Belfast International Airport Recognised with Platinum Sustainability Award in 2024 NI Benchmarking Survey

Belfast International Airport, a member of the VINCI Airports network, has been recognised as one of the top performing sustainable businesses in Northern Ireland after achieving Platinum level in the 2024 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey. The annual survey, organised by responsible business network Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITC), evaluates environmental practices and performance across a wide range of sectors.

The airport was acknowledged as one of 39 organisations to receive Platinum status out of 132 participating businesses, signalling strong progress in embedding environmental considerations into corporate strategy and operations.

The Platinum recognition reflects ongoing initiatives at Belfast International Airport to reduce its environmental impact. These include replacing conventional fuel with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in airport vehicles, a shift that has reduced carbon emissions by around 90 per cent, saving more than 290 tonnes of carbon annually. The airport has also introduced seven electric vehicles and enhanced biodiversity on site, transforming land into an area known as Millennium Wood to support wildlife and plant life.

Kevin Napier, Compliance Manager at Belfast International Airport, said:

“We are delighted to be recognised for our efforts in reducing our environmental impact and achieving our sustainability goals. We have introduced several initiatives site wide that are working hand in hand to drive our overall environmental performance. Swapping fuel in airport vehicles for HVO has reduced carbon emissions by 90 per cent, saving more than 290 tonnes of carbon emissions each year and we have also introduced seven electric vehicles on site to decarbonise transportation. Through our biodiversity work, we have transformed land into an area called Millennium Wood and have created a diverse space that wildlife and plants can flourish. And, we have taken our first steps towards a circular economy approach by increasing recycling levels on site.”

Belfast International Airport’s achievement builds on its existing sustainability credentials. The airport has previously been recognised at silver level in the Business & Biodiversity Charter and holds Level 3 ‘Optimisation’ status in the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) scheme, demonstrating a long-term commitment to environmental performance and sustainable development.

Kieran Harding, Managing Director of Business in the Community Northern Ireland, commented on the survey’s role in advancing sustainability across business in the region:

“The Survey is a self-disclosure exercise that offers organisations a way to be externally assessed and scored on their environmental efforts and performance. Participating organisations have access to a Gap Analysis Report to help them to identify areas that need action and highlights where they are performing well, so it’s a comparison tool and real driver for improvement.”

The Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey encourages businesses to align environmental performance with strategic decision-making, helping to mitigate risks from climate change, embed biodiversity considerations, and support wider environmental goals.