THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE I 39 The Review THE GREEN WATCH ➔ Coalition keeps finger on the pulse


IT IS IN times of austerity that environmental controls are sometimes put on the back burner – or sacrificed altogether, writes Roger Gardner. Thankfully, the coalition gov- ernment and the international community have resisted this temptation. The spending review has actually increased funding on energy and climate change, a recognition of the importance of the issue and a signal that clean energy is a growth area for the economy. More broadly, the UN agency responsible for aviation, the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) has just agreed a global goal of capping international aviation emissions from 2020 while pushing for a two per cent fuel efficiency improvement each year. So far so good, but there can be


a gulf between the rhetoric of environmental improvement and its delivery. Aviation does not get a specific mention in the spending review but the reduced disposable income we all face as a result of measures imposed will surely affect travel demand and the profitability of aviation. If the sector is not making any money, then research and technology development will suffer. Manufacturers may have big research programmes in hand (and every ounce of ingenuity will be needed if the two per cent annual improvement goal is to be met) but airlines have to be able to afford the aircraft. So, you may say, less aviation demand equals less emissions, which is a good thing.


This is a conundrum as aviation


is an engine of economic growth yet a sizeable polluter. We want and need aviation to support growth but we want it to be clean and quiet. And that costs. To its credit, the government is


to maintain spending levels on science research in real terms over this parliament which will help, but there are many demands upon the science budget and aviation interests and academia will have to fight for a share. No guarantees here. Sadly, the appetite to fund research on longer-term strategic issues such as a more sustainable future for aviation is still poor. And being an inter- national industry, it is always easy to blame someone else for low spend or inaction. What can govern-


ment practically do in these straightened times to really make a difference? Let's be positive: the UK has a good reputation for fighting to get the world to take climate change seriously. Despite the UK’s current domestic woes, all the indications are that it will maintain that push. The UN chose not to include aviation in the Copenhagen Climate deal last year but it has another opportunity this December in Mexico at the next big summit meeting. Building upon the ICAO agreement, there is still a


“The appetite to fund research on longer-term strategic issues such as a more sustainable future for the aviation industry is still poor”


possibility that the UK can help to drive action to deliver


international controls. The industry largely supports that and has its own goals that


target carbon-neutral growth from 2020. For the first time we appear to be getting close to an agreement and common purpose between the regulators and the regulated! But do we all care enough? Back


to the argument about priorities when cash is scarce. We may continue to fly on holiday and business but how many people will pay to ‘offset’ the carbon from their


flights? There has not been a popular take-up of this option offered by airlines as far as the holidaymaker is concerned, though more businesses are accounting for this in their travel budgets. It all amounts to lots of small


steps rather than the necessary bold response to the climate threat for which we are all responsible. But at least the steps are forward


and despite tough times, climate change continues to be taken seriously. It is important to keep the feet of politicians to the fire on this issue if future generations are not to pay the price. That dictum has been core to the Government’s message on the spending review. Hopefully they (and we) will apply it to working on climate change.


46 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE


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