The process of drawing up a climate plan for Copenhagen Airport
entered the agenda in 2011. In the previous year, the Danish
Ministry of Transport, the sector authority for Danish airports,
published its climate change adaptation strategy. The strategy
states:
"In connection with routine inspections of Danish airfields, the
Danish Civil Aviation Authority (CAA-DK) will focus on the effects
of expected climate change on the individual airfield. In this
context the measures considered by the airfields will be examined,
including whether risk assessments have been completed or are
planned."
"We started with a broad-brush approach and investigated all the
many types of climate impacts that could hit us, such as rises in
temperature and changes in precipitation and wind patterns. Wind
patterns in particular are important for us and the way the airport
is organised. But as the climate scenarios available are a little
too general, we are considering the possibility of making a more
precise analysis of the impact of climate change for the future
wind patterns on Amager," said Inger Seeberg Sturm, head of
environment at Copenhagen Airport.
Outlet from retention basin south
"What is special about working with the climate plan is that you
have to look 50-60 years ahead. This is an extremely long time when
you are thinking about whether it is worth investing in
climate-adaptation solutions. The recommendations in the climate
plan are therefore mostly related to increased precipitation and
the combination effects with rises in the water table which we
already monitor once a year," she said.
Most of Copenhagen Airport is in the Municipality of Tårnby, while
a small part is in Dragør. The Airport is in regular dialogue with
both municipalities to establish the best possible cohesion between
the Airport's climate plan and the climate plans adopted by the two
municipalities. Like all the other Danish municipalities, Dragør
and Tårnby must draw up climate plans as part of their municipal
development plan.