Sustainability
As a council-controlled organisation, owned by MDC Holdings, Marlborough Airport views long-term sustainability as a commitment to people, planet and prosperity. The airport provides a safe, secure transport hub, while also serving as a lifeline under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. It's funded through its own operations, not ratepayers, while providing a dividend to Marlborough District Council in some years.
In 2023-2024, Marlborough Airport connected with key business, government and community stakeholders, as well as surveyed the public to find out which sustainability issues matter the most to them. With over 100 responses, the issues of importance were varied, ranging from decarbonisation of aviation to investing in infrastructure for the future.
Marlborough Airport used this community and stakeholder feedback to develop its first comprehensive sustainability policy, which was adopted by its board of directors in 2024.
Our Environmental Targets
Marlborough Airport has three areas of focus for environmental efforts, which are reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and waste to landfill, as well as water efficiency.
To reduce emissions, the airport has set a goal of net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions from operations by 2050. In addition to investigating low-emissions alternatives for the airport's two vehicles, the airport has installed light emitting diode (LED) lights in the carparks and aviation areas that we control.
With regard to waste, the airport has set a goal to reduce waste to landfill by 30% from 2024 to 2028. This will be achieved by better understanding the waste streams, improving bin signage, and working with tenants to reduce and divert waste. In 2024, the airport sent 30 tonnes of waste to landfill from tenants and terminal operations. In late 2024, the airport conducted a waste audit with Waste Management, a key partner in the airport's sustainability efforts. The airport is using this information to remove or divert the largest waste streams, both within its own operations and from tenants.
Water efficiency targets are currently under development to understand water use on a per passenger basis.
Go to news story on reducing waste to landfill
Our Partners
CPR Cafe is working with the airport to divert waste from landfill by recycling long-life milk cartons with saveBOARD (left) and shifting coffee grounds from landfill to airport landscaping (right).
Our partners are key to our environmental aspirations and achieving our targets. We are working alongside our tenant CPR Cafe to use coffee grounds on our native landscaping, diverting over 30 kg of waste from landfill each week. In 2024, the cafe also began to recycle long-life milk cartons with saveBOARD. Alternative milks, such as almond, oat and soy milk, arrive in these cartons and the cafe can go through up to a dozen of them per day.
We are also working alongside Marlborough Lines to prepare the airport for Air New Zealand's electric aircraft arriving in 2026. This is a major step to decarbonise aviation in New Zealand, particularly regional flights. In 2024, New Zealand Airports Association awarded Marlborough Airport and Wellington Airport a joint award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year for their roles in hosting the country's first electric commercial route.