In response to concerns that proposed developments at Bristol Airport could be inconsistent with climate emergencies declared by local authorities in the West of England, the airport has published a carbon roadmap which it says could put Bristol at the forefront of carbon reduction in the UK airport sector.
The document explains how the airport will achieve its ambition to be a net zero airport and accelerate efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.
Bristol originally set a target to be carbon neutral by 2030 for all emissions under its direct control (primarily from electricity, gas and ground vehicles). This roadmap brings this target forward to 2025 and will be achieved through a range of measures including increased use of electric vehicles and a shift to renewable energy sources. Ultimately the aim is to be net zero by 2050.
“Our carbon roadmap sets out how we are responding to the challenge of climate change. It combines ambitious targets with clear actions and a timeline against which we will chart our progress,” said Dave Lees, CEO at Bristol Airport.
In addition to addressing direct emissions, the new roadmap sets out how the impact of passenger travel to the airport and emissions from flights will be handled. Vehicles using the Express Drop Off will be subjected to a new carbon levy, the proceeds of which will be used to offset emissions from all surface access journeys. Meanwhile emissions from flights will be tackled through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which will commence in 2021 with the aim of stabilising emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels.
Lees added that “decarbonising aviation will not be easy, but this plan shows we are serious about reducing our emissions so we can all continue to enjoy the benefits of air travel in a low carbon future.”
