BUILDING A GREENER GATWICK
BEYOND WASTE Cutting carbon is another area which has seen notable achievements over the past 18 months . “ Last year we became one of only a handful of organisations to simultaneously hold triple certification to the Carbon Trust Standard for reducing carbon , water use and waste management ,” Thompson explains .
“ Gatwick Airport Ltd also hopes to be certified carbon neutral this spring . A significant factor in achieving carbon neutrality is Gatwick ’ s purchase of 100 percent certified renewable electricity since 2013 . We are also the first Airport in the world to have joined the RE100 coalition , a corporate leadership programme aiming to accelerate moves to a low carbon economy .”
In another UK first , Gatwick has also introduced an electric and hybrid taxi agreement , helping to cut emissions created by ferrying passengers from terminals to aircraft , and vice versa , by 75 percent . A 100 percent electric car sharing service is also on the cards .
A SOUND APPROACH When asked what some of the challenges of implementing sustainable projects at airports are , Thompson highlights the issue of noise .
“ We commissioned an industry leading review to alleviate problems local communities reported in relation to noise from arriving aircraft ,” she explains . “ One year on , eleven of 23 recommendations from have been completed .”
“ To demonstrate the impact of just one : More than half of Gatwick flights use Airbus A320s but they make a whining noise on approach . Following the review , four of the five largest operators – accounting for 90 percent of A320s – expect to modify their entire fleets by end of 2017 . Gatwick will also impose higher charges to A320s not modified from January 2018 .”
This in an important marker laid down , for the amount of aircraft taking off and landing at Gatwick has increased markedly since 2010 - in the space of six years annual passenger numbers have increased from 31 to 43 million . Yet Gatwick ’ s environmental footprint today – for carbon , energy , water and waste – is broadly the same as in 2010 , making this growth close to neutral environmentally . Come 2020 , the numbers may look even more positive .
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