Enhancing the sustainability of airport developments

In December 2003, the UK Government published a long-awaited new air transport White Paper, looking 30 years ahead. New airport developments are invariably controversial for both local and global sustainability reasons. Notwithstanding the effects of implementing this new policy, this paper examines how the sustainability of new airport development can be improved. The study examines the feasibility of four scenarios encouraging more sustainable airport development, focusing on airport terminal building design and surface access transport. The scenarios were (1) a 'business as usual' (BAU) plan for an airport's surface access transport and terminal building design, (2) a green transport plan (GTP), (3) a green architecture plan (GAP) and (4) a best practice approach combining (2) and (3), using a range of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Stakeholders' responses to the scenarios were explored, with unanimous support for the best practice scenario (4). As the scenarios become more energy efficient and incorporate more renewable energy technologies, stakeholders consider the approaches to be more sustainable, cost effective and feasible. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.