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Our climate protection strategy: Net Zero 2035

With our climate strategy, the airport will reduce its CO2 emissions to zero by 2035.

Net Zero means: No more compensations

Hamburg Airport has been working to reduce CO2 emissions for three decades already. With demonstrable success: Since 2021, the airport has already been commercially CO2-neutral. And now the decisive step has been taken: with its climate strategy “Net Zero 2035 – Now. For the Future”, Hamburg Airport wants to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the airport city to zero by 2035, doing without offsets – the first major airport in Germany to do so. Hamburg Airport is underlining its pioneering role in climate protection.  

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Quarter of a billion euros for climate protection

Hamburg Airport is investing around 250 million euros in the “Net Zero 2035” climate protection project. The construction of the airport’s own wind farm near Kaltenkirchen (Schleswig-Holstein) alone is the target of around 70 million euros. Step by step, Hamburg Airport is moving towards independent, 100-percent renewable energy and heat supply for the airport city. Net Zero 2035 is an ambitious but achievable target, thanks to our climate protection measures, established over several decades and continually being adapted and adjusted.

Hamburg Airport – fossil-free from 2035

Europe’s airports, working together under the umbrella of the Airports Council International Europe (ACI), have agreed to reduce their fossil-driven greenhouse gas emissions to zero by the year 2050. Hamburg Airport is part of this and is setting the pace. The goal: Hamburg Airport aims to be the first major German airport to completely convert its operations to renewable energy, abandoning fossil fuels and operating CO2-free by 2035. 

Our vision

For Hamburg Airport, the Net Zero 2035 project is the consistent next step towards active climate protection and transformation of air travel.

We set the pace.

By developing technical and operational solutions to reduce emissions, the airport has already succeeded in reducing the site’s greenhouse gas emissions by almost 80 percent since 2009. This is a great success, one which will be optimised in the coming years with numerous coordinated measures. Next comes doing without carbon dioxide emissions altogether, eliminating the remaining 12,200 tonnes of CO2. A tailored reduction path has been developed and is being pursued step by step, to culminate in 2035 in Net Zero. For the earlier CO2 emissions can be reduced, the better it is for the environment.

Hamburg Airport is pursuing the ambitious goal of making its own operations CO2 emission-free in record time and reducing the airport's own CO2 emissions to zero. However, this can only be the beginning of an energy transition in aviation.

We are developing progress.

The next step: CO2 emissions from aircraft must also be reduced to a minimum. As an airport, we also see it as our duty to work with partners from industry and science to find solutions that work not only in Hamburg. 

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In the future, climate-neutral energy sources will ensure that Hamburg Airport can act sustainably and self-sufficiently, without depending on external energy sources.

We are becoming self-sufficient.

In order to achieve Net Zero by 2035, construction of the Heidmoor wind farm is planned for the airport’s own property near Kaltenkirchen (Schleswig-Holstein). Investigations are also underway to determine if the airport can make use of photovoltaic energy. Taken together, this will see the airport and its 100 buildings powered with in-house green electricity by 2028 already. The region can benefit from the locally produced energy, too. Surplus regional wind energy can also be used for in-house hydrogen production.

Overall, the implementation of the climate protection measures for Net Zero 2035 is built on four pillars

4-Säulen Net Zero

In order to reach this net zero target, the airport has developed its own route to reduction. The plan shows a timeframe for implementing decarbonisation, with four pillars key to achieving the goal. One step at a time, the plan is being implemented. By 2035, we want to move our airport operations completely away from fossil-based to renewable energy sources. 

The four pillars in detail

  • Heating supply

    The block-type thermal power station which has provided the airport with heating until now will be replaced with other energy sources in the future. Options such as connecting to a heat distribution network and using power-to-heat applications are being considered within the Net Zero 2035 project.

  • Vehicle conversions

    The airport fleet will be completely converted to emission-free electric and hydrogen power, including a hydrogen fuel station. Since 2017, Hamburg Airport has been the world’s first international airport to rely exclusively on synthetic fuel produced from organic waste for its diesel-powered special vehicles, a low-emission transitional technology.

  • Electricity supply

    By constructing its own wind energy park at Heidmoor on the airport’s own property, along with a photovoltaic facility, the airport city is to have an independent, 100-percent sustainable energy supply. Hamburg Airport is investing around 70 million euros in a wind farm and will have a production capacity of more than 100 GWh per year.

  • Energy efficiency

    Additional energy-saving potential will be achieved in operational facilities by optimising usage, expanding monitoring and replacing systems and equipment where necessary. The airport is continuously optimising its technical building infrastructure with such measures as energy-efficient cooling systems and converting to smart LED lighting.

Our path to the CO2-free future

Grafik Weg in die Co2-freie Zukunft

Net Zero 2035

Further topics

  • Wind farm Heidmoor

    Environment

    Hamburg Airport is planning to build up to six wind turbines on a site owned by the airport near Kaltenkirchen. The future Heidmoor wind farm will be built southwest of Heidmoor by 2028 and will supply the approximately 100 airport buildings with green electricity.

    Wind farm Heidmoor

  • From CO2 neutrality to Net Zero 2035

    Environment

    This is where we currently stand: less energy consumption, innovative technologies, nature conservation projects and high-quality offset certificates - with these building blocks, Hamburg Airport has achieved CO2 neutrality as a major milestone. Since the end of 2021, Hamburg Airport has been operating in a CO2-neutral manner and has been certified with Level 3+ of the Airport Carbon Accreditation - as the first major airport in Germany. Now we are taking the next step towards Net Zero 2035. Now. For the future.

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