Looking after our environment.
The transition to net-zero is a huge issue for everyone, and work is already underway to address climate change at The West Yorkshire Combined Authority and at Bradford Council. It’s important to note that these organisations can only set the direction of travel in their own organisation, and those like buses which are to come back into public control.
I like others do take the issue of climate change very seriously, and will always lead by example, rather than just talk the talk.
Green Belt.
There’s much more than we need to do to protect our Green Belt and the biodiversity which it supports.
UK biodiversity is in significant, long-term decline, with 1 in 6 species (roughly 1,500) at risk of extinction, making the UK one of the least biodiversity-intact countries globally. Since 1970, average species abundance has dropped by 13%, driven by habitat loss, climate change, and agricultural changes.
- Legal Targets: Under the Environment Act 2021, legally binding targets include halting species decline by 2030 and increasing species abundance by 10% by 2042.
- Biodiversity Net Gain: Mandatory 10% net gain required for new developments in England.
However, building on Green Belt and simply increasing biodiversity net gain is not the solution, we can have a biodiversity net gain nut still lose many species. That is, the net gain is from more common species, rather than from preserving existing biodiversity. Could someone in government kindly tell us all, how we increase biodiversity when the Green Belt is being ripped up, rather than building on existing brownfield?
As was the case at Sun Lane, I’ll continue to be a champion for the Green Belt.
Other sources of CO2.
There are many sources of CO2 which the government are trying to reduce, but there are some issues. Unlike everyone else, I take time to study data and facts to reach a conclusion. I don’t believe that anyone else locally has taken more than a cursory glance at issues. There’s a balance that needs to be struck, quite how that will be delivered is far from clear, and there’s more detail available in the blog.
The entire CO2 output of households in West Yorkshire is shown below:
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority are trying to, as are government, getting households to install heat pumps, cavity wall insulation, and solar. There’s also pressure to have Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are technology-driven solutions that store electrical energy—usually from renewable sources like wind and solar—using batteries, typically lithium-ion.
- Road Travel is a significant contributor of CO2.
- Air travel is a significant contributor of CO2.
- Industry are a significant producer of CO2
At LBA, we have annual passenger numbers of 4.24 million passengers, so calculating the CO2 we have:
- An average flight (round trip) of 3.99 hours.
- Using the DfT figure of 134kg of CO2 per flight hour , we have:
- 24×106 X 3.99 X*134kg = 2,266,958,400 kgs
- If we factor in radiative force, the figure becomes: 4,533,916,800 kgs
Estimates are unadjusted.
This estimate needs to be adjusted upwards to allow for :
- extraction and transport of crude oil
- inefficiencies in refineries (around 7% [3])
- aircraft manufacture and maintenance, and staff training
- airport construction, maintenance, heating, lighting etc.
and to be adjusted downwards to allow for some of the aviation fuel being used for:
- private aircraft
- military aircraft
- air freight
- flights within the UK.
There are several complexities in allocating responsibility for aviation greenhouse gas emissions.
One is the variation in passenger occupancy rates of aircraft, with some fully laden with charter passengers, and others flying with less than half the seats occupied (which applies more to scheduled flights). Those flying in partly empty aircraft should perhaps allow a higher rate of CO2 emissions. Similarly, those flying Business Class or First Class are responsible for a higher share of CO2 emissions.
Flights to/from Leeds Bradford Airport, by comparison contribute:
- 2,266,958.4 tonnes annually (no RFI) using DfT calculations.
- 4,533,916.8 tonnes annually (RFI figure).
The underlying result.
In essence, flights to/from LBA contribute more CO2 annually, than the combined domestic output of Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale combined.
So, whilst households (37.5%), business (49%), commercial enterprise (48%), and the public sector (44%) are doing their utmost to reach net zero (rounded percentage emission decrease between 2005 -2019), aviation is set to contribute yet more CO2 to the atmosphere.
LBA’s carbon zero journey.
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in the UK has become the latest gateway to unveil exactly how it plans to become a net zero airport, boldly aiming to achieve the goal by 2030.
LBA’s roadmap to carbon neutrality is focused on emissions that it is directly responsible for and is fully in control of on the airport site.
In essence, this means decarbonising intensive terminal operations across LBA’s 260,000 square foot airport through initiatives such as introducing renewable heating contracts and energy efficient air-conditioning, as well as converting on-site vehicles to low and zero emission solutions.
Once its roadmap is realised, LBA will be one of the first net zero airports in the UK.
LBA has also committed to measures that support reducing emissions produced by on-site business partners, such as airlines, to encourage and make it easier for partners to decarbonise their operations, as well as provide support to external sustainability plans.
These wider plans include Jet2’s commitments to reduce CO2 per passenger by 10% by 2030, use UK produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2026 and operate 50% zero emission ground support equipment by 2023.
Similarly, Ryanair has committed to 60g CO2 per passenger by 2030 and KLM has outlined a CO2 reduction path developed by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) specifically for the airline industry in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
To date, LBA has been committed to reducing its owned emissions, with accreditation under the Airport Carbon Accreditation Scheme (ACAS), a voluntary global carbon management standard specifically for airports. Aiming to achieve the highest level possible in ACAS, LBA is on track to move up to Level 2 in early 2022.
Vincent Hodder, CEO of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “This net zero commitment is one of the most ambitious made by a UK airport and we hope it will reassure passengers, partners and members of the public that we are planning for the long-term future of LBA.
“Of course, emissions from aircraft are a concern across the aviation industry and we do not deny that or ignore it, but we are clear in our role to provide appropriate infrastructure and incentives to support the wider decarbonisation efforts of our partners and supply chain, as well as advocating for technological advances. We have intentionally made our plans publicly available, and we are transparent in both the airport operational, and the aviation emissions challenge we face.
“Leeds can be proud that we are looking to do everything we can to make our own processes sustainable and that we are actively supporting partners to achieve their own decarbonisation strategies, and it is testament to the strong precedent set by our city councils that we have set our ambitions high.”
As a long-term goal, the airport will be aiming for the highest level of ACAS accreditation, which requires LBA to align its carbon management ambition with global climate goals and transform operations with absolute emissions reductions. This includes the emissions LBA controls, such as their energy usage, and those that LBA can influence, for example, third-party ground operations and flights.
For third party ground operations, LBA is introducing fixed electrical ground power on all aircraft contact stands to phase out the diesel-powered mobile ground power units, which are used to provide the aircraft with power whilst on the ground and when their engines are switched off.
Throughout the terminal, LBA has taken steps to reduce energy usage. This has already included installing LED lighting with motion sensors to reduce unnecessary lighting.
Variable speed drives have been retrofitted on the escalators in the terminal for efficiencies during periods of low or no passenger movements, and airfield signage lightboxes have been upgraded from the existing fluorescent strip lighting to LEDs. The culmination of these steps has led to a 48% reduction in LBA’s terminal emissions over the past six years.
For staff, a Cycle to Work Scheme has been available to employees since 2010, as part of LBA’s sustainable travel plan. Alongside this, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme is in the process of being set up to assist and incentivise employees to purchase electric vehicles.
For passengers, LBA is currently working with its airport transport partner, Transdev, to upgrade the existing Flyer bus network to a fully electric-powered fleet. The Flyer buses provide an essential connection for passengers from Leeds, Bradford, and Harrogate to the airport, reducing traffic and transport pollution.
- Government is pushing for and supporting airport expansion for future UK growth. If you have an issue, speak to the government, not the airport.
- Regionally 8,500 jobs are supported by LBA. Around 3,500 of these are at the airport, expansion will create another 1,500 jobs.
- Provides £940 million to the West Yorkshire Economy.
- Removes £4.9 billion from the economy, so a deficit of £3.96billion@ £700 per head spent abroad.
- Passenger number to increase to 7.5 million.
- Number of flights (ATMs) to increase but not significantly (7 million passenger on 130 seat aircraft – current occupancy – 58,000 flights). Newer aircraft to carry 180 passengers so 42,000 flights. Currently around 32-35K flights annually.
- SAF – 2% of all fuel is SAF currently, this to rise by 2% per annum until 2030.
- SAF will dominate by 2050, using e-fuels (electrolysis and carbon from CCS) source Sheffield University. 6 tonnes of e-fuel produced daily according to Sheffield University.
- Noise levels are down, Ultra Fine Particulet’s are measured by Leeds Council at unknown locations.
- CO2 from road transport in Leeds dwarves the airports CO2 output. In any case airlines are responsible for mitigation, most do this via some ‘carbon scheme’s or Carbon Capture Storage (CCS). I’m investigating this claim as CO2 from traffic is in decline. Airport moving to hydrogen (e-fuel) and electric post 2050.
- Co2 going forward, here’s the graph presented.
