THE GREEN WATCH ➔ Aviation feels the pressure


WHAT DO new UK emission reduction goals mean for air travel and growth, wonders Roger Gardner. In mid-May, Chris Huhne, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, adopted a recomm- endation from the UK Climate Change Committee for new goals to control greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is for a 50 per cent cut against 1990 levels by 2025. That is one big challenge affecting every aspect of the way we live. Pressures are growing on all sectors from the EU, the UK government and through the rising cost of energy. So far this bites directly on industries and commerce, and only indirectly on the individual. For air travel, airlines try to absorb costs in order to keep competitive but they will increasingly have to pass on environmental costs, and the effect on ticket price will inevitably become ever more noticeable, especially on short haul air journeys. Is this dampening demand


so far? Well, not really, because growth in flying is recovering again despite the heavy cost to us flyers of Air Passenger Duty (which is supposed to be an environmentally driven tax). As those costs increase and emissions trading is introduced, we may see growth reduce in the developed western markets from the historic four per cent per annum trend. But traffic in the developing world is increasing rapidly and the carbon challenge has to be tackled globally. So, if air travel is increasing,


what are the solutions? The aviation sector has set tough goals to have carbon neutral growth from 2020 and to achieve carbon free air travel from 2050. The pace of technology improvement has been around one per cent a year and the goal from the international regulator is for that to be increased to 1.5 per cent. So you will have spotted a gap – a large sustainability gap – of more than two per cent growth annually.


Five minutes with... Joanna Cross


PROFILE


Principal Account Manager SILVERDOOR


Joanna studied design at the University of Sydney but "ended up working in hotels to pay the bills". She picked up an unusual set of skills whilst doing so, but they ultimately landed her her first job in London, which subsequently opened the path to her current role at serviced apartment specialist SilverDoor.


What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? Perhaps surprisingly, it was to Aberdeen! I expected a pretty grim industrial town but was pleasantly surprised by the impressive granite architecture. A few bottles of my favourite wine and a gutsy Scottish meal with some good company rounded the trip off nicely.


Of course, there is evolution


and development of technology but, with new generations of aircraft only coming along every decade or two, designs of aircraft emerging now (such as the Boeing Dreamliner) may still be in service by 2050. To counter that inertia in the system, massive technology change will be needed in the future. That demands a massive research effort which comes at huge cost. Yet it will come as no surprise to learn that governments, especially ours, are scaling back on research spending. There are two other solutions


upon which the aviation sector is relying: firstly, a spending spree on carbon credits by airlines through emissions trading and, secondly the emergence of alternative fuels. If aviation is to be a net buyer


of carbon credits through trading, that still represents an absolute increase in aviation emissions, and how far will other sectors be able to dec- arbonise to allow aviation to grow? There are some big assumptions here and, with a reducing cap on emissions, competition for the right to pollute will become intense. The concept of ‘peak oil’, the tipping point where demand exceeds supply, is now pretty close and some of the early


effects are visible now – several airlines have been adding fuel surcharges to reflect price hikes and the rush to protect supplies. Some of that pressure might


be eased by using green fuels, and airlines are pushing to make that an increasing part of the fuel mix for the future. The EU has set a goal in its recent Transport White paper for a 40 per cent green fuel uptake by aviation by 2050 and, while that sounds a long way off, there are massive supply and infrastructure issues to address to make that a realistic possibility. One of the few areas where


there might be a chance of success for aviation is over the advancement of technology, but help is needed. It is fine and right that the


UK government should be pushing the green agenda but, recognising the reality that change in the aviation sector takes time, more money must be put into research. Sincerity on the commitment


to reduce emissions goes hand-in-hand with enabling innovation in industry and academia. This issue represents a grand challenge and, despite the economic pressures facing the public purse, rhetoric alone will not bring about the change that is urgently needed.


What is your worst business travel experience and why? A painfully long lunch with a client who didn’t want to be there. Longest hour of my life. There are only so many one word answers that I can cope with.


What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? Paris is a treat every time – great food, nice wine, a bit of culture and the chance to pretend I am a classy French woman, just for a moment.


What three items do you never leave home without when on business? A good book, a small wheelie suitcase to trip people up with, and a good variety of shoes.


What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? Why do they use electronic sliding doors instead of proper doors for toilets on trains these days? I can’t get over the fact that I’m just a touch of a button away from being trapped or exposed. Toilets with old fashioned doors please!


What destination would you like to visit next and why? Nepal. It’s a long-standing ambition of mine to do the Everest Base Camp Trek.


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