natural gas consumption by over 50% since 1990. This year we renovated Pier G and with the use of heat and cold storage we save 168,000m3 of gas per year, which is a reduction of 84%. The next renovation of Pier D will be even more: approximately 500,000m3 of gas can be saved annually.”
Schiphol has also installed new wind turbines, and all power for the airport company will come from wind farms by 2020. Last April, the first wind farm opened, supplying around 20 GWh per year, which is comparable to the annual energy consumption of some 17,000 households.
Other initiatives include the introduction of 100 electric buses – the biggest zero-emissions bus fleet in Europe. This will increase to 258 electric buses by 2021 in the broader region.
Pronk asserts that Schiphol is about more than just planes – it is one of the biggest public transport hubs in The Netherlands. Indeed, thousands of passengers, commuters and employees will be taking green buses to and from Schiphol. “Schiphol Airport has helped drive this project forward with great enthusiasm and we are very happy that we have been able to contribute to it. Ultimately, we want Schiphol to be climate-neutral by 2040. This partnership with Connexxion and the Amsterdam Transport Region is a huge step towards this goal.”
