Heathrow Airport launches new prize for green ideas

Heathrow Airport in London has launched a Sustainable Innovation Prize, in a bid to improve the site’s green credentials.

The winning entry will be awarded £20,000 and the opportunity to develop their idea at the airport.

Applicants are being invited to submit ideas which fall into three categories: using waste as a resource; improving the sustainability of construction materials; and improving the quality of life to local residents.

Last year, Heathrow launched its plans to improve sustainability at the airport, which included an aspiration to operate zero carbon infrastructure by 2050. The site has ambitions to become a ‘centre for aviation sustainability’ by reducing the airport’s social and environmental impacts.

Heathrow Sustainability Director Matt Gorman said: “We’re delighted to launch our Sustainable Innovation Prize which will help us to uncover a host of creative ideas to solve business challenges and provide benefit to our passengers and local communities.

“This prize is an opportunity for us to attract talented organisations that are passionate about improving our environmental footprint and who can push us to think ‘outside the box’.

Heathrow has been in long-term plans to build a third runway on the west London site in order to improve capacity and increase revenue. In 2016, the government gave the airport backing to build the runway, but a final decision by MPs will be taken this year. The plans have been met with firm resistance from campaigners who highlight the significant environmental damage a new runway would create.

Its sustainable growth plans are one way it hopes to counter the charge that a new runway at the airport would be uniformly negative for the environment.

Mr. Gorman added: “The winning idea will become an integral part of our sustainability strategy – Heathrow 2.0 – and our plans to help us meet growing demand for our airport in a way that creates a positive impact on our community, environment and the UK economy.”

More information on the prize can be found here.