Hampshire’s NATS tops list of Europe’s climate leaders

NATS has been awarded first place in the European Climate Leaders list, a survey of two thousand companies across Europe.

The report, now in its fourth year, is compiled by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista and lists businesses that have achieved the greatest reduction in their ‘core’ Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity over a five-year period from 2017 to 2022.

These emissions describe the direct emissions of a business through combustion of fuel sources and the indirect emissions from use of electricity.

NATS, which provides air traffic control services to UK and international airports from its base in Fareham, Hampshire, achieved the highest score of all European companies based on methodology developed by Statista.

Other factors are also taken into account, such as whether companies have robust science-based targets in place, their commitments to net zero, and transparent disclosure of their indirect scope 3 value chain emissions.

It also considers CDP scoring, an assessment of sustainability and stewardship in which NATS holds an ‘A list’ rating, as well as SBTi approved climate targets, where the Hampshire firm’s targets exceed requirements to help prevent the most damaging effects of climate change.

NATS has committed to procure or self-generate 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030, and is currently at 99 per cent. The company has been buying green gas since 2017.

It’s recognised as being in the top 2 per cent of companies globally for leadership in corporate transparency and performance on climate change by environmental evaluation company CDP.

Dave Curtis, safety and sustainability director at NATS, said: “This recognition is further testament to the excellent work across NATS to reduce our environmental impact.

“But we cannot rest – our net zero carbon by 2035 and carbon negative by 2040 targets are challenging.

“We’ll continue our efforts to put sustainability at the heart of our decision making for the sake of the aviation industry and the planet.”