The UK’s Bristol Airport has published a carbon roadmap setting out how it will achieve its ambition to be a net zero airport and accelerating efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.
The roadmap has been published in response to concerns that the proposed development of the airport is inconsistent with climate emergencies declared by local authorities in the West of England. It sets ambitious targets which would put Bristol at the forefront of carbon reduction in the UK airport sector.
Two years ago, Bristol Airport set a target to be carbon neutral by 2030 for all emissions under its direct control (primarily from electricity, gas and ground vehicles). The roadmap brings this target forward to 2025 and will be achieved through measures such as increased use of electric vehicles and a shift to renewable energy sources. The airport’s ultimate objective is to become net zero by 2050 in line with the commitment made by the European airport industry last month, Bristol having been one of the first to sign the agreement.
As well as addressing direct emissions, the new roadmap sets out how the impact of passenger travel to the airport and emissions from flights will be tackled. Emissions from road journeys will be offset by a new carbon levy on vehicles using the Express Drop Off – the least sustainable way to get to the airport. When it is introduced later this year, the proceeds of the levy will be used to offset emissions from all surface access journeys. Emissions from flights will be tackled through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which will take effect in 2021, with the aim of stabilizing emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels.