Environmental policy

GES.A.P. SpA, the Management Company of Falcone Borsellino Airport in Palermo, while carrying out its activities aimed at offering its customers safe and efficient services ,adequate to the expectations of users, adopts and includes in its management strategy the principles of sustainable development, committing itself to protect the environment, to fulfill the obligations of compliance with environmental laws and regulations applicable to the organization of the company’s plants ,infrastructures and systems, as well as to continuously improve its environmental management system, in order to optimize its performance.

In confirmation of the strategic importance assigned to this fundamental principle of respect and protection of the environment and of sustainable development, on June 26th  2019, during the 29th annual Congress and General Assembly of ACI EUROPE, GESAP also signed the “NET ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS BY 2050” Resolution , reported below in its three points:

1) ACI EUROPE and its members, reaffirming their support for the ATAG environmental objectives in line with the 2008 aeronautics industry’s commitment to take action on climate changes and acknowledging the progress made by lCAO with CORSIA to achieve a zero carbon emission growth of international aviation beginning from 2020:

i) Invite all people interested in the aviation industry to globally integrate these objectives with a common ambition, vision and schedule towards a zero carbon emissions aviation system;

ii) Invite the ICAO Governments to accept the latest evidence of the United Nations IPCC on climate change and, referring to the basket of measures of ICAO including CORSIA, to establish a work plan aimed at approving at the 2022 ICAO Assembly a long-term carbon reduction target and its schedule.

2)  As part of the aforementioned ambitions, view and schedule of the aviation industry, ACI EUROPE and its members engage themselves to minimize carbon emissions from airport operations under their control by 2050 at the latest, reducing the absolute emissions to the greatest extent possible and managing any remaining emissions through investments aimed at removing and storing carbon.

3) ACI EUROPE and its members ask EU and European governments outside the EU for accelerating, where necessary, a transition to clean energy that ensures airports across Europe to move to a “zero carbon emissions regime “at competitive conditions.

 What is described above in terms of values ​​behind the culture, policy and corporate strategy of GESAP in environmental matters, also through the signing of the NET ZERO EMISSION BY 2050 Resolution by ACI EUROPE, translates into the following specific commitments:

  •  transposing the laws and environmental regulations applicable to the reference airport context, where possible anticipating new developments;
  • preventing and limiting the environmental impact of air traffic and airport activities, while evaluating the practicability of the use of the best technologies available on the market, including the appropriate balance of energy consumption deriving from renewable natural resources (solar radiation , wind and biomass, etc.);
  • evaluating and controlling the release of polluting substances into the air, water and soil, taking measures to minimize the associated risks;
  • reducing C02 emissions produced both directly and indirectly, also involving third parties operating at the Airport, obtaining and maintaining ACI EUROPE’s Airport Carbon Accreditation over time, within which aiming to achieve the so-called “neutrality” ( level 3+) in the shortest possible time, in line with the objectives set by the reference bodies and  international agreements;
  • minimizing the production of waste, including hazardous substances, ensuring correct disposal and promoting separate collection and recycling;
  • taking measures to protect site’s natural habitats;
  • evaluating and controlling sound levels, taking measures to reduce noise in the airport and in the surrounding built environment ;
  • integrating the factors aimed at environmental protection to  all levels of the organization, through:
  • the planning and design of the development of its services with a view to  reduce energy consumption, waste and emissions (green design);
  • the internal and external communication of its commitment for environmental protection, of its environmental objectives and performance;
  • the involvement and training of its employees to play an active role in controlling the environmental impact of the activities carried out;
  • raising awareness to reduce the environmental impact within the Bodies and Operators which carry out their activities in the airport area;
  • the choice of suppliers and subcontractors who share the ethical values and environmental principles of GES.A.P.
  • the implementation of Legislative Decree no. 231/2001 on environmental offences;
  • maintaining a constant dialogue with the competent authorities, the representatives of the local communities close to the airport and environmental associations through the sharing of information and the exercise of an active cooperation policy.

The maintenance of the commitments undertaken, as specified above, is the task and responsibility of all levels and functions of the organization, leaded  by the Top Management, which ensures the integration of environmental management into the organization’s business processes, in the strategic directions and in decision-making activities, and the performance of an active and driving role for an effective and efficient application of this environmental policy.

In accordance with the international standards envisaged for the effective management of control systems, GES.A.P. S.p.A. has adopted verification and audit methodologies for its Environmental Management System.

 

 

The Environmental Certification