Ambitious goals to reduce the Heathrow’s environmental impact have been outlined in a new sustainability strategy.
The Heathrow 2.0 initiative includes an aspiration to make growth from a third runway at the west London hub carbon neutral.
Planned use of 100% renewable electricity at the airport from this year is being described as “major step” towards creating a zero-carbon airport.
It also proposes establishing an airside ultra-low emission zone by 2025, to improve quality of life through cleaner air.
Heathrow 2.0 outlines new initiatives for the benefit of local communities – including a voluntary ‘quiet night charter’ seeking to at least halve by 2022 the number of flights on non-disrupted days leaving after 11.30pm.
A ‘fly quiet and clean’ league table will publicly rank airlines according to their noise and emissions.
Heathrow 2.0 was drafted with input from environmental groups, academics, community leaders, as well as passengers, commercial partners and suppliers.
The airport has invested an initial £500,000 in its first research and development incubator to minimise aviation’s impacts like noise and carbon emissions.
Heathrow will consult leading experts to identify participants from the aviation industry, academia and business.
More funding sources will also be identified by the end of the year to enable the incubator to open in 2019. Heathrow 2.0 aims to create 10,000 apprenticeships by 2030 with a third runway.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow 2.0. is a step-change for our business, and accelerates the shift in our industry towards 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. And we can create a future where our business, our people, our communities, our country and our world, can all thrive.”
Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Southall, said: “While no airport is without its environmental impact, Heathrow has gone a long way over recent years to address the concerns around pollution and noise.
“I am particularly pleased to see that the airport has a clear plan to reduce the number of late-running evening flights which I know will be welcomed across the local community.
“Heathrow has set itself ambitious goals which I intend to hold them to.”