People who enjoy traveling but are concerned about the environmental impact of flying should consider a trip to the Galapagos. In 2017, the Galapagos Ecological Airport became the first airport in Latin America recognized as climate neutral. This was granted through the Airports Council International, whose Airport Carbon Accreditation Program can accredit airports that are trying to reduce carbon emissions. The airport has offset more than 71,000 kilograms of CO2 and delivered more than 340,000 climate-neutral flight miles. The airport has also been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
This airport was built in 2012 and uses materials from the old building and is built using 80% recycled materials. This also applies to steel pipes recycled from the oil fields in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In addition, this airport is the first in the world to be controlled using 100% renewable energy, using both solar and wind energy. 65% of the total energy used by the airport comes from wind energy and 35% is provided by the PV panels installed at the airport. walkways of the airport. The airport’s fresh water comes from its own desalination plant, which converts seawater into fresh water for the airport.
The airport has entered into a partnership with CarbonClick to support carbon offset projects. This includes supporting the Tambopata-Bahuaja Biodiversity Reserve, aimed at conserving tropical rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon. Another project supported by Ecological Airport is to provide more environmentally sustainable stoves in the cities of Ayacucho and Huancavelica in Peru. This program has distributed more than 30,000 stoves that reduce the need for wood while providing eco-friendly cooking techniques.
The Galapagos Ecological Airport is one of eight environmentally friendly airports in the world as defined by the Airport industry assessment. These airports include Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport in India, Boston Logan Airport and Denver International in the United States, Zurich Airport in Switzerland, Oslo Airport in Norway, Stockholm Airport in Sweden and Singapore Changi Airport. Many of these airports contain a form of renewable energy similar to that found in the Galapagos. In the case of Denver International Airport, they have the largest solar farm of any commercial U.S. airport, with four arrays capable of generating enough electricity to power 2,500 homes. The Singapore Changi Airport has roof-mounted solar panels and the Boston Logan Airport installed six-foot wind turbines above the airport’s offices.
Due to its status as protected National Park, there are no international flights directly to the Galapagos International Airport. Instead, travelers hoping to arrive in the Galapagos should take a flight to Quito or Guayaquil, which they can then use to get to the Galapagos. Research estimates that air travel contributes to this about 4% to man-made global warming, and those who love to travel should take this into account when planning their next trip. By flying in and out in an environmentally friendly way airportS in Europe, Asia and America, travelers can at least experience the pleasure of travel without contributing net to global carbon emissions.
“We are of the world First environmentally friendly airport“
Featured photo: St-Barthélémy Island, Galapagos, by Natalie Marquis on Unsplash
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