MIA’s greenhouse gas emissions intensity down 7.4% as company eyes carbon neutral future

• Plastic waste reduced by more than 4,700 kilos over 2018
• MIA employees benefitted from more than 11,900 hours of training in 2019
• MIA’s economic value distributed up 9.1% to total more than €74 million

2019 was a pivotal year for environmental action at Malta International Airport as can be seen from the company’s recently published sustainability report.

Two of the most noteworthy milestones achieved in 2019 were the reduction of plastic waste by 4,740 kilos, mainly through the phased elimination of single-use plastic bottles, and the lowering of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 7.4 per cent to stand at 0.74 kg of CO2/passenger.

Over the past five years, the company has been successful in registering year-on-year drops in its GHG emissions intensity per passenger through the gradual implementation of its energy-saving programme and an investment of more than €1.2 million in photovoltaic panels between 2016 and 2019.

“A more environmentally conscious operation and company-wide education will enable us to honour our pledge of reaching carbon neutrality for emissions under our control by 2050: a commitment we formally undertook last year by signing Airports Council International’s NetZero 2050 Resolution,” said Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg.

In line with the social pillar of sustainability, the company also sought to provide more value to the stakeholder groups upon which it has a direct impact. Throughout 2019, airport employees benefitted from 11,908 hours of training. Malta International Airport also engaged in philanthropic activities benefitting the local community, with a special focus on the airport’s neighbouring villages.

With the third pillar of sustainability being economic, the company reported that 2019 was another profitable year which enabled it to increase the economic value it distributed in the form of employee wages and benefits, payments to providers of capital and to government by 9.1% over 2018 to total more than €74 million.

You may read the full report here.