The Five Minute Feature: Meet Environmental Minds, the team behind the administrator of Airport Carbon Accreditation
How does a global carbon management programme maintain a consistent and credible standard while supporting airports of every size, region and level of experience?
Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only institutionally endorsed global carbon management certification programme for airports. It independently assesses and recognises airports’ efforts to manage and reduce carbon emissions across seven levels, from emissions mapping through to net-zero carbon emissions from operations under an airport’s direct control and action on Scope 3 emissions.
The programme is built on published requirements, independent verification and public reporting. Airports must demonstrate their carbon footprint, management measures, and, at higher levels, emissions reductions, third-party engagement, and alignment with global climate objectives. Since December 2024, Environmental Minds has served as the programme’s administrator, helping to ensure these requirements are applied consistently while supporting participating airports throughout their accreditation journey.
In this month’s Five Minute Feature, we go behind the scenes of Airport Carbon Accreditation – and speak with Panagiotis Karamanos, Managing Director of Environmental Minds, about the organisation’s evolving role, the safeguards behind the programme and the wider work supporting sustainability across aviation.
Environmental Minds is a specialised sustainability consultancy working with organisations across aviation and beyond. Its work spans greenhouse gas management, environmental management and capacity building. Taking on the administration of Airport Carbon Accreditation has expanded both the scale and the scope of that work.
“Since taking on the role of programme administrator, our way of working has evolved considerably,” says Karamanos. “First, our team has grown in both size and expertise. We are now a team of 12, bringing together experience in environmental management, engineering, sustainability and climate science.”
That range of expertise reflects the needs of a programme operating across many different markets and airport types. The team provides day-to-day administration, technical guidance, application review and training, while also maintaining the programme documentation and responding to questions from airports around the world.
A dedicated Help Desk now provides a direct point of contact for questions about programme requirements, applications and the preparation of submissions. The purpose, Karamanos explains, is to make the process clearer for participants without reducing the rigour that gives the programme its value.
“We have also focused on streamlining the programme’s processes and documentation. Our aim is to make the certification journey clearer and more straightforward for airports, while maintaining the consistency and rigour on which the programme depends.”
This support is underpinned by continuous learning. Environmental Minds invests in regular training and keeps its team current with relevant standards and methodologies, including the GHG Protocol and applicable ISO standards. That enables it to offer informed and consistent guidance to airports at different stages of carbon management.
For a globally operating accreditation programme, credibility depends on more than a shared objective. It requires a process that can be applied consistently, supported by clear evidence and independent scrutiny.
“Credibility and transparency rest on two things,” Karamanos says. “On one hand, we develop programme documents that set out clear, consistent guidelines and requirements and, on the other, we continuously monitor global climate developments to ensure Airport Carbon Accreditation can address the climate crisis.”
The programme has developed alongside the changing climate context for aviation. Originally structured around four certification levels, Airport Carbon Accreditation now has seven. Its development has reflected international developments including the Paris Agreement, the increasing focus on Scope 3 emissions and the need for airports to set more comprehensive reduction targets.
The latest update of the programme documentation has sought to make certification more user-friendly, while preserving the quality of the assessment. This matters because the programme is designed for airports of every size, in every region, and with every operating model. An airport does not need to be a major hub to take its first steps in carbon management, but it must demonstrate that it meets the requirements of the level it seeks to achieve.
Independent verification remains central to the process. Airports submit evidence of their carbon footprint, management activities and, where relevant, emissions reductions, stakeholder engagement and long-term planning. Their applications are assessed by an independent, approved third-party verifier and reviewed against the same published requirements, with oversight from Environmental Minds. The accreditation level awarded is then made public, allowing stakeholders to follow an airport’s progress within the programme.
Beyond Airport Carbon Accreditation
Airport Carbon Accreditation is a core part of Environmental Minds’ work, but not its only contribution to the sector. Capacity building is another key focus, particularly where airports and aviation professionals need practical tools to turn sustainability principles into day-to-day action.
The organisation has developed the Managing Green Airports and Waste Management in Aviation courses for IATA. It has also delivered dedicated training on Airport Carbon Accreditation requirements, including for King Salman International Airport Development Company.
Its work can also be highly airport-specific. Environmental Minds carried out a sustainability assessment for Bruges Ostend Airport using the ACI EUROPE Sustainability Strategy for Airports framework and associated assessment tool. The assessment helped the airport measure its performance against a defined set of criteria and identify actions for further improvement.
“Each of these projects serves a distinct purpose,” Karamanos says. “The Bruges Ostend assessment shows how an individual airport can be measured against a defined set of criteria and then identify the actions needed to improve its performance. And the training course development and delivery build capacity and knowledge across the wider community of aviation stakeholders.”
Taken together, these projects illustrate the organisation’s work at different levels of the aviation system, from individual airport assessments to the training that supports those responsible for implementing change.
Environmental Minds’ team combines professional and academic backgrounds in environmental management, engineering, sustainability, economics, meteorology and climate science. Its colleagues have lived or worked in Greece, Italy, Scotland, the United States, Botswana, South Africa, India and other parts of the world, bringing an international perspective to a global programme.
“We have built a diverse team in professional expertise and academic background, so that we bring the best possible thinking to the programme,” says Karamanos. “That diversity comes to life in our meetings, where discussions draw on everyone’s background to examine an issue from every angle.”
Maintaining that expertise requires continued investment. Alongside internal and external training, Environmental Minds holds ISO 9001 certification for its management system, supporting a consistent approach to service quality as the programme and the wider policy landscape continue to evolve.
Giving back to the community
The organisation’s values also extend beyond its work with airports. This summer, Environmental Minds is supporting The IONAS Association’s creative activities programme for children with disabilities. The programme includes swimming, climbing, sports and creative workshops.
“Giving back to the community is a core principle of how we operate,” says Karamanos. “What particularly drew us to IONAS is the way its creative activities programme, from swimming and climbing to sports and creative workshops, gives children the space to build confidence, develop skills and simply enjoy themselves.”
The support follows earlier work with organisations focused on diversity and children. Environmental Minds is also developing a volunteering concept to guide both financial contributions and the time team members contribute to community initiatives.
“For us, it is not a separate activity but a reflection of the same values that guide our work in sustainability,” Karamanos adds.
Looking ahead
The next phase of airport decarbonisation will require airports to build on the progress already made while addressing challenges that vary significantly by location and operating model. Many have established carbon inventories and implemented measures to reduce emissions under their direct control. The more complex task is to sustain absolute emissions reductions while engaging with wider Scope 3 emissions, including aircraft operations, where airports have influence but not direct control.
“There is consensus on the importance of reducing emissions, and airports are taking action. Airport Carbon Accreditation gives them a credible, structured pathway to translate that ambition into measurable progress, from mapping their first inventory through to committing to significant emission reductions for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions”, Karamanos highlighted.
Environmental Minds sees its role as helping airports navigate this next stage through the consistent administration of Airport Carbon Accreditation, ensuring that the programme’s requirements remain clear, current and aligned with global developments. Beyond this, the organisation is focused on supporting airports to strengthen collaboration with partners operating on their sites, while building the knowledge and capacity needed by airports and independent verifiers alike.
For airports, there is no single route to reducing emissions. But reliable data, clear requirements, independent verification and practical support can help them identify the next steps and demonstrate progress over time.
For further information, please feel free to contact the Environmental Minds team here.
