Airport aims high in zero carbon bid
Radical strategy to reduce impact on climate
BIRMINGHAM Airport aims to become a net zero carbon transport hub by 2033 as it strives to attract five million more passengers.
The ambitious move was revealed in a new sustainability strategy which aims to reduce environmental impact.
The strategy reveals the airport’s vision to maximise the economic and social benefits it brings to the West Midlands and minimise its impact on neighbours and the global environment.
Over the next year, the airport will prioritise genuine carbon reduction objectives rather than off-setting schemes, which it sees as the least favourable option.
Bosses felt they needed to set an ambitious target ahead of the UK’s aim to reduce its carbon footprint more quickly.
In addition to climate change mitigation, the airport strategy focuses on priorities to reduce its other environmental impacts on local air quality, waste, water and biodiversity.
Other key priorities relate to its effect on the local economy and community such as noise, quality of life, and economic development and employment.
The strategy has been published a year after the airport outlined a £500 million 15-year masterplan which will include new customer areas, shops and aircraft holding areas.
The airport is also hoping to expand its annual passenger numbers by five million to 18 million, still some way short of estimated 30 million maximum yearly capacity.
Airport chief executive Nick Barton said: “Our sustainability strategy sets out a robust commitment towards a sustainable future for the airport over the next five years, and we have adopted the principle of ‘think global, act local’.
“Although we have acted as a responsible business in the past, we cannot become complacent.
“We don’t have all the answers now and know we can always do more.
“This is why we’ve developed this strategy to address changes in our day-to-day activity and in the longer term.
“However, we will not work in isolation, as the key to achieving our goals is by working in partnership with local residents, tenants, employees, small businesses, technology companies, industry and government.”
The strategy aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the newly published Airports Council International Europe Sustainability Strategy for Airports.
Although the strategy covers a five-year period, some of the targets set will be delivered over a longer period.
The airport said it was striving to achieve these as soon as practicable and committed to review the strategy on an annual basis.
Technology is changing at some pace and the movement to a netzero economy itself is driving innovation across the energy and transportation industry and the airport will take advantage of this, it says.