Our Environment
Climate change is a primary concern for Manchester Airports Group. Our focus is on prudent use of resources, generating renewable energy to contribute to our carbon neutrality goal, and we actively manage all our other environmental impacts, including waste, land use and our impact on water quality.
Managing our Impacts
The environmental impacts arising from the complex operations of our airports need to be carefully managed. While the majority result from our partners' activities, we take responsibility for working with our partners to reduce impacts across our sites.
Climate Change
Climate change represents a challenge for MAG not only because we want to operate sustainably, but also because climate change regulation affects us financially.
Land Use
As the owners and managers of large areas of land, we are committed to protecting and improving the landscape, wildlife habitats, archaeology and cultural heritage.
Water
We are working to minimise our consumption of mains water across our operations. We also monitor and carefully manage our use of substances that have the potential to affect local water quality.
Waste and Recycling
In collaboration with our partners, we aim to reduce the amount of waste produced at our airports and to recycle as great a proportion as possible.
Sustainable Buildings
Development of new buildings at our airports is planned and carried out with careful consideration for sustainability. The Concorde Centre in Manchester is just one example of environmental design at our airports.
Working with Others
Environmental issues are complex and tackling them requires collaboration. We partner with our passengers, industry bodies, other airlines, retailers and other businesses at our airports, local communities and sustainability experts.
Our Successes
All our airports take environmental management seriously and have published plans to show how they will achieve their goals.
- We have already achieved 50% of our goal to make our ground operations (buildings and vehicles) carbon neutral, for the three regional airports by 2012 and for Manchester Airport by 2015.
- East Midlands Airport recycles 84% of its waste – the highest rate of any UK airport.
- We have created environmental zones at our airports to tell passengers, staff and local community members how we are addressing our environmental impacts.
- Manchester Airport has introduced many energy-efficiency measures including installing new boilers that will save 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.