Airport closer to carbon neutrality

Manchester Airport is inching closer to complete carbon neutrality after achieving new targets in reducing its carbon footprint.

Manchester's efforts in this direction have been acknowledged by the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme after the airport achieved the first two levels - reduction and optimisation - before moving on to the third and final stage, neutrality.

In order to achieve the optimisation level, the airport had to demonstrate how it lowered emissions from not just its own operations, but also from factors like public transport to the airport and its attending aircraft.

Now, the officials aim to achieve total neutrality in the next four years.

Neil Robinson, director of sustainability for the Manchester Airports Group, said: "Since 2009, we have developed our skills and knowledge and by sharing this with our partners through the carbon challenge, the wider airport community and the industry, we know we can further cut carbon emissions from our operations and heavily reduce emissions from across the entire site."

Copyright © Press Association 2011