Environmental Certifications
ISO 14001
Since 2008, SACBO has held environmental certification based on ISO 14001 standards, following the inspection process carried out at the Airport by the certification body TUV. This certificate of conformity completes a path of constant focus on the environment and the local area, aimed at ensuring the compatibility of aeronautical activities within the framework of the Bergamo airport development plan.
The certification process began in September 2007 and required management and control procedures designed to achieve performance levels that, for the issuance of the certificate, must exceed the minimum thresholds established by current regulations, in a perspective of continuous improvement.
The ISO 14001 environmental certification – which complements the ISO 9001 Quality certification obtained by SACBO in 2001 – places Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport on par with the most advanced airports in Europe and worldwide in terms of services, operations, and infrastructure.
SACBO Group has been recognized by ACI Europe with Level 4 accreditation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program. This marks an important new step forward in the sustainability journey that the management company of Milan Bergamo Airport has been pursuing for over a decade. The achievement is part of its “Net Zero Roadmap,” the decarbonization plan presented to ACI EUROPE in May 2024, which aims to reach net zero emissions from directly managed airport operations by 2045.
Level 4 certification not only attests to the continuous reduction of the CO₂ footprint generated by aeronautical activities and airport services, but also acknowledges the active involvement of stakeholders. This is an innovative and mandatory element at Level 4, which requires the participation of the entire airport community in the gradual and effective decarbonization process.
Obtaining Level 4 accreditation requires airports to work closely with all players within their ecosystem, in order to share and develop joint actions to reduce emissions and support the transition to a low-carbon model. In this respect, SACBO is committed to a significant and measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in line with climate neutrality targets, aiming to lower not only direct emissions but also indirect ones linked to airport operations.
Accreditation is structured across four different levels, each of which requires increasing engagement and commitment from the airport operator.
In 2014, SACBO achieved recognition at the first level (MAPPING) of this important certification, demonstrating knowledge of its resource use and the pursuit of optimization through its environmental policy (compliant with and certified under ISO 14001).
In 2015, SACBO obtained and has successfully renewed each year the second level accreditation (REDUCTION), showing continuous containment and reduction of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere through the identification and implementation of targeted energy-efficiency measures.
In 2020, despite the ongoing health pandemic and as confirmation of its commitment to sustainability, the SACBO Group nevertheless set itself and achieved the goal of reaching the third level (OPTIMISATION) of ACA accreditation.
This third-level accreditation was obtained by demonstrating the involvement of third parties operating at the airport, the so-called “Airport Community” (air carriers, handlers, concessionaires, etc.), through awareness-raising initiatives and targeted actions aimed at stakeholder participation in the common goal of continuously reducing the CO₂ footprint.
In 2025, SACBO reached the fourth level (TRANSFORMATION). This represents one of the most advanced phases of the international environmental certification program promoted by ACI (Airports Council International), dedicated to the management and reduction of CO₂ emissions generated by airport activities. It requires airports not only to continue monitoring and reducing their direct emissions, but also to define a long-term decarbonization strategy aligned with the global climate objectives of the Paris Agreement, with the aim of limiting global warming to within 1.5°C.
