Heathrow unveils its plan for carbon neutral growth
In a UK aviation first, Heathrow has today set out its plans to expand the airport in a carbon neutral way.
The airport has set out its stall, outlining the role it will play on four key areas to reduce and offset carbon emissions from the growth in flights. Heathrow’s plan builds on the momentum of technological change within the aviation industry to make travel more sustainable. While international aviation demand is projected to increase over the decades ahead, Heathrow will use its market position to capitalise on the opportunities from expansion to ensure growth is met in a responsible and sustainable way at theairport.
The plan outlines action on four key areas including: cleaner aircraft technology, improvements to airspace and ground operations, sustainable aviation fuels, and carbon offsetting methods.
Heathrow is also calling on the ICAO to develop global goals for the uptake of sustainable alternative fuels and the UK Government to engage ICAO and fellow member states to agree a 2050 goal for international aviation.
Over coming months, Heathrow will seek feedback from members in the aviation industry, advocacy groups and climate change experts to set out further details in its plan. Members of the public will then have an opportunity to feed into this process– including plans to mitigate road traffic and construction -in the next statutory consultation on Heathrow expansion in the summer of 2019.
Heathrow Chief Executive, John Holland-Kaye said: “Climate change is the biggest challenge facing our generation. But it is not aviation that’s the enemy, it is carbon. We are committed to taking the lead to deliver carbon neutral growth in aviation and the plan we launch today sets out the roadmap to get there.”