Sustainability LIVE: Q&A with Tom Byrne from British Airways

By Sophie Rice

December 10, 2024

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Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero will take place on 5-6 March 2025

We caught up with British Airways’ Head of Net Zero and Environment, Tom Byrne, before Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

To secure long-term competitiveness and resilience, we must strive to achieve net zero.

By doing so, not only can we attract investment and enhance our brand reputation but we can also position ourselves as a trailblazer in the sustainability industry.

On 5 and 6 March 2025, Sustainability LIVE will continue to expand its global event series and host a hybrid conference that will explore how we can embark on the route to a carbon-neutral world - Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero.

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability, the event will explore how you can leverage innovative strategies to enhance your sustainability agenda.

Designed to enhance connections between some of the leading sustainability executives, Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero will dissect some of our industry’s most notable topics of discussion, including ESG strategies, finance and stakeholder engagement and the future of the energy transition.

Join us next year and be part of the movement towards a greener future.

🎟️To get your exclusive ticket, click here.

The Future of Net Zero panel at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC

Tom Byrne, Head of Net Zero and Environment at British Airways

Tom has been the Head of Net Zero & Environment at British Airways since January 2023.

In his role he strives to propel the organisation’s evolution to net zero carbon emissions alongside wider environmental management and reporting.

Before joining British Airways, Tom worked at ASOS as its Head of Corporate Responsibility and also worked in the Sustainability team at Landsec.

Tom is a recipient of the Acre 365 award and holds an MSc in Carbon Management.

🎤 At Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Tom will be utilising his extensive experience to deliver an engaging fireside chat.

We caught up with Tom to find out what inspired him to get involved with our exclusive event, what he hopes to achieve through his fireside chat and as his predictions for the future of the sustainability industry.

Tom Byrne, Head of Net Zero and Environment at British Airways

What inspired you to get involved in Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero?

It’s not only a great opportunity to share the progress we’re making at British Airways and the lessons we’ve learned on our journey, but to also learn from other leaders about their successes and challenges too.

I really enjoy working within sustainability as the appetite to collaborate and knowledge share between businesses and industries is so great - this is another super opportunity to do this.

Provide an overview of what your fireside chat will focus on.

My fireside chat will focus on British Airways’ “Flightpath to Net Zero”, our three-pronged approach to decarbonising the business to achieve our net zero target of 2050 or sooner.

We will discuss the work we’re doing to help us reach this target, including investing in new, more efficient aircraft, how we’re reducing operational emissions, our strategy and progress around Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and finally, our actions to help scale up the carbon removals industry.

What do you hope to achieve through the event?

To learn from other sustainability leaders and help communicate the progress we’re making at British Airways.

What emerging trends do you believe will shape the future of sustainability over the next decade?

I think we’ll increasingly see a focus, and need, towards using partnerships and novel approaches to innovate and scale the technological solutions we rely on to decarbonise – e.g. for Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technologies.

Doing things in silo and relying on existing technology & business practices won’t cut it – we need to launch new collaborations and at pace!

British Airways is striving to be net zero by 2025 or sooner (Credit: mediacentre.britishairways.com)