As the gateway to the UK’s South West, Bristol Airport has become the first airport in Europe to offset all passenger journeys to and from the airport by road. Forming part of the airport’s Carbon Roadmap the carbon offsetting scheme came into effect on 1 January 2020.
“This commitment to offset carbon emissions from surface access recognises that environmental impacts reach beyond the boundary of the Airport,” explained James Shearman, Head of Sustainability at Bristol Airport. Offsets will be purchased retrospectively based on an annual passenger survey showing the different modes of travel used by passengers. The focus for offsetting schemes will be on local projects where possible with the Environmental Effects Working Group of the Airport’s Consultative Committee playing a key role in selecting suitable offsetting schemes.
In November 2019 the low-cost carrier, easyJet – which operates more than 50% of flights to and from Bristol Airport – became the first major airline to offset carbon emissions from fuel used its aircraft. And this year the Carbon Offsetting Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) – a global agreement to stabilise net carbon emissions from flights at 2020 levels – has come into effect.
With this in mind, Shearman concluded: “With airlines taking steps to reduce and offset carbon emissions it means many customer journeys could be carbon neutral from front door to final destination in 2020.”
