Heathrow Airport Ltd welcomes the news that it has been awarded Platinum status in Business in the Community’s 2012 Corporate Responsibility Index, the leading benchmark of UK businesses’ sustainability credentials.
The result reflects Heathrow’s commitment to enhance the airport’s social and economic benefits and reduce negative environmental impacts. It also demonstrates Heathrow’s approach to measuring and reporting environmental and social performance.
Platinum status recognises that Heathrow has integrated corporate responsibility into its business strategy and has set out clear management responsibilities at board and operational levels. It also shows that Heathrow has a structured approach to social and environmental impact assessment.
As around 76,500 people work at Heathrow, employed by more than 320 different businesses, managing sustainability can be complex. Platinum status reflects Heathrow’s achievements in working collaboratively with a range of companies on the sustainability agenda.
This has been made possible through the creation of the Heathrow Sustainability Partnership (www.heathrowairthought.com) which brings together the chief executives of key airport companies to focus on environmental and community challenges which rely on collaboration for success.
During 2011, the Sustainability Partnership added 900 new participants to Heathrow’s car share scheme, measured the contribution that 7,500 airside vehicles make to local air quality and helped more than 100 unemployed local residents into airport careers. The Sustainability Partnership aims to focus on around 30 environmental and community projects during 2012.
Colin Matthews said: "Achieving Platinum status reflects our aim of on-going improvement of every aspect of Heathrow performance. We intend to build on this notable achievement, raising our environmental and social performance further by working collaboratively with partner organisations. We can achieve more together than any company operating at Heathrow can deliver alone."
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For more information, please contact the BAA press office on 020 8745 7224.
The full results of the 2012 CRI, including commentary and analysis, are published in the Financial Times Responsible Business supplement today (15th March).
About the CR Index
Business in the Community's CR Index is the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility (CR). It helps companies to integrate and improve CR throughout their operations by providing a systematic approach to managing, measuring and reporting on business impacts in society and on the environment. For the past ten years the CR Index has inspired and challenged more than 350 companies to continuously improve their impact on society and the environment. This year The FT expect to have more than 100 companies participate publicly and use its tool to both improve their management practices and communicate to stakeholders how seriously they take their CR agenda.
About Business in the Community
Business in the Community is a business-led charity with a growing membership of over 850 companies. It works locally and nationally through 11 regional teams and internationally with 115 global partners. With a further 10,700 engaged in campaigns and an employee reach of 16.8 million – it is one of the largest and most influential leadership networks focused on driving responsible business practice. It offers members a range of practical information, tools, training and resources to help them transform their businesses and integrate responsible practices into their operations. It asks members to work in partnership to help transform communities and tackle serious social issues where business can make a real difference.
