Environment
Environmental issues are a priority at Swedavia, and Luleå Airport works continuously in a number of different areas to reduce its environmental impact.
Swedavia's climate work
Our zero vision
In 2020, Swedavia achieved the company’s goal of no fossil carbon dioxide emissions from airport operations run under our own management.
Extensive work underpins our success in achieving zero fossil carbon dioxide emissions. We purchase renewable electricity for all our operations, the back-up power supply runs on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO100), our vehicle fleet runs on HVO100, fossil-free gas or renewable electricity, and we purchase liquefied petroleum gas (biogasol) and biogas.
At the end of 2025, Swedavia reached its next climate target, as all permanent or recurring actors at the airport use only fossil‑free energy in their airport operations. The work is aligned with the IPCC’s 1.5‑degree scenario and Swedavia’s strategy and goals for a proactive climate transition.
Swedavia’s climate roadmap describes how the company contributes to the climate transition. It covers both the transformation of its own airport operations and the joint efforts with airlines, ground handling companies, suppliers, and authorities. The roadmap shows how measures and collaborations are interconnected and how Swedavia is working step by step to achieve the goal of fossil‑free operations by 2050.
Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA)
Airport Carbon Accreditation is a framework within Airport Council International (ACI) which evaluates airports' work with handling and reducing their carbon dioxide emissions. The framework has seven levels, where 5 is the highest.
All of Swedavia’s airports are accredited at least at the ACA 4+ level in accordance with Airport Council International (ACI) Europe’s standards for the climate work of airports. The next goal is to have all the airports accredited at the ACA 5+ level, which means that we will increasingly engage and collaborate with other stakeholders with significant carbon emissions at the airports in order to continue reducing emissions together.
Seven of Swedavia's ten airports have been certified at the highest level, ACA5+; Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Malmö Airport, Åre Östersund Airport, Visby Airport, Ronneby Airport and Kiruna Airport. The three remaining airports - Bromma Stockholm Airport, Luleå Airport, Umeå Airport and Ronneby Airport - will be certified according to ACA4+ during 2023 and 2024.
Environmental impact
Operations at the airport affect the environment in many ways, including through atmospheric emissions and discharges to the ground and water. Operations also give rise to both non-hazardous and hazardous waste as a result of the use of chemicals and chemical products in operations.
Environmental permit
Operations subject to environmental permit
The operations subject to the airport’s environmental permit involve the production of take-off and landing services. The Swedish Armed Forces have a permit for 39,000 civil aircraft movements a year in accordance with the Swedish National Licensing Board for Environmental Protection’s decision dated April 3, 1995.
Environmental management system
Luleå Airport has been certified for its environmental performance in accordance with ISO 14 001 standards since the spring of 2012. This certification indicates that the airport not only complies with the requirements of environmental authorities but also with the general and specific environmental goals set for Luleå Airport. Both internal and external environmental audits are carried out at the airport. The aim of these audits is to check whether the environmental management system is used, is sufficient and is effective. There is continuous improvement work under way, with increasingly stringent requirements, which means environmental goals are also raised every year.
In May 2012, all of Swedavia’s airports were certified for their environmental performance under a Group-wide environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 standards.
Environmental report
Environmental Report Luleå Airport 2025 (pdf, in Swedish)
Purpose and objectives
Swedavia owns, operates and develops airports and properties near these airports in Sweden. We strive to continuously improve our management system (ISO 14001) to minimize our environmental impact and use resources in a sustainable manner throughout the value chain. This is done primarily by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, where we shall maintain at least 90 percents emissions reductions in Scope 1 and 2 and reach net zero in Scope 3 by 2050 at the latest, aligned to applicable net zero frameworks.
We shall also minimize other atmospheric emissions and discharges to soil and water and minimize the use of harmful chemicals. Through systematic work with climate analyses, we adapt to the changing climate. Swedavia shall promote biological diversity, secure effective management of resources in order to contribute to circular economy, and continuously work to improve energy efficiency.
For us, it is a given that we comply with environmental and energy statutes in effect as well as other applicable national and international regulations and requirements. It is also a given that we ensure access to the information and resources required to achieve our environmental and energy objectives and targets. We shall also work to limit aircraft noise and emissions from aircraft operations.
In order to achieve this, working in accordance with the following fundamental rules is required:
- Environmental concern is integral to every part of operations and is taken into consideration in every decision.
- The most important environmental issue for the aviation and real estate sectors is their climate impact, and this must be given priority in decisions and activities.
- We shall continuously improve energy efficiency and manage our own operations as well as influence other companies and organizations that we interact with for the sustainable use of resources.
- We shall purchase energy-efficient products and services and promote construction that leads to better energy performance.
- All of Swedavia´s employees shall take part in our environmental and energy work.
- We shall assess and manage environmental risks and energy performance in a systematic manner.
- Swedavia shall take an active part in local, regional, national and international work in order to reduce the aviation industry´s negative impact on the environment and work for the sustainable development of airports
Read the environmental and energy policy here (2025_237_miljopolicy-a4_eng_web.pdf).
Track flights
One public tool available for use is Flightradar24.com.
The Webtrak tool that we previously made available here on our website is being reviewed, and we are exploring the possibilities of using other data sources. This is in order to once again enable people living in the vicinity of our airports to track air traffic movements and link this information to aviation noise measurements where available.
