Sustainability Initiatives

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has a strong focus on sustainability, with a number of initiatives implemented over the years to reduce our environmental footprint, encouraging sustainable and responsible growth while safeguarding our environment's future. 

Our Sustainability Journey

Brisbane Airport leads the way for airports and aviation in sustainability, with a long history achievements and initiatives to offset our footprint and protect our natural environment.

BAC has accelerated scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions targets to achieve net zero by 2025 and to achieve scope 3 emissions targets of 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2030.

• A commitment to reducing BAC's waste to landfill to zero (excluding quarantine/sterile area waste), as well as 50% recycled water by 2030.

Our achievements to-date provide the foundation for our commitment, as we continue to shape a world-leading, sustainable airport city. These include:

• In 2010 Brisbane Airport established more than 285 hectares of protected biodiversity zones, which is more than 10% of the airport’s landmass
• 30 European honeybee hives are located in the biodiversity zone that pollinate local flora and produces pure Brisbane Airport Wetlands Honey
• Importantly, our biodiversity zone provides a protected habitat for the locally significant Lewin's Rail and Eastern Grass Owl.

• In 2018, we launched the operation of Queensland’s first, and Australia’s largest, electric bus fleet. The 100% electric buses operate passenger transfers between both terminals and to AIRPARK and Skygate. Swapping out the older diesel fleet for electric buses conservatively results in a reduction of approximately 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 200 kilograms of pollutants (oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter) each year.
• Our 6 Mega Watt solar systems including 22,000 solar panels were installed on airport land in 2018. Work is already underway on the installation of a further 5 Mega Watt solar system, making a total of 11 Mega Watts contributing to powering Brisbane Airport. 
• A  recycled water line that was installed for Brisbane’s new runway project saved 1.2 billion litres of potable water during construction. This is the equivalent of 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
• Introduced the green Containers for Change bins in 2021 at the Domestic Terminal for passengers to recycle cans and bottles, with plans to roll this out at the International Terminal in the near future. All recycling returns proceeds are donated to a rotating charity organisation.  

Current Initiatives