Sustainability in African Airports and a Just Transition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2542Abstract
This study explored Airports Council International (ACI) Africa and its member airports can strengthen policy design and implementation to foster environmentally sustainable and socially just transitions. The study specifically focused on analyzing current sustainability initiatives in African airports, analyzing the potential for renewable energy integration, investigating the socio-economic impacts of sustainable practices, evaluating policy frameworks, exploring stakeholder engagement, and examining challenges and opportunities for a just transition. The study was anchored on the just transition and sustainability theory, which advocate for environmentally responsible development that ensures equity and inclusion. A comparative case study design was employed, focusing on four major African airports: Johannesburg OR Tambo (South Africa), Mombasa Moi (Kenya), and Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan (Ivory Coast). Secondary data collection was primarily through document analysis, including policy documents, sustainability reports, and academic literature. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify patterns and themes across the data, with a focus on governance, policy, stakeholder engagement, and financial mechanisms. The study findings indicated that, while there are efforts to adopt sustainable practices, many African airports still face significant challenges, including limited funding, outdated infrastructure, and insufficient policy frameworks. Renewable energy adoption and circular economy practices were identified as key opportunities for reducing carbon footprints, but progress was hindered by financial and institutional barriers. The study results also highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement in promoting sustainability, with varying levels of involvement from local communities, governments, and private sectors. Based on the study findings, it was recommended that it was crucial to enhance stakeholder engagement, prioritize renewable energy adoption and implement circular economy practices in African airports. The study recommends that the airports should focus on developing comprehensive sustainability policies, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and promoting a just transition that ensures equitable outcomes for workers and communities. The study also recommends investigating the long-term impact of renewable energy adoption on airport operations and financial sustainability since it is vital for scaling green initiatives across African airports.
Keywords: Climate Change, Just Transition, Sustainability
References
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Environmental Report 2023: Aviation and Climate Change. Montreal: ICAO, 2023.
Airports Council International (ACI). Sustainability Strategy for Airports Worldwide. Montreal: ACI, 2022.
African Airlines Association (AFRAA). Aviation as a Driver of Africa’s Economic Development. Nairobi: AFRAA, 2023.
World Bank. Air Transport and Connectivity in Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2022.
Airports Council International (ACI). Airport Carbon Accreditation Annual Report 2023–2024. Montreal: ACI, 2024.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Action Plan on CO₂ Emissions Reduction. Montreal: ICAO, 2022.
World Bank. Infrastructure Financing Constraints in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Transport and Trade Facilitation in Africa. Geneva: UNCTAD, 2022.
Schäfer, A. W., I. Waitz, E. A. Lee, and D. G. Nelson. “Technological, Economic and Environmental Prospects of Aviation.” Nature Energy 4, no. 2 (2019): 160–166.
Gössling, Stefan, and Andreas Humpe. “The Global Scale, Distribution and Growth of Aviation.” Global Environmental Change 65 (2020): 102194.
Newell, Peter, and Dustin Mulvaney. “The Political Economy of the Just Transition.” The Geographical Journal 179, no. 2 (2013): 132–140.
International Labour Organization (ILO). Guidelines for a Just Transition towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All. Geneva: ILO, 2018.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). AR6 Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Geneva: IPCC, 2022.
Airports Council International (ACI) Africa. Sustainable Airports Development Strategy for Africa. Montreal: ACI, 2021.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Greening Aviation Infrastructure in Developing Regions. Nairobi: UNEP, 2021.
Salgado, M., and D. L. Rhoades. “Social Sustainability in Airport Infrastructure Development.” Journal of Air Transport Management 89 (2020): 101892.
Flyvbjerg, Bent. Survival of the Unfittest: Why the Worst Infrastructure Gets Built. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Sovacool, Benjamin K., Matthew Burke, Lucy Baker, Aarti Kotikalapudi, and Gerhard Wlokas. “Energy Justice and Infrastructure Development.” Energy Research & Social Science 21 (2016): 1–5.
Airports Council International (ACI) Africa. Capacity Building and Sustainability Programmes Report. Montreal: ACI, 2022.
Airports Council International (ACI) Africa. Annual Activity Report. Montreal: ACI, 2023.
International Air Transport Association (IATA). Global Outlook for Air Transport – Deep Change. Montreal: IATA, 2024.
Sharmina, M., Y. Edelenbosch, C. Wilson, R. Freeman, J. Gernaat, P. Gilbert, A. Larkin, W. Littleton, M. Traut, P. van Vuuren, E. Vaughan, R. Wood, and C. Le Quéré. “Decarbonising the Critical Sectors of Aviation, Shipping, Road Freight and Industry to Limit Warming to 1.5–2°C.” Climate Policy 21, no. 4 (2021): 455–474.
Coffey, Helen. “Flygskam: What Is the Flight-Shaming Environmental Movement That’s Sweeping Europe?” The Independent, 2020.
International Transport Forum. Decarbonising Aviation: Exploring the Consequences. International Transport Forum Policy Papers, no. 140. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2024.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Assembly Resolution A39-3: Consolidated Statement of Continuing ICAO Policies and Practices Related to Environmental Protection – Global Market-Based Measure (MBM) Scheme. Montreal: ICAO, 2016.
Swedavia Airports. Swedavia – Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Incentive Programme. Stockholm: Swedavia, 2024.
ACI Europe. Guidance on Airports’ Contribution to Net Zero Aviation: Reducing Scope 3 and Supporting the Implementation of Destination 2050. Brussels: ACI Europe, 2022.
GreenFlyway. GreenFlyway. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://www.greenflyway.se/.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Greenhouse Gas Management and Mitigation at Airports. Eco Airport Toolkit. Montreal: ICAO, 2022.
Middleton, Ian. “Innovative Aviation Liquid Hydrogen Project Launched.” Airbus, May 16, 2024.
Cheglatonyev, Sergey. Airport Economic Regulation: Achieving Sustainable Equilibrium. October 2024.
Committee for Development Policy. A Globally Just Transition: Perspectives from the Committee for Development. Policy Note. New York: United Nations, 2023.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Innovation for a Green Transition. Environmental Report. Montreal: ICAO, 2022.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Rules, Modalities and Procedures for the Mechanism Established by Article 6, Paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement. Decision 3/CMA, March 8, 2022.
Gold Standard. Announcing Gold Standard for the Global Goals. Geneva: Gold Standard Foundation, 2016.
Bhaskar, Roy. “On the Possibility of Social Scientific Knowledge and the Limits of Naturalism.” Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 8, no. 1 (1978): 1–28.
Bowen, Glenn A. “Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method.” Qualitative Research Journal 9, no. 2 (2009): 27–40.
Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, no. 2 (2006): 77–101.
Makgoka, M., J. E. Grobler, H. Marais, and D. Bakker. “Environmentally Sustainable Use of Recycled Asphalt at OR Tambo International Airport.” 2014.
Dube, Kaitano, and Godwell Nhamo. “Private Sector Sustainable Development Goals’ Localisation: Case of Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, South Africa.” In Sustainable Development Goals for Society, vol. 2: Food Security, Energy, Climate Action and Biodiversity, 177–189. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021.
Makuyana, Tawanda, and E. du Plessis. “A Model for Accessible Tourism Human Capital Development for Physically Impaired Persons in South Africa.” ISCONTOUR (2023): 142–158.
Bowker, Geoffrey C., Karen Baker, Florence Millerand, and David Ribes. “Toward Information Infrastructure Studies: Ways of Knowing in a Networked Environment.” In International Handbook of Internet Research, 97–117. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2010.
Robinson, Lance, Kevin Mearns, and Tracey McKay. “Oliver Tambo International Airport, South Africa: Land-Use Conflicts between Airports and Wildlife Habitats.” Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9 (2021): 715771.
Rogerson, Christian M. “The Aerotropolis and Airport City: Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.” Urban Forum 29, no. 2 (2018): 205–223.
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA). Sustainability and Environmental Management Report 2024/2025. Nairobi: Kenya Airports Authority, 2025.
Baxter, Gordon. “Mitigating Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Emissions during Aircraft Turnaround through Solar Power: The Case of Moi International Airport, Kenya.” International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology 7, no. 1 (2022): 14–22.
Mwangi, Isaiah Gichohi, and Johnbosco Mutuku Kisimbi. “Critical Success Factors Influencing the Performance of Infrastructure Projects in the Aviation Industry in Kenya: A Case of Moi International Airport.” Journal of Entrepreneurship and Project Management 5, no. 2 (2020): 93–111.
Olang’o, Mildred, Sixtus Mwea, and Francis Gichaga. “Pavement Performance Testing of the Newly Constructed Port Reitz and Moi International Airport, Mombasa Access Road.” East African Journal of Engineering 5, no. 1 (2022): 142–155.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report for Port Infrastructure Development Projects. Nairobi: KPA and NEMA, 2019.
Mwaura, Mwangi Nahashon, and Njeri Njuguna. “Strategy Implementation Drivers and Performance of Kenya Airports Authority: A Case of Moi International Airport, Mombasa County, Kenya.” 2023.
Ndamwe, Tsuma Simiyu. Project Management Capabilities and Sustainability of Passenger Terminals of the Aviation Industry in Nairobi Metropolitan, Kenya. PhD diss., Kenyatta University, 2023.
