In addition to this, the airport is organising a one-day workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change in Eastern Attica in which representatives from government ministries, local government, universities and NGOs will participate.
AIA's enduring commitment to protecting the environment has been recognised and rewarded several times. At this year's Environmental Awareness Ecopolis Awards, which took place on the eve of World Environment Day 2016, it received an award for its work in monitoring ecosystems in the area of the airport, the protection of biodiversity and the management of wildlife. At the same time, the environmental performance of AIA has been recognised in a number of other key areas, including Waste Management, Recycling and CO2 Emissions Reduction, as well as for its overall contribution to Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development.
The airport has also seen a renewal at Level 3 (Optimisation) of the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme and it has surpassed its 52% recycling rate figure of 2015 to approach the 60% aim for the current year.
Further, schools of the Spata-Artemis Municipality have been rewarded for the active participation of their students in AIA’s Recycling Programme, with educational materials and environmentally-themed excursions. In 2015, the students recycled 7.2 tonnes of paper, bringing the total amount of material recycled since the programme started in 2005 to more than 62 tonnes. There has also been the implementation of an environmental education programme in co-operation with the NGO Mediterranean SOS at local elementary schools in order to improve students’ awareness on water management issues. Scholarships for two postgraduate students at the University of the Aegean (Department of Environmental Studies) have been arranged in order to encourage and strengthen academic research in the field of environmental protection.
Finally, AIA has seen the implementation of the programme for the Upgrade and Protection of the Vravrona Wetland for the ninth consecutive year; this is in collaboration with the Hellenic Ornithological Society.
