(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Hamad International Airport (HIA) announced that it has officially achieved the Mapping Level of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. It is an acknowledgement of HIA's commitment to tackle climate change and reduce the airport's carbon emissions from its first day of opening in 2014.

The certificate was presented to Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport at ACI's 8th Annual Airport Economics and Finance Conference & Exhibition, which took place in London March 8, 2016. The certificate was presented to HIA in the presence of the ACI Director General, Angela Gittens; Director General of ACI Europe, Olivier Jankovec; and Regional Director of ACI Asia-Pacific, Patti Chau.

As part of the Airport Carbon Accreditation application process, HIA's carbon footprint was defined in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and independently verified. Level one of the Airport Carbon Accreditation certification recognises airports that map their carbon emission sources within their direct control. For HIA, this includes its terminal, car parks, waste water facility, airport perimeter road lighting and offices. The airport footprint will form the baseline measure for future environmental airport initiatives, Al Meer added.

"At HIA, we believe in our environmental responsibility and are committed to tackling climate change within the context of our strategy. It is in our best interest to develop a sustainable future for our airport by effectively managing the environmental impacts of our operations. Mapping our carbon footprint helps us optimise our energy demand management through new technology, continually improving operational practices and considering further investments in low carbon energy generation." Patti Chau, Regional Director of ACI Asia-Pacific said: "I wish to congratulate Hamad International Airport on becoming Airport Carbon Accredited at the Mapping Level of the programme. This is a strong demonstration of the airport's commitment to go the extra mile in operating the airport in an environmentally sustainable manner which is crucial for the long-term development of our industry."