NATS wins Responsible Business Award

• NATS wins the Engaging Customers on Sustainability Award at Business in the Community’s Responsible Business Awards
• Responsible Business Award winners in 14 categories showcase businesses driving positive change and tackling major global and local issues
• HRH The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron congratulate winning firms via video

NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic navigation services, was named winner of the Engaging Customers on Sustainability Award at Business in the Community’s 2015 Annual Responsible Business Gala in London on 7 July.

The event at the Royal Albert Hall was the culmination of the 2015 Responsible Business Awards, run by The Prince of Wales’s business charity Business in the Community, to celebrate innovative ways that businesses in the UK and abroad are addressing pressing social and environmental issues and transforming communities.

The Engaging Customers on Sustainability Award recognises businesses that use their marketing activity to inspire and enable customers to live or operate in a more sustainable way. NATS’ award winning initiative, the Continuous Descent campaign was set up with Sustainable Aviation to reduce aircraft noise, cut CO₂ emissions and help the aviation industry save money on fuel and reduce its environmental impact. The programme has already engaged 22 airports and eight airlines, with the potential to scale up the campaign internationally. In the UK, it has helped deliver over 45,000 additional quieter arrivals in the eleven months since the campaign began.

Commenting on the award, Carrie Harris, Head of ATM Environment, said: “NATS has taken a proactive role in leading the Sustainable Aviation Continuous Descent campaign and by working together with airlines, airports and NATS controllers, we are delivering tangible benefits in CO₂ and noise reductions. This is just the start of the journey however, and we look forward to increasing engagement with even more airports, airlines and Sustainable Aviation members and building on this initial success.”

Jonathan Counsell, Chair of Sustainable Aviation, also said: “Well done to NATS and all of our members that have contributed to this successful initiative. Such recognition is a great achievement.”

Commenting on the win, William Ostrom, Corporate Communications Director, Kingfisher plc, who chaired the judging panel said:  “NATS clearly demonstrated that using data and insight can genuinely drive measurable and meaningful increase in awareness in sustainability, behavioural change and reduced fuel consumption with noise reduction”

Commenting Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: “Every year, the Responsible Business Awards provide a tantalising glimpse of the potential of business as a force for good in society. From the largest global multinational to the smallest local firm, these inspirational winners prove that every business can and should play its part to build a fairer society for us all. I congratulate NATS for the practical action it has taken to address some of our most pressing issues, and for proving that making a difference and being a successful business are not mutually exclusive.”

Prime Minister David Cameron praised winners via video message saying:  “On behalf of the whole country, I want to say thank you to all of you, for what you are doing to show that responsible business is good business and something we should all be very proud of.”

To find out more about NATS’ award entry, visit http://www.bitc.org.uk/our-resources/case-studies/nats-continuous-descent-campaign.