Riyadh, The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) highlighted its contributions to environment conservation in conjunction with the celebration of World Environment Day, which annually falls on June 5. This event aims to raise awareness and interest in the natural environment, achieve environmental sustainability, preserve natural resources, and reduce various types of pollution. GACA has adopted several initiatives and programs to ensure environmentally friendly operational processes, aligning with the Kingdom's commitment to reducing carbon emissions. These initiatives reflect the aviation sector's strategic excellence in implementing several projects and initiatives that aim to apply the highest sustainability standards within a regulatory framework that helps preserve the environment and its natural resources in cooperation with relevant authorities in the Kingdom and international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Airports Council International (ACI) . Preserving the environment and ensuring sustainable development are among GACA's primary goals, aligning with its national aviation strategy and the broader objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 concerning the environment and climate on a regional scale. This commitment is evident in the Kingdom's launch of several initiatives, including the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, which was announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. GACA has launched the environmental sustainability program for Saudi civil aviation, which is one of the most important initiatives in the aviation sector's strategy. This program aims to mitigate the environmental impact of civil aviation activities according to the best global practices by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing noise pollution around airports, protecting biodiversity, enhancing air quality, conserving energy and water, and improving waste management, thus ensuri ng a sustainable environment future that enhances the quality of life and contributes to achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030. The initiatives and programs adopted by GACA have led to significant achievements in environment conservation and carbon footprint reduction in the Saudi civil aviation sector. These include King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, receiving Level 3 carbon accreditation, and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah, receiving Level 2 carbon accreditation from the ACI under the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program at the end of 2022. Additionally, international airports received the gold award for green airports from ACI in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, with King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh being recognized in the category of 15-35 million passengers annually and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in the category of 8-15 million passengers annually. Moreover, the Arabian Petroleum Supply Company (APSCO) received the Gold LEED (Lea dership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for designing and building its facilities according to green building concepts, which include reducing energy consumption and reliance on clean energy, and minimizing carbon emissions from building use, achieved two years ago. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Monday, May 04, 2026