About the project
Background
Our world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges. Keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5°C implies a mandatory drop in CO2 emissions. Against this backdrop, the European Commission has issued the European Green Deal, an ambitious plan toward a fully sustainable economy, including aviation. With one million species endangered, biodiversity restoration is another key issue. Once aviation has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic effects, global air traffic as a major enabler of connectivity and economic growth will resume and keep increasing. This emphasises the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of the air transportation sector as a whole.
Summary
OLGA (hOlistic & Green Airports) has been selected by the European Commission as part of the H2020 call for projects under the European Green Deal, focusing on environmental innovation. This new strategic project, coordinated by Aeroports de Paris SA (ADP), with Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France as a frontrunner, and with Zagreb Airport in Croatia as a partner, started on October 1, 2021. The project aims to improve the aviation sector's environmental impact in an innovative and sustainable way. Two other European airports are also involved in the project: Milan-Malpensa in Italy and Cluj in Romania. Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is therefore positioned as the consortium leader carrying out major environmental innovations deployed and disseminated until 2026.
OLGA has a total budget of €34 million, with €25 million in funding from the European Commission over a period of 60 months. The consortium is formed of 41 partners and 17 third parties, involving large and small airports, airlines and the aviation industry, public authorities, researchers, and innovative start-ups.
The project thrives on demonstrating innovative environmental solutions applicable to the consortium's member airports and capable of being replicated on a European scale. The solutions are meant to lead to proven CO2 reduction, air quality improvement, and biodiversity preservation with the involvement of the entire sector's value chain. The OLGA results will generate positive societal, environmental, and economic impacts that will spread to the local, national, and European levels.
Find out more about the OLGA Project directly from the previous Project Coordinator,Yannael Billard (presentation at the European Week of Regions & Cities 2021)
"The great interest in this last Horizon 2020 call shows the eagerness of research teams in the EU and beyond to find solutions that will tackle the climate crisis, restore and preserve our ecosystems and protect our societies, driving them through sustainable recovery. I look forward to their breakthrough discoveries and innovations".
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, on the research community response to the EU Green Deal call
Sister projects
Stargate is an ambitious project selected by the European Commission to prove that a more sustainable aviation is possible.
The programme includes over 30 specific projects focusing on three objectives: enhancing decarbonisation, improving local living quality, and stimulating the modal shift.
TULIPS will accelerate the implementation of innovative and sustainable technologies toward lower emissions at airports.
17 real-life demonstrations of green airport innovations (technological, non-technological, and social) will be performed at the Lighthouse Schiphol, and some also at fellow Oslo, Turin, and Larnaca airports.