Wellington Airport has set its sights on reaching net zero emissions by 2030, which is to involve substantial permanent reductions.
Wellington Airport chief executive, Matt Clarke, said air travel is vital to Wellington and New Zealand, so it has to change and become more sustainable.
“That’s why we’ve set ambitious targets for ourselves and are working with airlines to help them transition as well.”
Key steps to reaching the target include tracking against transparent, science-based targets, and to reduce overall energy use by 30 percent by 2030. The Airport has also committed to offsetting any residual emissions, and to prioritise the replacement of gas boilers, enabling the move to 100 percent renewable energy sources. The efficiency of heating, cooling and lighting systems is also set to change.
This announcement was made as part of the plan for the airport to reach absolute zero emissions by 2050. Clarke said that emissions had been reduced by 39 percent since 2017, but the goal is to decouple emissions from the expected strong growth in travel in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re also working directly with airlines to support their decarbonisation goals. Our aim is to be a pioneer and hub for electric flights, and we have established a working group on electrification with airlines and other partners.”
