PLANE SPEAKING FROM THE AIRPORT

31-10-2006

With the Stern report claiming that climate change could causea slump on the scale of the 1930's Depression, The Stirrer called for a halt to all airport expansion. Here's a personal response from John Morris, head of corporate affairs at Birmingham International Airport.

Consider this; if you stopped all aviation, everywhere in the World, then there would still be a huge emissions problem; in fact, 98% of the problem of CO2 emissions would still be there.

Ok, in Europe Aviation plays a greater part in CO2 emissions - it is about 3.4% - which ‘just' leaves 96.6% of the problem out there.

“Aha” you say: “but Aviation is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions, so it has to be bad…”. Fastest growing? Maybe at the moment, but the industry has managed to dramatically reduce emissions over the last decade or so, and plans to halve them again in the foreseeable future (what the industry has achieved once, it will achieve again). Even if aviation failed to reduce emissions through technological improvements, a doubling of aviation would still only make it responsible for 4% of global CO2 emissions!

That doesn't mean that aviation won't do its bit: BIA has welcomed the findings of the Stern Report, which has called for global action to prevent catastrophic climate change. In his report, Sir Nicholas, a renowned economist, argues that the challenge of preventing dangerous climate change can be met, at a lower cost, if international cooperation involving Europe, the US and China is stepped up.

UK aviation has long called for international efforts to ensure that aviation is included in global agreements on climate change. The Industry's Sustainable Aviation strategy calls for this to happen with the inclusion of aviation in the European emissions trading scheme as a first step. UK companies also lead the world in the development of new technology and operating procedures to reduce the environmental impact of aviation.

I am pleased that Sir Nicholas Stern's report has identified emissions trading and new technology as the key to tackling global climate change, and look forward to continuing to work with government and other stakeholders to achieve these aims.

What really frightens me is the ‘elephant in the corner'; all the time that people concentrate on Aviation, that other 98% is out there - caused by industry, ‘Chelsea Tractors', population growth and much, much more. Let's by all means call Aviation to account, but recognise that there are other very large challenges out there - many of which are not so convenient to address ‘head on'.

Perhaps we could start by being more energy efficient - did you know that the latest aircraft operating from Birmingham moves every person 100km for about 2 ½ litres of fuel? That's the equivalent to around 111 miles to a gallon - and a genuine figure as most low-cost flights are just about full.

But we all need to do our bit as well. Perhaps we should ban all standby buttons on electrical equipment and tax all non-efficient light bulbs to a penal extent!

After all, most of the time I live on the planet too!