Environmental responsibility
Our approach
A safe, efficient, and sustainable aviation sector is critical to the economy and the standard of living of all Australians.
Airservices Australia operates in the sky, over land, and water. Our 2024-2030 Environmental Sustainability Strategy builds on the previous strategy and outlines a roadmap of how we will respect and protect this environment through sustainable initiatives across the next six years.
Our approach to environmental sustainability covers four key areas, Aircraft emissions, Aircraft noise, Ecological stewardship, and Sustainable resource management, each of which have their own ambition, activities, and targets.
These four key areas are driven by two distinct drivers:
- As a partner of the broader aviation ecosystem
- As an organisation committed to environmental stewardship.
Underpinning this is our commitment to accurately reporting on sustainability initiatives, challenges and progress; and continue to demonstrate Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) progress.
Environmental sustainability
Strategy
As a partner of the broader aviation ecosystem, and as an organisation committed to environmental responsibility, we are focussed on addressing the impacts of aircraft emissions and aircraft noise; while enhancing our ecological stewardship and ensuring sustainable resource management.
Our programs, activities and initiatives outlined in the 2024-2030Â Environmental Sustainability Strategy demonstrate a pathway of ensuring we:
- work with our customers to reduce aircraft emissions and positively contribute to the achievement of net zero emissions by 2050
- support the aviation industry’s efforts in minimising the impact of noise on communities
- reduce our consumption of resources and reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 43 per cent below baseline levels by 2030 and reach net zero scope 1 and 2 by 2050
- protect the environment where we work by preserving biodiversity and preventing or minimising pollution.
Within this document, we outline in detail the specific actions and activities we will undertake to reach the goals of each of these areas and include a timeframe to do so.
Our commitment extends to communicating openly and transparently our progress, including the challenges we face, and the outcomes we achieve in driving environmental responsibility and sustainability.
The numbers
Key environmental outcomes
We drive progress through ambitious goals, and these statistics demonstrate our environmental responsibility in action.
400kg
Amount of fuel saved per arrival, due to continuous descent approach.
1999
We began assisting the aviation industry to meet Air Navigation (Aircraft Noise) Regulations 2018.
ISO 14001
The Environmental Management Standard under which Airservices is certified.
115,000 tonnes
The amount of carbon dioxide saved per year due to Smart Tracking.
How we approach
Climate change
We recognise that industry plays a vital role in addressing the challenges we face with climate change, global warming and the need to reduce our carbon footprint. At Airservices we are continuously looking at ways to enhance our resource efficiency to assist with the reduction of emissions and incorporating environmental factors into decision making across the organisation.
Eco risk management
Environmental assessment
An environmental assessment must be carried out before any changes to on-ground and air traffic management operations are made. This assessment is a key measure used to determine whether the change has the potential to cause significant harm to the environment. In honour of our commitment to the ecosystem, we will only go ahead with the proposed changes if the risk to the environment is able to be managed to as low as reasonably practicable.
ANEF charts
Noise exposure forecasting
Long term forecasts of future aircraft noise levels around airports are presented in Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) charts. ANEFs are primarily used by State, Territory and Local Governments for land use zoning purposes. Airservices technically endorses ANEFs to ensure their accuracy.
Protecting and preserving
Australia's heritage
We recognise our responsibility to protect the value of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage in sites under our ownership. We take an active interest in both our environmental and our heritage obligations, as demonstrated by the updated Heritage Strategy 2024-2026.
Upcoming
Community involvement
Currently no upcoming events
Work with us
Airservices is at the forefront of Australian aviation. We are uniquely connected to all parts of the industry and offer exciting and innovative work across a range of operational and corporate roles.
Career paths on offer at Airservices include
Air Traffic Control, Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting, information technology, corporate support and more.