Youth Summit to discuss sustainable future of air travel
Young people from areas around Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports are to convene to discuss a sustainable future for air travel at a first-of-its kind event this week.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) - which owns all three airports - is hosting its inaugural Youth Summit, bringing together for the first time members of each airport’s Youth Forum. Around 90 young people will discuss what is being done to make aviation sustainable, and help MAG shape its Sustainability Strategy for the next five years.
Taking place on Wednesday 20 March at the Leonardo Hotel, East Midlands Airport, the Summit will also involve discussions on how to influence policymakers to achieve sustainable aviation.
The young people will also be treated to a behind-the-scenes visit to the East Midlands Airport Aeropark outdoor aviation museum.
Sustainable aviation has been the focus for the airports’ Youth Forums this year, covering themes including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), carbon removal and capture, and zero emissions flight technology. The Forums were set up last year as part of MAG’s commitment to broaden and further diversify its existing programme of stakeholder consultation and engagement with communities neighbouring its airports.
‘Zero Carbon Airports’ is part of MAG’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy ‘Working together for a brighter future’ - which has seen it become a leader in aviation decarbonisation, committing to reach net zero carbon in its operations by 2038. MAG recently called for household waste collected by councils to be turned into SAF as one way to move sustainable aviation forward – a proposal that will be up for discussion at the Youth Summit.
Adam Freeman, MAG’s Decarbonisation and ESG Director who will speak at the Summit, said: “We are totally committed to playing a leading role within the industry to make aviation sustainable. Our airports were the first in the UK to target and achieve carbon neutral status and we have cut emissions by 87% compared to a 2006 baseline - but we know there is much more we need to do to achieve and maintain net zero operations.
“Involving today’s youth to help us solve tomorrow’s problems is really exciting, providing challenge to our thinking and creative, innovative ideas which can help us shape our Sustainability Strategy for the next five years.”