Wellington Airport today released its first mandatory climate-related disclosures, highlighting its transition plan to
address the challenges and opportunities posed by a changing climate.
This outlines how the airport is preparing for the impacts of climate change and for its supporting role in the
decarbonisation of the wider aviation sector. It highlights physical risks such as storm surge and extreme weather
events, and adaptation strategies including planned renewal of the Airport’s seawalls. It also covers the Airport’s
approach to transition risks, including changes in government regulation, changing consumer attitudes, land transport
access, and aviation industry decarbonisation.
The disclosures are required from this year under the Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters)
Amendment Act. Wellington Airport has been reporting on climate-related risk in progressively more detail since 2021.
Wellington Airport also released its first Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, showing that the Airport is well on track
to achieve its Net Zero by 2030 target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with a 43% reduction since FY17, increasing to 73%
when renewable energy certificates are taken into account.
Emissions reductions have been made through improved energy efficiency, moving to certified renewable electricity and
electrifying the majority of the Airport’s ground fleet.
Wellington Airport’s chief executive Matt Clarke says:
“This reflects a lot of hard work from the team to understand the impact of climate-related risk, reduce our footprint
and improve what we can directly control.
“Of course, the bigger challenge ahead is reducing the emissions from aircraft and we’re working with airlines on that.
We’re looking forward to hosting Air New Zealand’s first commercial electric service in 2026 and have just welcomed a
shipment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, alongside a hydrogen trial earlier this year.
“Replacing gas boilers in the terminal is the next big project which will put us well on track for our target of Net
Zero by 2030.”
The full reports are linked to below: