Heydar Aliyev International Airport defines priorities for the next stage of carbon management
A seminar dedicated to the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program was held at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, organized jointly by the airport, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) and the company QSI.
During the seminar, held at Heydar Aliyev International Airport — the first airport in the region to achieve Level 3 of ACA accreditation — the requirements for moving to subsequent levels of accreditation, AZAL's decarbonization goals within the framework of its ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) strategy, as well as directions for further work were discussed.
The seminar was conducted by Okay Kayhanli, General Director of QSI. The focus was on systematic monitoring of carbon emissions, ensuring reliable data exchange and implementing decarbonization initiatives jointly with partners.
Special attention was paid to managing indirect emissions falling under Scope 3, as well as to more active involvement of key participants in the airport ecosystem. In this area, it is envisaged to strengthen cooperation with airlines, ground handling operators, fuel and energy suppliers, transport companies and other service providers.
It should be noted that a number of measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions have already been implemented at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. More than 4,000 outdated lighting fixtures have been replaced with energy-efficient equivalents, and modern lighting management systems have been introduced. As a result, annual electricity savings amount to about 1.2 GWh, and the volume of CO₂ emissions is reduced by approximately 600 tons per year.
Since 2025, the airport has been implementing the ISO 50001:2018 energy management system. As a result, in 2025 electricity consumption per flight decreased by 2.3% compared to the previous year.
In addition, the Building Management System (BMS) has been modernized in Terminal 1, which made it possible to improve the efficiency of managing lighting and ventilation systems. At the next stage, the integration of other systems into the BMS is envisaged, as well as the expansion of projects in the field of renewable energy.
The measures implemented are part of the long-term work of Heydar Aliyev International Airport to gradually reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and form a more sustainable airport ecosystem. The airport continues systematic work in this direction, consistently advancing toward its long-term goal — achieving a zero emissions balance (Net Zero) by 2050.
