Comment
Environment: time for govts to front up
September 1st 2012
Targets are relatively easy to set. Sometimes they are difficult to reach. When the world’s airlines announced three years ago they intended to achieve a 1.5% fuel efficiency improvement every year to 2020, carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and a 50% cut in net emissions by 2050 compared with 2005 levels, they knew it wasn’t going to be easy to reach those goals. Read More »
As our report card on the efforts to achieve these targets shows, it appears airlines are on track, and even ahead of the game.
Dismal economic conditions and other industry crises have failed to dent their environmental commitment, especially in ordering new generation, highly-fuel efficient jets from Airbus and Boeing to reduce industry emissions. This upgrading of fleets in coming years has spurred many operators into increasing their emissions reduction targets.
Carriers – both network and low-cost airlines – are putting immense efforts into achieving greater fuel efficiency and introducing energy-saving measures to their entire operations. But, as we always knew, airlines can’t do it by themselves.
The key players in this critical step change are politicians and their governments, who are not pulling their weight. Progress on key elements in the war against emissions is hampered by government inertia.
Air traffic management improvements are sorely required, but the Single European Sky (SES) initiative continues to be delayed by political barriers. Budgetary constraints in the U.S. are holding back full implementation of that country’s NextGen air traffic system.
And while more than 1,500 commercial flights have operated a biofuels/jet kerosene mix, biofuels remain too expensive. The infrastructure to produce sufficient quantities for the industry and the distribution system to deliver biofuel to airlines remains virtually non-existent.
Then there is the final and most important piece of the puzzle to be put in place: a global carbon trading or offset scheme for aviation, critical to airlines hitting their long-term emissions targets.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is making progress on this policy and one or more firm proposals for a market-based emissions scheme for airlines will go to its Assembly late next year. No one is confident a final decision will be reached at that time, particularly when some 191 governments have to reach consensus on the final document.
True, 2020 is still a few years away. But time is running out. Governments need to invest, and speedily, in biofuels, there needs to be improvements to air traffic management and those 191 states must pin down a carbon trading scheme for the aviation industry.
