LEEDS BRADFORD AIRPORT (LBA) has published a detailed plan explaining how it will become a net zero carbon airport by 2030, on a new publicly available website.

LBA's roadmap is focussed on emissions that the airport is directly responsible for and in full control of, including decarbonising intensive terminal operations across the 260,000 sq ft airport, such as renewable heating contracts, energy efficient air-conditioning, as well as converting on-site vehicles to low and zero emission solutions.

Once the roadmap is complete, LBA will be one of the first net zero airports in the UK.

Vincent Hodder, CEO of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “This net zero commitment is one of the most ambitious made by a UK airport and we hope it will reassure passengers, partners and members of the public that we are planning for the long-term future of LBA. Of course, emissions from aircraft are a concern across the aviation industry and we do not deny that or ignore it, but we are clear in our role to provide appropriate infrastructure and incentives to support the wider decarbonisation efforts of our partners and supply chain, as well as advocating for technological advances. We have intentionally made our plans publicly available, and we are transparent in both the airport operational and the aviation emissions challenge we face.

“Leeds can be proud that we are looking to do everything we can to make our own processes sustainable and that we are actively supporting partners to achieve their own decarbonisation strategies, and it is testament to the strong precedent set by our city councils that we have set our ambitions high.”

LBA has also committed to measures that support reducing emissions produced by on-site business partners, such as airlines, to encourage and make it easier for partners to decarbonise their operations, as well as provide support to external sustainability plans.

These wider plans include Jet2’s commitments to reduce CO2 per passenger by 10 percent by 2030, use UK produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2026 and operate 50 percent zero emission ground support equipment by 2023.

For passengers, LBA is currently working with its airport transport partner, Transdev, to upgrade the existing Flyer bus network to a fully electric-powered fleet, and for staff, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme is in the process of being set up to assist and incentivise employees to purchase electric vehicles.

For more info, visit https://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk/net-zero