Climate change - reducing our carbon footprint

How are we improving our efficiency?

• We’ve delivered a 28% improvement in fuel efficiency since 1990 - equivalent to three times our annual carbon emissions.
• We’ve committed to a further 25% improvement in carbon efficiency by 2025.
• Adopted a new carbon efficiency goal to reduce CO2 per passenger kilometre from 111 grammes to 83 grammes.
• We continue to lobby governments to improve infrastructure including air traffic management.
• It’s not just about flying. We’re also improving our ground operations.

Improving fuel efficiency

Since the 1970’s we have had an ongoing focus on fuel efficiency. With our greater emphasis on reducing our carbon footprint we recently formed a Fuel Efficiency Group.

The aims of this group are fourfold:

• To engage our colleagues and encourage them to identify new ways to reduce our fuel usage and therefore carbon footprint.
• To take these ideas and turn them into actions that deliver fuel, and therefore carbon, savings across the airline.
• To work across all areas of the airline thereby develop an overview of all projects being undertaken to save fuel.
• To build upon the carbon conscience instilled within BA, ensuring that all projects recognise the impact they have on our carbon footprint and how they deliver towards our corporate goals.

The group consists of individuals from key departments across the airline that have a major impact on our fuel efficiency - this includes Flight Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and representatives from Ground Operations to name a few.

In 2008 the group has delivered over 16 projects with an annual saving of some 42,000 tonnes of carbon.

Some of the areas we have made improvements in include reviewing the routes we fly, reducing onboard weight and enhancing the efficiency of our aircraft and vehicles.

The Fuel Efficiency Group has a rolling portfolio of more than 30 projects coming online to deliver more and substantial benefits to BA and our customers. All this is helping demonstrate our dedication to ongoing improvements in fuel efficiency and carbon reductions, ensuring we contribute towards more responsible air travel.

Flying smarter

We regularly trial new ways of helping reduce the environmental impact of the way we fly. To date we have:

• Refined departure and landing procedures to make flights more fuel efficient - this includes techniques such as taxiing with engines shut down and using ground sourced power and ground based air-conditioning instead of the aircraft on-board Auxiliary Power Units (APU's).
• Saved 50,000 tonnes of CO2 over the last two years by flying shorter, more direct international routes including Kazakhstan, China and Brazil.
• Pushing for air traffic control to be simplified so that aircraft are in the air for less time.

Improving ground energy

We are continually introducing new practices and technologies to improve energy efficiency in our buildings.

Since April 2007 we have delivered improvements reducing our energy use by 10%, saving 8,500 tonnes of CO2. We have:

• Developed energy performance reporting across the business to highlight our opportunity areas, supported by a metering programme to measure our success.
• Introduced energy user groups across each area of the business to engage and exchange ideas with our staff.
• Undertaken a rolling programme of asset renewal on our oldest heating & cooling equipment, replacing with energy efficient products.
• Implemented a programme of control optimisation to ensure our buildings meet our changing needs in an efficient manner.

We are now working to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, certification demonstrating our business’ commitment to deliver further reductions year on year.