Environmentally sustainable airport development: Ukrainian case of decarbonization

Abstract

Purpose The world society as a whole and Ukraine are realizing that climate change and decarbonization are critical issues. This study aims to determine whether the aviation and transportation industries in Ukraine have rearranged their priorities as a result of this investigation. The process of decarbonization and adaptation begins with a legislative point of view and then moves on to technology, improvements, infrastructure, energy and emissions stages to meet the primary goals. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the content of the literature about decarbonization and the legislation and application processes for airport de-carbonization in Ukraine. The study focuses on the landing and take-off cycle of the airports. The statistics on the transportation of the Ukrainian territory have been looked at over time to determine whether or not there have been any shifts. Findings There are significant reduction figures found in the Poltava region. Double-figure emissions reductions in four years of series are 5.9%, 41.0% and 19.3%, in the respective years of 2018, 2019 and 2020, which is a 55.3% reduction compared with 2020 to 2017. Practical implications Because the transportation industry and aviation generate a significant amount of carbon dioxide, steps must be taken to cut emissions. The decarbonization process ought to proceed in the form of a series of actions to achieve carbon reduction goals with a broader range of participants. In addition, an aviation subsidy for biofuels may be required to initiate the shift by having the taxation change. Originality/value As far as the literature surveys, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive Ukrainian decarbonization analysis that considers legislation, technology, improvements, infrastructure, energy and emissions in addition to just those four categories.