In 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories', Salman Rushdie takes readers on a magical adventure with Haroun Khalifa, the son of a famous storyteller named Rashid. When Haroun's mother leaves and Rashid loses his ability to tell stories, Haroun embarks on a quest to the Sea of Stories, a mystical realm where all tales originate. There, he encounters various characters and joins a war between the kingdoms of Gup and Chup to defeat Khattam-Shud, who seeks to end all stories. The novel explores the power of storytelling, freedom of speech, and the impact of narratives on reality. Written during a time of personal hardship, including the fatwa against Rushdie, the book is a testament to the resilience and importance of stories in our lives.
In this episode, we speak with Matthew Gorman, Director of Carbon Strategy and Sustainability at Heathrow Airport.
With 16 years at the helm of Heathrow's sustainability initiatives, Gorman shares how one of the world’s busiest airports is tackling aviation’s climate impact while maintaining its crucial role in global connectivity.
Gorman discusses:
- Heathrow’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme, which creates a funding pool through landing charges to help airlines bridge the cost gap of SAF adoption. Starting at 0.5% in 2022, the target will reach 3% by next year, with approximately 20 airlines participating.
- The breakdown of Heathrow’s carbon footprint, highlighting that nearly 95% comes from aircraft operations, around 5% from ground activities such as surface access and the supply chain, and just 0.1% from direct operations (Scope 1).
- The future of hydrogen aviation, with expectations of first hydrogen-powered services in the early 2030s starting with turboprops, and how Heathrow is preparing infrastructure through research partnerships and dedicated testing facilities.
- Their innovative approach to NOx emissions reduction, targeting 18% reduction in airside operations and 60% in non-aircraft operations by 2030, driven by Heathrow’s proximity to London.
Throughout the conversation, Gorman emphasises the critical balance between maintaining aviation’s connectivity benefits while achieving net zero, and how airports can lead the sector’s sustainability transition through influence and advocacy despite controlling only a small fraction of total emissions.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, who shares her ambitious vision for transforming the airport into a sustainable aviation hub. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
Heathrow 2.0 Sustainability Strategy
Heathrow Airport targets 3% SAF use in 2025 - Biodiesel Magazine
Heathrow launches ‘Nature Positive Plan’ to tackle biodiversity loss - edie
Four of UK's biggest airports pledge to ‘Back British SAF’ - Aerospace Global News
Sustainability In The Air 