Gatwick’s Decade of Change report has revealed that the airport is using less water, electricity and gas, emits less carbon and gets more passengers to the airport by public transport than ever before.
The 10 targets that make up the report are set over a 10-year period (2010-2020) and as the airport reached the half way point in 2015 it had cut carbon emissions by 32.6%, cut energy use by 16.6%, sent no operational waste to landfill with 49% recycled, and 56% of the 21,000 strong workforce now live in the local community.
Annual nitrogen dioxide levels on the airfield also fell from 31 to 28 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 – almost a third below the legal limit of 40. Gatwick has never breached EU and UK annual air quality limits and has enough headroom to remain within legal limits with a second runway.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO, said, “Taken together, the Decade of Change targets demonstrate the airport’s commitment to the local environment and also our determination to be the best neighbor possible.
“Teams across Gatwick have strived to achieve, and in some cases exceed, these ambitious sustainability targets. It is testament to the hard work of our staff that we have come so far so quickly, and remain on track to become the UK’s most sustainable airport.
“Air quality is central to the expansion debate and today’s results show that Gatwick continues to stay well within legal limits. The choice is obvious. Choose Gatwick and the UK gets a new runway, or go for Heathrow and illegal levels of pollution stall airport expansion yet again.”