The Airport, which carried more than 10 million passengers in 2014, has introduced a variety of energy-saving initiatives including LED lighting and PIR motion sensors, helping cut electricity-associated emissions by 34 tonnes in the past year alone.

Other energy efficiency upgrades include a new coach fleet, more fuel-efficient security vehicles, and a refurbished toilet facility with more efficient lighting and hand dryers.

Luton Airport’s senior health, safety and environment manager Simon Brown said the airport had signed up to ISO50001 because the other two standard didn’t cover energy management.

Brown told edie: “The ISO standard demonstrates a clear commitment to best practice in energy usage and has the added benefit of ensuring we are ESOS compliant, as will be required by December 2015.”

This is the third international standard that Luton Airport has achieved in two years, following the environmental management standard ISO 14001 and a health and safety standard.

Taking off

Outside of energy, the Airport also has set defined waste targets over the next five years and has introduced waterless urinals, sensor taps and additional water meters to identify usage trends.

Luton is continuing a growing trend of more sustainable airports. Earlier this year, Glasgow airport saw its recycling rate skyrocket to 90% with the help of Zero Waste Scotland, while lasy year Heathrow set itself a raget of a one third reduction in emissions by 2020.

The tracking figures do not include any emissions from the planes themselves, but the aviation industry is still around 12 years behind efficiency targets set by the UN’s aviation body. A recent report from the New Climate Economy warned that emissions from the world’s aviation and maritime sectors could rise 250% by 2050 without tangible targets from governments.

Brad Allen

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