Director of the airport's carbon strategy joins BusinessGreen editor in chief James Murray for a chat about Heathrow's net zero vision, the challenges of decarbonising flight, and the tough Covid-19 economic headwinds facing the aviation sector
Matt Gorman is director of Heathrow's carbon strategy, which includes a target to become a zero carbon airport by the mid-2030s, building on the 'carbon neutral' status that was achieved earlier this year.
The airport has invested over £100m on decarbonising its infrastructure in recent years, helping it cut emissions from its operations by more than 90 per cent since 1990, and is currently funding verified foresty projects to offset its remaining emissions.
Yet as a business Heathrow also faces significant challenges, with plans to build a third runway currently mired in ongoing climate-related legal wrangles, and Covid-19 having dealt a hammer blow to the wider aviation sector.
Ahead of the world's first Net Zero Festival at the end of September - for which Heathrow is a partner - Gorman sat down with BusinessGreen editor-in-chief James Murray to discuss how he first came to be interested in sustainability, how the airport is responding to some of the criticism it faces over its climate-related efforts, and how it intends to deliver on its net zero vision.
