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Our Sustainability Strategy
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) recognises that sustainability is essential not just in ensuring long-term, responsible growth, but also in safeguarding the environment for future generations. Our refreshed sustainability strategy builds on a long history of achievements, while developing partnerships with key stakeholders and aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This provides an exciting future pathway for BAC, through a holistic approach that commits to delivering positive, sustainable outcomes through three actionable pillars: Protect our Planet, Grow Responsibly and Support our Communities. Within these pillars are nine focus areas ensuring responsible and collaborative outcomes, which underpin our purpose to create a world-leading Airport City that future generations trust and are proud of.
BNE Sustainability Strategy Overview
Our Targets
Brisbane Airport recognises that being a leader in sustainability means constantly challenging ourselves to create the best future possible. Our revised sustainability targets demonstrate our focus on building a sustainable Airport City. This includes a commitment to be a Net Zero airport by 2025 (Scope 1 and 2), which is a significant advancement from our original 2050 target. In addition, our 2030 waste and water targets will greatly reduce our environmental footprint.
But we won't stop here. We will continue to challenge ourselves to increase the scope of our targets and commitments, and we will report on our performance through the BAC Annual Report.
Our Sustainability Pillars
Protect our Planet
Protecting our planet is essential to the ongoing prosperity of our natural ecosystem and to limit the impacts that BAC has on the environment through three focus areas of Decarbonisation, Circular Economy and Climate Change Resilience. This will be achieved by:
- Achieving Net Zero emissions by 2025 (Scope 1 and 2)
- Increasing our adaptive capacity and resilience against climate change
- Transitioning to renewable energy and increasing our energy efficiency
- Enhancing biodiversity and protecting our coastal ecosystems
- Progressing towards a circular economy by reducing natural resource consumption and delivering environment best practice outcomes
Grow Responsibly
In growing responsibly, we aim to ensure that the airport and our local community continues to prosper by focusing on Sustainable Design, Sustainable Procurement and Employee Experience. This will be achieved by:
- Promoting health and wellbeing to ensure the Brisbane Airport community is healthy and happy
- Ensuring diversity and inclusion is a priority across all aspects of our business
- Ensuring sustainable procurement principles are embedded across our business operations
- Enhancing sustainable design across all new and existing developments
- Delivering significant socio-economic impact, facilitating the 24,000+ jobs and generating considerable value for Queensland families
- Planning for future growth through sustainable investment and building sustainable supply chains and destinations
Support our Communities
Supporting our Communities has always been a priority for Brisbane Airport in our day-to-day operations. It is also an imperative pillar for a sustainable future, with focus areas on Partnerships and Engagement, Education and ensuring the airport is for everyone. This will be achieved by:
- Engaging our community on the burdens and benefits of our operations and giving back to our airport neighbours
- Building partnerships and collaborations with the aviation industry, our supply chain and our community to accelerate sustainable outcomes
- Increasing transparency and building positive and trustworthy relationships with our communities
FAQs
What is Net Zero?
Airport Carbon Accreditiation (ACA) is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification programme for airports and it independently assesses the efforts airports implement to reduce carbon emissions. Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) participates in the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Programme and uses the definitions outlined under the ACA.
Under ACA, Net Zero is defined as:
“Condition in which human-caused residual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are balanced by human-led removals over a specified period and within specified boundaries”.
“Residual GHG emissions” refer to unabated GHG emissions remaining after implementing all technically and economically feasible GHG emission reductions.
In simple terms, under ACA, BAC has achieved Net Zero (for Scope 1 and 2 emissions) by achieving a 97% emission reduction and by removing the remaining 3% of emissions via a carbon offset project that involves active land regeneration from human intervention (i.e. planting).
What is Brisbane Airport's net zero target?
We have established an emissions reduction target for our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. These emissions fall directly under BAC's operational control. Notably, Scope 1 and 2 emissions represent just 1% of the total emissions at Brisbane Airport, while the remaining 99% are categorised as Scope 3 emissions.
What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?
Under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:
- Scope 1 and 2 emissions are those emissions under the direct control of BAC; and
- Scope 3 emissions are those emissions outside of control of BAC.
For BAC, only 1% of emissions are within our direct control (known as Scope 1 and 2 emissions). The remaining 99% of BAC’s emissions are Scope 3 emissions.
Relevantly:
- Scope 1 emissions are defined as direct emissions from owned or controlled sources and of the 1% of emissions within our control, scope 1 emissions account for 3%. For BAC, this includes:
- Fuel consumption from our fleet vehicles and plant equipment (like mowers, sweepers, paint trucks etc.)
- Refrigerants, which are substances used in our heating, ventilation and air conditioning units.
- SF6 which is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic gas used for electrical insulation in high voltage switch gears.
- Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy and of the 1% of emissions within our control, Scope 2 emissions account for 97%. For BAC, this includes all the electricity purchased and consumed by our operations, and in buildings we own (e.g. terminals, offices).
- Scope 3 emissions are defined as all indirect emissions that occur in a company's supply chain, both upstream and downstream and for BAC, Scope 3 emissions account for 99% of total emissions. For BAC, most of its Scope 3 emissions are generated from aviation fuel used by airlines (which is Scope 1 emissions for airlines) and transportation to the airport (rideshare, taxi or personal cars).
How did Brisbane Airport achieve net zero?
We achieved our target for Net Zero (Scope 1 and 2) by 2025 by reducing this footprint by 97%. We did this through the following initiatives:
- Signing a power purchase agreement with Stanwell Corporation to purchase 100% renewable-backed electricity from Queensland based wind farm and solar projects.
- Expanding onsite solar with 6MW onsite to date and a further 5MW underway.
- Replacing 24 traditional internal combustion engine fleet vehicles with electric powered vehicles.
- BAC will also replace 58% of SF6 switches from gas to air-based. This work is currently underway and is expected to be complete by 2030.
- There are currently no zero emission refrigerants available. BAC is focused on replacing refrigerants (where practical) with a lower emission alternative when our heating, ventilation and air conditioning units are at end of life.
The remaining 3% of emissions within our control that we have been unable to eliminate from our operations are removed using a high environmental quality offset project purchased through Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM).
The carbon offset project BAC will be supporting is a native bush regeneration project, located in southwest Queensland.
We recognise that our Scope 1 and 2 emissions account for just 1% of the total emissions at Brisbane Airport and the real challenge lies in reducing Scope 3 emissions. We are committed to the challenge ahead and will continue to work with our airport partners to implement emission reduction initiatives.
BAC has implemented electric chargers airside for ground service equipment and offers an offset program for our travelling community which allows them to purchase offsets for their journey to Brisbane Airport.
We are proud to represent Australian airports on the Jet Zero Council during 2025 and will continue to participate in the Hydrogen Flight Alliance, which is developing emissions-free hydrogen aircraft at Brisbane Airport.
What is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)?
Brisbane Airport has entered into a six-year electricity retail agreement with Stanwell Corporation to purchase electricity that is generated from renewable energy projects including Queensland’s Clarke Creek Wind Farm and Blue Grass Solar projects.
This agreement starts on 1 January 2025 and the electricity purchased from Stanwell is used to power airport operations and the operations of a number of airport tenants. We often refer to this agreement as a PPA.
The energy generated from those renewable sources goes into the electricity grid, so it doesn’t specifically power the airport operations. However, by investing in this agreement, BAC has contributed to the growth of renewable energy sources in Queensland.
In addition, BAC has invested in 6MW of onsite solar energy, which does directly power our airport operations, and is installing a further 5MW.
What offset project is Brisbane Airport using?
We have partnered with Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM). BAC selected TEM as their deliver sustainable landscapes that restore a healthy environmental balance between agriculture and conservation.
The carbon offset project BAC will be supporting is a native bush regeneration project, located in southwest Queensland. The aim of this project is to regenerate and protect native vegetation which can provide important habitat and nutrients for native wildlife. Establishing these wildlife corridors allows animals to move across the landscape, accessing food and a chance to boost populations.
Enabling this bush regeneration contributes greatly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Read more about some of the projects Tasman Environmental Markets are working on.