Heathrow gets award as “Green Business of the Year” from a West London group that it sponsors

Awards ceremonies and the process of winning awards is an amazing business. Almost anything can get an award of some sort, especially if you are one of the sponsors of the award. If you want to think of any one place in the UK that is responsible for more air pollution or more carbon emissions, you will find few that beat Heathrow. But no.  Heathrow has now won yet another (it has won two before) environmental award.  This time it is from West London Business Awards. Heathrow was the winner in the “Green Business of the Year” category. The runner up was another sponsor of the awards, Westfield. As the local paper reports, with a tremendous Freudian slip, the Heathrow schemes were successful in ….”reduced local air quality levels.”  This has all been too much for a local resident, who has “improved” on the local newspaper story, with a slight twist …. to report on the comedy awards.  One of the reasons for their award was “encouraging the use of car sharing”,  which is slightly spoilt by a photo, by the local writer, of a huge billboard advertising Heathrow’s new business car park.
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Below is the story as it appeared in the local paper.  To see a version, “improved” by a local wag, incredulous about the award,  see below here).

Heathrow’s green win at West London Business awards

4.12.2014 (Get West London)

By

Heathrow schemes a success in proving commitment to reducing NOx emissions with lower carbon footprint and reduced local air quality levels  (sic)

Heathrow Airport wins West London Business’ Green Award

 

The greenest business of the year title was scooped by Heathrow Airport, in a controversial win, at the West London Business awards last week.

The airport was recognised for its continuous efforts in adapting aviation schemes to reduce their carbon footprint and improve local air quality through using newer, lower emissions aircrafts, emissions-based landing charges and encouraging the use of car sharing.

In addition, Heathrow has lowered its NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) emissions through using hybrid buses in the free travel zone around the airport, more electric vehicles used at the airport, and hosted the UK’s first hydrogen fuelling station, as part of its pledge to deliver reduced NOx emissions by 5% by 2020.

Heathrow’s director of sustainability, Matt Gorman, said: “Heathrow Airport has and continues to be a major economic driver in our region, and an indispensable part of London’s business community.

“We believe the benefits Heathrow brings need not come at the expense of local air quality, and we are committed to reducing our environmental impacts and acting a good neighbour to local residents.

“That is why this recognition is so important to us, and why we will continue to work to maintain our place as West London’s greenest business.”

Heathrow beat the likes of Westfield London in White City, who were highly commended, in the green business category for their Green Academy programme that diverts all waste produced from landfill and has increased recycling levels among other environmentally friendly initiatives.

West London Business chief executive, Frank Wingate, said: “Well done to Heathrow for winning the Green Award at the West London Business Awards.

“The airport has put in a lot of work in recent years to meet its environmental challenges and our judges were impressed by both the scale of the work and the measurable achievements, in what was a very competitive category.

“This is an aspect of Heathrow’s work that is not generally recognised.”

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/business/heathrows-green-win-west-london-8227577

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  • The West London Business Awards Sponsors 2014


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The story as re- told by a local resident: 
5th December  2014.

Heathrow win big  at West London Business’ Comedy Awards sponsored by Heathrow.

To hysterical laughter the greenest business of the year title was scooped by Heathrow Airport at the West London Business Comedy Awards last week.

As the crowd sniggered, the airport was recognised for its continuous efforts in adapting aviation schemes to reduce their carbon footprint and improve local air quality through using newer, lower emissions aircraft, emissions-based landing charges and encouraging the use of car sharing.  See photo below.

Heathrow car park

Heathrow’s Head of Comedy, Matt Gorman, said: “Heathrow Airport has and continues to be a major economic driver in our region, and an indispensable part of London’s comedy community.

He continued, “We believe the benefits Heathrow brings need not come at the expense of local air quality, and we are committed to reducing our environmental impacts and acting a good neighbour to local residents.”

The gag about ‘acting’ like a good neighbour made someone laugh so much they nearly choked on their corporate prawn cracker.

“That is why this recognition is so important to us, and why we will continue to work to maintain our place as West London’s greenest business.” Stop it Matt, someone will crack a rib !!!!!

The headline act at the comedy awards was West London Business Executive Comedian, Frank ‘Loads of Money’ Wingate.

The room full of professional Heathrow comedians know when a master is at work and they roared as Frank performed his trademark entrance of pushing a wheelbarrow of Heathrow cash on to the stage and shouting China! China! China!

 “The airport has put in a lot of work in recent years to meet its environmental challenges and our judges were impressed by both the scale of the work and the measurable achievements, in what was a very competitive category” Frank Wingate continued, with a straight face.

“This ranks as highly as the previous Green winners at our last three comedy awards, the owners of Chernobyl, BP in the Gulf of Mexico and our partners, the Chinese Government.

Then with another rousing cry of China! China! China, Frank and his wheelbarrow left the stage as Rob Gray went up to collect his Comedy Award for entering The Guinness Book of Records in the Imaginary Friends section.

What a night!

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Other awards Heathrow airport has won:

Awards

Heathrow has been winning awards for decades – here’s a selection of those we’ve collected in recent years:

2014

  • Best Airport for Tax Free shopping – Business Traveller Awards
  • Terminal 5 – Best Airport Terminal – Skytrax World Airport Awards
  • Best Airport for Shopping – Skytrax World Airport Awards
  • Heathrow Commuter Team – Transport Team of the Year – London Transport Awards
  • Biodiversity Benchmark Award – Wildlife Trust

2013

  • Terminal 2 building – Sustainability Leaders Award
  • ‘Champion of Champions’ for environmental performance – Green Apple Awards
  • Best European Airport for Families – Skyscanner Awards
  • Best Airport Shopping Business – Business Traveller Awards
  • World’s Best Airport – Runner up  – Conde Nast Traveller Awards
  • Best International Airport – Executive Travel 2013 Leading Edge Awards
  • Best Airport (over 25 million passengers) – ACI EUROPE Awards
  • Heathrow Express – Best Ground Transportation (Europe) Award  – Business Destinations magazine
  • Platinum Big Tick – Business in the Community Awards
  • Best Airport Shopping Worldwide – Skytrax World Airport Awards
  • Terminal 5 – Best Airport Terminal – Skytrax World Airport Awards

2012

  • Terminal 5 – Best Airport Terminal – Skytrax World Airport Awards AwardsFamilyfriendly programme member – Silver winner – mumsnet
  • Best Airport for Tax-Free Shopping – Business Traveller Awards
  • Best Airport for arrival experience for the Games Programme – Future Travel Experience.
  • Best International Airport Worldwide – Executive Travel
  • Terminal 2 B – Gold Award – Green Apple Awards
  • Best Food and Beverage in the World – Food and Beverage Awards
  • Heathrow Sustainability Partnership – Best Sustainability Collaboration Winner – Ethical Corporation Global Responsible Business Awards

2011

  • Best Airport Operator of the Year – Frontier awards in Cannes
  • Best Overall Airport Food and Beverage Offer – Food and Beverage Awards
  • Terminal 5 – Best Design of Food and Beverage – Food and Beverage Awards

2010

  • Terminal 5 – Best Airport – Travel Agents Choice Awards
  • Best Airport for Tax-Free Shopping – Business Traveller Magazine
  • Best Airport Shopping Worldwide – Skytrax Awards
  • Best Pay Per Click Campaign – Travel Marketing Awards
  • Best PR Strategic Campaign – A Week at the Airport – Travel Marketing Awards

http://www.heathrowairport.com/about-us/company-news-and-information/performance/awards

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