Gatwick’s carbon neutral commitment using renewable electricity excludes 99% of emissions

Gatwick Airport says it has joined more than 80 global companies in a programme to generate a “massive increase” in the demand for renewable electricity. It says it has been buying 100% renewable electricity since 2013, and it has plans for its airport operations to become ‘carbon neutral’ by the spring. That is all good – better if the airport’s buildings etc are as low carbon as possible. But this entirely ignores the massive carbon emissions of the flights using the airport – which Gatwick wants to increase as much as it can. AEF (the Aviation Environment Federation) commented that while welcoming the use of renewable electricity, Gatwick’s use is just for airport infrastructure and vehicles. “The planes that fly out of Gatwick are still powered by fossil fuels and will remain so for decades to come. Around 99% of the emissions associated with Gatwick are not from the airport itself but from the aircraft that use it. If you take into account emissions from departing planes, Gatwick has the second highest level of CO2 emissions of any airport in the UK, and this level is set to grow even though the airport was not the Government’s preferred choice for a new runway in the South East.” 
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Gatwick’s carbon neutral commitment excludes 99% of emissions

Gatwick Airport announced today its participation in a global renewable electricity alliance designed to generate increased demand for renewable electricity, alongside plans to become ‘carbon neutral’ by the spring.

Gatwick will be the first UK airport to join the RE100 alliance, led by the Climate Group, which sets 100% renewable energy targets for its 87 members. Whilst this is a progressive step which should not be overlooked, it is important to note that this does not account for the emissions from the aircraft using the airport.

Deputy Director of AEF, Cait Hewitt, said:

“We welcome initiatives that will increase the use of renewable electricity in the UK. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that Gatwick’s commitment extends only to the airport infrastructure and vehicles. The planes that fly out of Gatwick are still powered by fossil fuels and will remain so for decades to come. Around 99% of the emissions associated with Gatwick are not from the airport itself but from the aircraft that use it. If you take into account emissions from departing planes, Gatwick has the second highest level of CO2 emissions of any airport in the UK, and this level is set to grow even though the airport was not the Government’s preferred choice for a new runway in the South East.”

http://www.aef.org.uk/2017/01/18/gatwicks-carbon-neutral-commitment-excludes-99-of-emissions/


The carbon emissions from departing aircraft at Gatwick are around 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

See DfT   page 90.  Table 6.3   https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223839/aviation-forecasts.pdf


Gatwick plans to be carbon neutral by spring

Gatwick said it has been purchasing 100 per cent renewable electricity since 2013 and is one of three new companies to join the RE100 alliance in an announcement made during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

The airport’s use of 100 per cent renewable electricity is a key part of the airport becoming carbon neutral later this year, as electricity comprises 80 per cent of the airport’s operational carbon footprint.

[Gatwick’s use of 100% renewable electricity is a key part of the airport becoming carbon neutral later this year, as electricity comprises 80% of the airport’s operational carbon footprint.  The remaining emissions will be offset through investments in international, national and local renewable energy programmes, in addition to continued investment in energy and fuel efficiency.  Link  ]

Gatwick’s CEO, Stewart Wingate, said: “The initiatives announced today are important milestones in Gatwick’s journey to become the UK’s most sustainable airport and one of the greenest in the world.

“We are serious about growing sustainably and we have some ambitious plans to develop in the most environmentally responsible way possible. We expect to see our world first waste plant generating heat for our North Terminal this year and we are introducing an electric car sharing service, the first of its kind for a UK airport.

“A set of rigorous environmental targets is driving our overall environmental performance and, despite a dramatic increase in our passenger numbers, I’m delighted to say that our environmental footprint is the same or better today than it was in the early 1990s despite our passenger numbers doubling.”

https://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/1826750-gatwick-plans-be-carbon-neutral-spring

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Heathrow has been claiming it is reducing carbon emissions by installing a biomass boiler in Terminal 2.   http://www.heathrow.com/company/community-and-environment/responsible-heathrow/case-studies/heathrow-energy-centre

This states (read with caution… don’t be too gullible…)

“Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 is playing a big part in achieving our vision of making every journey better. It has been designed with the needs of passengers at its heart and with sustainability as a guiding principle.

Opened in June 2014, T2 welcomes 20 million passengers per year. The new Heathrow Energy Centre provides 20% renewable energy to T2, helping us to meet our energy needs cost efficiently while improving our energy efficiency by 40% more than required through building regulations (Part L 2006).

Heathrow’s Energy Centre delivers heat and cooling to T2 through a 10MW biomass Combined Heat and Power Plant. It is one of the largest biomass initiatives of its kind in the UK.

The Energy Centre is helping us work towards our target to achieve a 34% reduction in CO2emissions from energy used in our buildings by 2020 (from a 1990 baseline in line with Government CO2 targets). When operating at its full potential, it will offset around 40,000MWh/year of gas and 12,000MWh/year of electricity, saving around 13,000 tonnes of CO2 each year compared to the use of gas and grid electricity. That’s equivalent to the annual emissions of 6,500 passenger cars.

The biomass boiler needs around 25,000 tonnes of woodchip per year. We source the timber locally (75% from within 50 miles) which helps support our local communities through providing jobs and further reducing CO2 emissions from transport. Other benefits include:

  • Tightly controlled air quality emissions;
  • 100% of the bottom ash is collected and reused as a soil conditioner in agriculture or forestry;
  • Promoting local woodland management;
  • Promoting local economic investment and employment opportunities.

Responsible Heathrow 2020 is our commitment to supporting the UK and local economies and reducing Heathrow’s environmental impacts, while looking after our people and passengers.It is helping us achieve our ambition to be one of the most responsible airports in the world.

For more information contact us: sustainability@heathrow.com   ”

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