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In
particular the letter calls for the industry’s global
regulator, ICAO, to agree a mandatory carbon offset
scheme to be introduced in 2020. This approach will
allow the industry to stabilize its net CO2 emissions
from 2020 through carbon-neutral growth, where traffic
growth would be offset through UN-certified carbon
reductions in other sectors. The aviation industry will
also reduce net CO2 emissions from aviation to half of
what they were in 2005, by 2050.
Due to these steps, the Airports Commission set up by
the Prime Minister has found that building and operating
a third runway at Heathrow is compatible with the
UK
meeting its long-term climate change reduction targets.
In fact, the introduction of a mandatory global carbon
offset scheme by ICAO would mean that the CO2 from the
additional flights as a result of Heathrow’s new runway
would also be offset.
Holland-Kaye said, “Heathrow’s ambition is to be the
world’s most responsible hub airport and to do that
we must find innovative solutions to our most
pressing environmental challenges, including those
around carbon. Our work in Terminal 2, the Heathrow
Commuter Program and the Heathrow Sustainability
Partnership are examples of innovation in action and
we are proud they are being cited in Aviation
Climate Solutions. We know we cannot do this alone,
and we will continue to work with partners in the
airport, and our international industry counterparts
gathered at the conference today, to ensure we
remain at the cutting-edge of green innovations and
continue to deliver leading environmental results.”
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