In February 2025, the Conference of the Parties on biodiversity (COP16) met in Rome to conclude a difficult series of negotiations, launched in Colombia late in 2024, on the funding of environmental protection programmes. The event was significant as it recognised the importance of biodiversity in our attempts to protect the environment.While reduced carbon emissions often dominate environmental strategies, airports are increasingly recognising the importance of biodiversity, not just for ecosystem preservation, but also for harmonising environmental and airport operations - beyond merely managing wildlife hazards. So, how can airports integrate biodiversity-related issues as part of a coherent approach to environmental protection? In this article, we explore initiatives at three Egis-operated airports in France.
Pau-Pyrénées: one of the few French airports to hold Aérobio certification
In early 2025, Pau-Pyrénées airport, operated by Egis since 2017, was awarded level 2 Aérobio certification for its biodiversity actions in 2024, one of only five airports to have received the certification, which is awarded by the Aéro Biodiversité association. Applications are examined by a scientific committee and independently validated by a certification body.
The Aéro Biodiversité association was created ten years ago to lobby the aviation sector on the need to manage green spaces in a way which better respects biodiversity while taking operational constraints into account. First awarded in 2021, the Aérobio certification lasts for five years, with five different levels available, depending on the commitments undertaken by the airport. All airports, from small recreational airfields to the major Parisian hubs, are eligible. Although the initiative is included in the French National Biodiversity Strategy for the preservation and restoration of heathlands, Aéro Biodiversité is a voluntary scheme which airport operators are free to adopt at their own discretion.
In Pau, biodiversity issues are an integral part of airport management policy. Biodiversity is a central component of the roadmap created by the airport for reducing carbon emissions by 2050, as is securing ACA level 3 carbon accreditation by 2025. Implementation of the scheme is overseen by the airport’s environmental policy officer, Sébastien Vassort. Its success depends on the commitment of maintenance teams, the animal hazard prevention service (SPRA) and, naturally, the airport’s management. Previously, management of the airport’s green spaces was contracted to an external provider, with mowing sometimes staggered, disturbing plant growth cycles and disrupting animal life as a consequence. By bringing this activity in-house and raising biodiversity awareness among its staff, the airport can now manage biodiversity more effectively, benefiting both the ecosystem and airport operations.
