TAG Farnborough Airport in the UK is underscoring its ongoing commitment to sustainable development and carbon footprint reduction by supporting an environmental program focused on solar energy.
In conjunction with Carbon Footprint Ltd, the airport is offsetting 2018 residual carbon emissions over which it has direct control through the support of renewable energy projects, both locally with the donation of a 10kW Solar Array system to Newlands Primary School in Yateley, Hampshire, and also overseas through the support of a large-scale solar farm project in India, bringing green energy, education and employment opportunities between the two projects.
In 2018, TAG Farnborough Airport became the first business aviation airport in the world to achieve carbon neutrality and since then has continued to make further substantial reductions in its carbon footprint with a confirmed offset totaling 1,605 tons of carbon emissions for the last year. Over the past five years alone, TAG Farnborough Airport has invested more than £1m (US$1.32m) into energy efficiency projects, and during the past decade has reduced carbon emissions, over which it has direct control, by 73%.
In cooperation with Carbon Footprint Ltd, TAG Farnborough Airport has offset residual emissions through credible and certified offsetting projects, which in recent years have included school tree planting in the local area paired with a conservation project in the Amazon rainforest.
At a special commemorative event at Newlands School to celebrate the ‘switching on’ of the new solar power system, Miles Thomas, environment manager at TAG Farnborough Airport, commented, “The solar schools project will provide a lasting benefit to Newlands Primary School, supplying a carbon-free source of electricity for many years to come while creating an avenue for discovery and learning among pupils in the field of science and technology.
“TAG Farnborough Airport is committed to developing its business in a responsible and sustainable way, supporting our local community economically, socially and environmentally. Our voluntary participation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program provides the opportunity to achieve this through projects that are not only designed to meet our carbon footprint offsetting requirements, but also provide direct benefit to our local community.”
Wendy Buckley, client director at Carbon Footprint Ltd, added, “It is fantastic to see TAG Farnborough Airport continue to support community projects, both on a local and international basis. It is highly appropriate that having already introduced new technology – including solar power – at their own site, the airport is now supporting the introduction of the latest solar technology with these local and overseas projects.”
