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Top 10 most polluted airports in the world: Indian airports release 27.6 million tonnes of CO2
Top 10 most polluted airports in the world list: Dubai International Airport ranked as the world’s most polluting airport in 2023, producing 23.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
While the state government issued the notification on May 14, it came into effect on Friday. (File Photo)
Top 10 most polluted airports in the world: Fresh research by global affairs thinktank ODI Global, carried out with transport campaign group Transport and Environment, has revealed the environmental impact of 1,300 airports around the world. The report highlights how some of the busiest airports continue to produce massive amounts of pollution, even as many claim to be working towards net-zero targets by 2050.
The study analysed 2023 data from the International Council on Clean Transportation and found that if aviation were considered a country, it would become the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. According to the report, airports included in the tracker generated 1,026 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through 34.6 million flights in 2023.
Among all airports studied, Dubai International Airport ranked as the world’s most polluting airport, producing 23.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Heathrow Airport followed closely with 21 million tonnes, while Los Angeles International Airport came third with 18.8 million tonnes of emissions.
The report noted that these three airports alone create nearly three times the CO2 emissions produced by the entire city of Paris, not including aviation-related pollution. The findings also showed that the top 20 airports together were responsible for 27.3 per cent of global aviation CO2 emissions in 2023.
Major airlines, including Emirates, British Airways, American Airlines and Singapore Airlines, operate many long-haul flights from these heavily polluting hubs. The study also found that the United States and China together account for almost 40 per cent of total global airport CO2 emissions.
Currently, aviation contributes around 2.5 per cent of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions. When other non-CO2 climate effects are included, the sector is responsible for nearly 4 per cent of global warming so far.
Region-wise, Asia-Pacific emerged as the biggest contributor to aviation emissions, followed by North America and Europe. Combined, these three regions produce more emissions than Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa together.
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After Dubai, Heathrow and Los Angeles, the next airports on the list were Incheon International Airport in fourth place and John F. Kennedy International Airport in fifth. Other airports among the top polluters included Hong Kong International Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Frankfurt Airport.
Top 10 most polluted airports in the world
| Rank | Airport Name | IATA Code | Country/Territory | ICAO Region | CO2 (Million Tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai International | DXB | United Arab Emirates | Middle East | 23.2 |
| 2 | London Heathrow | LHR | United Kingdom | Europe | 21.0 |
| 3 | Los Angeles International | LAX | United States | North America | 18.8 |
| 4 | Seoul Incheon | ICN | South Korea | Asia/Pacific | 16.8 |
| 5 | New York John F. Kennedy | JFK | United States | North America | 16.8 |
| 6 | Hong Kong International | HKG | China | Asia/Pacific | 15.1 |
| 7 | Paris Charles de Gaulle | CDG | France | Europe | 14.7 |
| 8 | Frankfurt | FRA | Germany | Europe | 14.4 |
| 9 | Singapore Changi | SIN | Singapore | Asia/Pacific | 14.3 |
| 10 | Doha Hamad | DOH | Qatar | Middle East | 14.0 |
Source: ODI Global’s Airport Tracker Report
India’s rank:
India ranked seventh globally in overall airport emissions. Airports across the country together released 27.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, contributing nearly 3 per cent of total global aviation emissions, according to the report.
Country-level aviation emissions rankings:
| Rank | Country | CO2 (Million Tonnes) | % of Total | Cumulative % |
| 1 | United States | 259.4 | 25% | 25% |
| 2 | China | 138.2 | 13% | 39% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 38.5 | 4% | 43% |
| 4 | Japan | 32.0 | 3% | 46% |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 31.1 | 3% | 49% |
| 6 | Germany | 29.0 | 3% | 52% |
| 7 | India | 27.6 | 3% | 54% |
| 8 | Spain | 24.7 | 2% | 57% |
| 9 | France | 23.6 | 2% | 59% |
| 10 | Australia | 22.0 | 2% | 61% |
Source: ODI Global’s Airport Tracker Report
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
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