TAP is a “Trusted Brand" in terms of environmental practices receiving the highest percentage of spontaneous nominations from the total number of those questioned in the Reader’s Digest Selections in all categories assessed. 88 percent of votes cast nominated the Portuguese company as “the brand you consider has the best reputation in environmental issues" in the Airline category.
This award brings into the spotlight the environmental commitment adopted by TAP Portugal which aligns economic performance with the responsibility undertaken for society and the environment in its activities. Proof of this is the continual improvement in its indicators of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) per passenger per kilometer flown.
TAP has been adopting a number of measures to reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and improve its energy and operating efficiency. One of the most important ongoing examples of this is the Fuel Conservation and Emissions Reduction Project that has been reformulating procedures in a range of company departments (in particular, Flight Planning & Operations, Maintenance & Engineering, Ground Services, In-Flight Services and Catering). Measures implemented within the scope of this Project enabled TAP to emit 90 thousand tons of CO2 less into the atmosphere between the period of July 2005 and June 2008.
TAP has a medium and long-haul fleet renewal program that has made an important contribution to its improved energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. Four of the six new A320-214 TAP is to take delivery of throughout the year will replace old A320-211’s. The aircraft purchased are 8% more efficient than the earlier model and will enable an annual reduction in emissions of around 2200 tons of CO2.
In its ground-based operations, TAP has an energy management system that enables consumption of thermal comfort equipment – Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (AVAC) – to be controlled by limiting simultaneous use. There are also a number of energy recovery devices in TAP facilities, namely chillers and heat recovery type compressors. The installation of total and partial meters enables consumption to be monitored and corrective measures to be quickly determined.
Management of waste produced at company facilities has been another of its priority actions. TAP has sought to perfect its process of selective industrial waste collection, highlighting the clear identification of this, EWL encoding (European Waste List) and improved storage processing. Four selective waste collection programs are also ongoing at the Company’s administrative departments for paper/cardboard, used packages, batteries, ink cartridges and toners, with the financial return from recycled ink cartridges turned over to a social welfare institution. Organic waste produced in gardens, refectories and the daycare kitchen are collected and sent for recycling where this is transformed into organic compost for farm use and the production of electrical energy from the biogas produced in the process.
As environmental protection is the task of everyone and since small individual gestures make a major contribution, in recent years TAP has intensified the promotion and proliferation of this environmental culture among its employees through awareness campaigns and environmental management programs.
