Sustainable development

Toulon Hyeres airport's commitments

Responsible airport

Due to their size and environment, airports are places with real biodiversity potential. In fact, grasslands sometimes represent more than 70% of the total footprint of airport sites, and preserving this biodiversity while managing wildlife hazards is a priority for VINCI Airports. In order to exceed regulatory requirements in this area, we are rolling out a strategy to survey the biodiversity issues in each of VINCI Airports’ locations. This survey work will cover both animal and plant species. Once the biodiversity issues have been accurately identified, our ambition is to take steps to preserve it while also satisfying airport safety requirements, in particular in relation to the risk of bird strike. This will be achieved through partnerships with local environmental protection associations and neighbouring farmers, by the use of alternative methods to manage bird strike (falconry for example), or by the deployment of adapted plans to manage green spaces such as late mowing, to maintain floral diversity for pollinators.

Beehives

To go one step further, we have decided to partner with the UNAF programme “Bees: guardians of the environment”. By installing beehives, we commit to raising awareness of our passengers and airport actors about biodiversity issues, both in terms of the environment to be protected and the flora and fauna to be preserved.

Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA

Toulon Hyeres airport has received level 1 Airport Carbon Accreditation certification (mapping), from the only international program aiming to reduce the GreenHouse Gas emissions specific to airports.

ACA assesses and recognizes the efforts undertaken by airports to reduce their GHG emissions thanks to a mandatory audit by an independent third party. There are four levels of certification: mapping, reduction, optimization and neutrality.

Noise quality charter

The quality charter for noise reduction at Hyeres le Palyvestre aerodrome was signed in 2017 and renewed in 2018. This charter is the result of long cooperation driven by the Naval Air Base, in conjunction with Hyeres city hall, neighboring city halls, associations and committees of local interests, and Toulon Hyeres airport. Each of the participants contributed to the charter, which today confirms their desire to live together in the best possible conditions, taking into account the operational needs of the armed forces, the implementation of a commercial flight program and the respect for quality of the sound environment.

Worldwide Environment Day

World Environment Day is the United Nations' annual event for positive environmental action. For this occasion, VINCI Airports sheds the light on the environment-focused initiatives, part of VINCI Airports’ comprehensive environmental policy: AirPact. AirPact introduces a global framework for sustainability, first time for an international airport operator. Thanks to specific objectives to be achieved by 2030, this policy establishes common standards and objectives at all airports throughout the VINCI Airports’ network while providing flexibility for individual approaches to implementation. Key areas addressed through AirPact include reducing carbon emissions, optimizing use of energy and natural resources, protecting biodiversity and achieving ISO 14001 certification. A performance improvement program identifies seven areas to achieve these goals: energy and greenhouse gases, water consumption, waste management, noise, biodiversity, prevention and reduction of environmental impacts and implementation of an environmental management system.