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Environment

British Airways is committed to improving its environmental performance, and reducing the adverse impacts of its activities on the global and local environment. The two key issues identified for the airline industry are:

  • The local environmental impact of aircraft noise and emissions around airports.
  • The global climate change effect of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric effects.

For noise management we support the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended Balanced Approach.

The four key elements of this are :

  • Reductions at source - quieter aircraft
  • Operational procedures
  • Operational restrictions
  • Land-use planning

A similar balanced approach - using a combination of instruments - can also be taken to managing local air quality. We support the use of accurate modelling to assess air quality impact and to understand the contribution of aircraft relative to other sources.

The climate change impact of aviation arises from :

  • Carbon dioxide from aircraft burning fossil fuels
  • Other effects in the upper atmosphere, linked to emissions of oxides of nitrogen, particles and water vapour

The combined effect is estimated to account for about 3.5% of the total warming generated by human activity.

We believe that the best long-term mechanism for managing air transport carbon dioxide emissions is through international emissions trading. We work within both ICAO and IATA to promote this..

We are committed to improving fuel efficiency and developing engagement with customers on the climate change effects of air travel.

We have a corporate priority to improve waste management. We seek to improve the efficiency of use of all the resources we deploy and manage our waste and effluent responsibly and effectively.

For more information on the issues outlined above, please click on the links below: