Delhi airport takes the eco- friendly route, becomes the first carbon neutral airport in Asia-Pacific

The GMR consortium-AAI run Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has become the first carbon neutral airport in Asia-Pacific by taking a series of measures taken by it to reduce carbon footprint, including setting up of a 7.84 MW solar power plant. 

The announcement was made by the international body of aerodrome operators across the world, ACI during the Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate presentation ceremony in Montreal, Canada on Tuesday. 

The Airport Carbon Accreditation has upgraded Delhi Airport to highest level of certification -- a level 3+ neutrality -- available to airports across the world, according to a release. Carbon neutrality occurs when the net carbon emissions over an entire year are zero or when the airport absorbs or offsets the same amount of emission that was generated. 

This achievement is accredited by ACI under Airport Carbon Accreditation that monitors the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions. "Achievement of the accreditation for carbon neutrality is indeed recognition of a great team work. With this achievement, we have set up new benchmark for other airports in this region to follow. 

"Going forward we are focusing on energy conservation and exploring alternative solution for generating green energy. Delhi Airport aims to increase its solar power generation capacity to 20 MW by 2020," Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) Chief Executive Officer I Prabhakra Rao said, after receiving the prestigious certificate.

DIAL, which runs Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, is a joint venture company, in which GMR holds majority stake.