As airport infrastructure continues to expand in India, the sector is striving to balance the twin imperatives of meeting rising passenger demand and ensuring sustainable resource use. This transformation is being led by efforts such as the adoption of renewable energy, resource conservation and the development of climate-resilient infrastructure. At a recent India Infrastructure conference, Shalin Shah, Head – ESG, Environment and Sustainability, Adani Airport Holdings, shared his views on key strategies and initiatives focused on energy efficiency and airport decarbonisation, current best practices and future priorities. Edited excerpts…
What are the three key metrics that truly indicate progress on sustainability?
The first is the adoption of renewable energy. Currently, Scope 2 emissions account for nearly 97 per cent of the emissions inventory for the aviation sector. Integrating renewable energy into operations addresses a major part of the sustainability challenge. The second aspect is resource conservation, particularly in areas such as water use, waste management and biodiversity-related impacts. The third is building climate-resilient infrastructure.
How is Adani Group integrating renewable energy at its airports?
When Adani Airports entered the aviation sector, a broad vision was set to achieve operational net zero by 2028-29, supported by a complete transition to renewable power. Currently, about 57 per cent of the Group’s electricity demand is met through renewable energy. The Mumbai Airport has been operating on 100 per cent renewable power since 2022. More recently, the Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Mangalore airports have begun sourcing 100 per cent green energy.
Where do you think the solution lies for preventing issues such as roof overloading or airport flooding?
A comprehensive assessment of climate change and its potential impact is essential. This involves studying flooding patterns, heat waves and heavy precipitation through modelling. These considerations then need to be embedded across the entire airport lifecycle.
Globally, many airports are shifting to electric equipment. Where do Indian airports stand in this regard?
Across Adani airports, a majority of the equipment has been converted to electric mode. The next step is to power this equipment with renewable energy. We have also implemented fixed electrical ground power and pre-conditioned air units to reduce the use of aircraft auxiliary power units, which helps lower aircraft-related emissions during ground operations.
How does your sustainability approach differ between existing airports such as Lucknow, or a greenfield project such as Navi Mumbai?
For existing airports such as Lucknow, operations and practices are already in place. The task, therefore, is to enhance them in line with our framework. This involves a broader transformation in working practices, adopting best practices and building a stronger sustainability culture. In contrast, with Navi Mumbai, it is relatively easier because everything is being implemented from scratch. At the same time, geographical location also plays a role, as it brings its own environmental and social challenges.
What measures are being taken with respect to water consumption?
Since entering the airport business, our vision has been to achieve water positivity across all Adani airports. To support this, a detailed assessment was carried out for all airports in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute. These assessments are helping in identifying measures to improve the water positivity index. One key opportunity identified is the potential for rainwater recharge of around 1.2 million kilolitres annually across the airports.
What are the key sectoral challenges?
One of the biggest challenges is scale. Through our network alone, around 95 million passengers were handled last year. As traffic continues to grow, the sector must simultaneously manage increasing pressure on resources, emissions, waste and biodiversity. The other major challenge is managing Scope 3 emissions. Activities related to airlines and passengers account for nearly 90 per cent of these emissions. Decarbonising this segment will require strong strategic collaboration, particularly in areas such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
What are some key trends that are likely to shape the future?
Technology will play a very important role in the future. Over the next decade, airports are likely to evolve into AI-enabled, multi-modal and climate-resilient mobility hubs, supported by integrated command centres, low-carbon infrastructure and passenger-first design.
