HAM and CHC ink pioneering climate partnership

Hamburg and Christchurch are 18,500 kilometers apart - but both airports have a common climate goal bridging the vast distance: achieving net zero emissions by mid-2030. The means to accomplish this mission is green hydrogen to power ground vehicles and energize passenger and freight facilities.

CHC and HAM embarked on a net zero journey
It is widely unknown because of low-key public disclosure but HAM and CHC have long taken a leading pioneering role in replacing fossil fuels with sustainably generated energy. At Hamburg Airport, the decarbonization strategy first became visible in 2009. That year, the airport’s CO2 emissions stemming from ground vehicles, the heating or cooling of buildings and other sources totaled 40,000 tons. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 80 percent, reaching 8,700 metric tons in 2021, thanks to coordinated technical and operational measures, noted HAM CEO Michael Eggenschwiler on announcing the partnership with CHC. This puts HAM well ahead when it comes to fighting global warming, not only in the German landscape of larger airports but also in European comparison.   

Sharing best practices
This is similarly true for Christchurch, which is a leader in decarbonizing processes in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2020, for example, CHC became the first airport in the world to achieve Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4, and since then the management has taken additional steps to further reduce emissions on the airport’s journey to a net zero future.
Against this common background and based on long-term environmental visions, both airports decided to collaboratively embark on an eco-friendly green hydrogen use by exchanging information and sharing best practices.  

Setting ambitious common goals
This was confirmed by Malcolm Johns, Chief Executive of Christchurch Airport, on the occasion of a recent meeting of environmental and operational experts of both airports: "Hamburg and Christchurch are both very ambitious to play their part in decarbonizing aviation," emphasized the executive. He went on to say: "We realize that to do that, we need partnerships like ours. For some time, we have had monthly online meetings with members of the Hamburg Airport team, sharing information and knowledge, and discussing and supporting each other's goals and achievements. Now it's time to set more common goals."

Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport, replied: "Sustainable airport operation with renewable energies is a building block for climate protection in aviation - we will continue to pursue this path consistently. Keywords are wind power, solar energy, green hydrogen. Which solutions are suitable for airports and their respective locations must be examined and decided individually. We are very pleased to have gained an experienced partner in Christchurch International Airport. On an international level, we can pool our expertise to achieve CO2-free airport operations and embark on a future with sustainably powered aircraft.”