A group of businesses at Heathrow airport, including British Airways, Hertz and World Duty Free, has launched a code of practice to encourage energy efficiency across its properties.
Heathrow Airport Holdings, which owns the airport, has a target to reduce carbon emissions from fixed assets, such as buildings and car parks, against 1990 levels by 34% by 2020. But it has calculated that only around 15% of the site’s emissions are directly under its control, predominantly related to electricity use.
The energy code has been developed by the Heathrow sustainability partnership, which comprises 12 of the biggest firms operating at the airport.
All of these companies in the partnership have committed to monitor energy use, set reduction targets and develop an action plan to reach these. Half of these firms have already achieved these three actions and the rest will do so by the end of the year, said Elizabeth Hegarty, head of sustainability and environment at Heathrow Airport Holdings.
Partnership members will monitor and report progress at meetings and will collectively report on the group’s contribution to Heathrow’s 2020 target. There are around 400 companies at the airport, employing 76,000 people. The airport is also engaging with several companies that are not members of the partnership but want to reduce their energy use. It has made its facilities team available to advise them.
One area the airport has targeted is nighttime energy use. The airport is restricted to 5,800 take-offs and landings between 23.30 and 06.00 each year. However, facilities still need to be available for passengers on the flights that do arrive or depart during the night as well as those who arrive early for morning flights, Hegerty explained.
Heathrow is implementing a number of efficiency measures, such as fitting sensors to car-park lights and installing LED lights in digital advertising boards.
