Article from BTNews 6 MARCH 2017
Heathrow 2.0 introduced
Far-reaching plans to make Heathrow a “centre of excellence for the aviation industry” were detailed last week by airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye in a new sustainability strategy, Heathrow 2.0.
The plans include a new research and development incubator, a drive for growth from a new runway to be carbon neutral and halving the number of late-running departures to reduce noise for local communities.
Holland-Kaye told the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference the strategy also aimed at maximising economic opportunities throughout the UK and had been drafted with input from environmental groups, academics and community leaders.
The airport has invested an initial £500,000 in its first R&D incubator, planned to open in 2019, to minimise impacts like noise and carbon emissions and will consult to identify participants from aviation, academia and business.
As well as planning to make growth from a new runway carbon neutral, Heathrow will also target the use of 100% renewable electricity from this year in a major step toward creating a zero-carbon airport, Holland-Kaye said.
The strategy also proposes establishing an airside ultra-low emission zone by 2025 to improve quality of life through cleaner air and a voluntary Quiet Night Charter seeking at least to halve by 2022 the number of flights on non-disrupted days leaving late after 23:30.
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