Daa insists move to grow passenger numbers will include environmental initiatives
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The operator of Dublin Airport has insisted there will be significant sustainability plans within its application to increase the annual cap on passengers from 32 million to 40 million.
The daa, which also operates Cork Airport, was criticised by environmental experts and campaigners over chief executive Kenny Jacobs' claim that keeping the 32 million cap on passengers in place would hurt its sustainability plans.
Sustainability and aviation globally cannot currently be reconciled because of the intense carbon nature of flying, according to experts.
However, the daa has said that the context of Mr Jacobs' comments related to a range of infrastructure developments and investments to tackle emissions, while growing passenger numbers. The application to increase the passenger cap will be made in conjunction with its environmental initiatives, the daa said.
"An application to amend the annual cap to 40 million passengers will be submitted to Fingal County Council in December this year as part of daa’s infrastructure application.
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"The application will include a number of infrastructure developments and investments that will support and enable the growth of Dublin Airport to cater for Ireland’s future demand for international air travel while achieving its stated goal to reduce carbon emissions by 51% by 2030 and to be net-zero by 2050."
The cap was a condition of planning permission when Terminal 2 was greenlit 15 years ago.
The daa said that in line with the National Climate Action Plan 2021, public bodies and commercial semi-state companies like itself are committed to a target reduction of 51% in energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, a 50% improvement in energy efficiency, and a requirement for 50% of space heating to be from renewable sources.
Currently, Dublin Airport has beaten its target in energy efficiency with a 53% energy performance reduction, and a 18% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the baseline years of 2016 to 2018, it said.
It said it is investing €400m in the next four years in sustainable infrastructure upgrades such as solar PV and a widescale electrification of its fleet.
When it comes to Cork Airport, the daa said it has achieved a 66% energy performance reduction in energy efficiency, also beating its own target, while it has reduced emissions by 45% compared to the same baseline years as Dublin.
It pointed to Cork Airport being "recently ranked as the best performing commercial semi-state company or public body for energy savings for the second year running" by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)".
Aviation accounted for 2% of global energy-related carbon emissions last year, having grown faster in recent decades than rail, road or shipping, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).