Sustainability: More than just net zero

Gurjit Wood, sustainable aviation at Arup, considers what makes a sustainable airport and how the aviation industry can achieve sustainability.

Although complex in its delivery, sustainable aviation can be addressed through the realisation of two major priorities: a transition to sustainable fuels, and the development of sustainable airports.

It could be argued that the former continues to make headlines as new concepts and mixes are released and announced, often resulting in the latter not being at the forefront of global conversations, despite being fundamental to solving several industry-related issues.

While the majority of our industry’s emissions come from flight, we cannot discount the role airports play as we look to collaboratively revolutionise the aviation sector.

Airports can pioneer positive impact for people and planet, mobilising a spectrum of change through various levels of advancements, engaging different groups of people with ranging areas of expertise.

The race to net zero remains at the core of all interventions – an overarching challenge that we are ambitious in our activities to overcome – but, airports can provide holistic solutions to the diverse and interconnected issues that we face beyond decarbonisation.

Arup’s holistic view to achieving sustainable aviation

Figure 1 – Arup’s approach to enabling sustainable aviation

One size does not fit all when it comes to Arup’s aviation solutions. The sector is complex, the challenges are multifaceted and the opportunities to deliver innovation, that most crucially benefit local communities, are huge.

While many of the elements identified in Figure 1 are self-explanatory, others can only be achieved on ground, by airports, through the delivery of interconnected thinking and through the collaboration of stakeholders not always engaged with the aviation sector.

By bringing people with ranging expertise and experiences together, truly and holistically sustainable airports can be delivered, serving to strengthen cities and local communities as well as mitigate damage to natural environments.

Circular economy
It is integral that airports keep their assets at the highest possible value, so that waste can be eliminated through lifecycle maximisation.

Simply put, by removing the average linearity of asset use – following the take-make-waste paradigm, circular economy adoption can reduce whole life carbon costs, environmental impacts, and supply chain risks.

Examples of airport circularity in action include refurbishments of runways and reusing related infrastructure materials such as existing pavements.

Biodiversity
The enhancement of nature is fundamental to any sustainability agenda, in any sector globally. Progressing towards regenerative design and systems for our planet’s benefit, airport design and redevelopment can consider nature restoration and enhancement as a priority going forward.

This can be achieved easily if considered early enough and can be delivered through strategic deployment of initiatives such as water recycling, specific planet reintroduction, and soil restoration to develop an area’s landscape biodiversity.

Noise and air quality
Carbon, air and noise emissions are complex and integrated; our industry must work to consider them both individually and as one overarching theme requiring solution. For example, zero emission propeller aircraft concepts impact both air quality and noise. Thinking beyond the net zero transition, we need to consider strategies for mitigating the various increased noise contours.

Surface access
Airports have complex multi-modal environments, often interfacing with transport links that suffer from extreme peaks in travel, affecting surrounding communities and local environments.

This can be addressed through the introduction of schemes such as differential parking charging to encourage electric vehicle uptake, or through the use of consolidation centres to reduce the overarching demand for private transport.

The aviation industry will always be at the forefront of technological innovation. It is a transport mode that connects people, economies and cultures and will continue to serve as one of the most investable global sectors as it evolves and innovates.

We are at the beginning of aviation’s sustainability journey – and efficiencies on the ground, in airports, are essential to realising our targets.