International airports around the globe have major impacts on the environment, and as companies across all industries push toward a sustainable future, it’s important that aviation facilities such as London’s Heathrow Airport doesn’t get left behind.
Heathrow is the third busiest airport in the world when it comes to passenger traffic, accessible by more than 90 airlines according to Parking4Less, which can be quite concerning for the environmentalist given the amount of fossils fuels required to run such a large aviation hub. Believe it or not, the airport ranked among the top 10 best corporations for responsible business as airport operators continue to work with together with partner companies and national and international organisations in pursuit of an eco-friendly and socially responsible airport.
Besides ensuring the safety of passengers and the wellness of their staff, Heathrow operators are committed to supporting economic growth locally, regionally, and nationally, as well as investing in local communities. Reducing their environmental impact is also outlined in their Responsible Heathrow 2020 plan. The environmental goals are as follows:
– Reduce carbon emissions from buildings by 34 percent
– Reduce noise from all aircrafts to comply with international standards
– Recycle 70 percent of water and waste produced
– Reduce ground-based nitrogen oxide emissions from the airport by at least 5 percent
Their efforts in environmentally sound operations haven’t gone unnoticed, with numerous environmental agencies regarding the airport as a leader in sustainable business. Other than their four-star ranking with Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index for management, performance, and development of specific and measurable targets, Heathrow’s collection of accolades include having won four International Green Apple Awards for sustainable development and environmental best practice. They have also received multiple Biodiversity Benchmark awards, along with plenty of others.
With the progress currently outlined in the latest sustainability report, it would seem that Heathrow is well on its way in becoming an environmentally and socially responsible airport.
Author’s Bio
Jayde Kim
Having traveled all over the world, Jayde was thoroughly impressed with a number of airports which strongly advocated for sustainability and clean travel. When she’s not busy teaching environmental science to sixth graders, you can catch her cycling around town or hiking on forest trails.
From Macy:
Hey dear Readers! Because responsible travel and sustainability is such a broad topic, I figured it would be a good idea to get some guest contributions for the blog to get a different perspective on how sustainability is done around the world 🙂