A new sustainability strategy that aims to make Heathrow a center of excellence in the aviation industry has been unveiled by the airport’s chief executive.
John Holland-Kaye revealed how Heathrow 2.0 has ambitious goals to reduce the airport’s and the industry’s environmental impact while continuing to maximize economic opportunities throughout the country.
Heathrow 2.0 was drafted with the help of environmental groups, academics, community leaders, and Heathrow’s colleagues, passengers, commercial partners and suppliers.
As part of the strategy, the airport has invested £500,000 (US$615,000) into its first incubator, which is designed to minimize aviation’s impacts including noise and carbon emissions. The plan aims to deliver a sustainable future for the industry, striving to make the new runway carbon-neutral and using only renewable energy airport-wide from this year.
It hopes to create 10,000 apprenticeships by 2030 with a third runway and will publish a roadmap this year setting out how to transition Heathrow’s supply chain employees to the London Living Wage.
Heathrow 2.0 also outlines initiatives to benefit local communities, such as a Quiet Night Charter aiming to at least halve the number of flights on non-disrupted days leaving after 11:30pm by 2022.
Speaking to participants at the British Chambers of Commerce’s conference, Holland-Kaye said, “Heathrow 2.0. is a step-change for our business, and accelerates the shift in our industry toward a sustainable future for aviation.
‘By focusing on the long-term, and through working together, we can deliver a world-leading economy – innovative, competitive, successful and sustainable. We can create a future where our business, our people, our communities, our country and our world, can all thrive.”
