Page 70 - World Airnews Magazine February 2020 Edition

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define a maximum amount of CO² emission
taxing their way to a solution, making the could create new technologies and maybe per passenger, per kilometre.
‘polluter’ (passengers) pay a ‘fairer price even better products at lower prices.”
for the use of aviation transport’. Then impose penalties for breaching
It’s a call which will likely not be well This would also challenge power fuel the threshold, including having to exit the
received by travellers. The IATA said its producers to raise their capacity from market for a period of time. His aim is to
today’s levels to an “industrial scale” he
research suggests the public would rather adds. level the playing field for all stakeholders
governments encourage the development - something that hasn’t been the case for
of new technologies and sustainable “Compared to most other means of many years - but that requires the will.
aviation fuels. transportation, aviation is not sufficiently
It said just one in five (22%) believed a tax priced.” POWER FUELS COULD COST MORE,
of this kind would be beneficial. Raising the spectre of taxation, the BUT THE BENEFITS ARE OBVIOUS
Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director nine EU countries said in a letter to the The ICAO and IATA have much to do, he
general and CEO said, “The way forward for European Commission. said.
aviation and the environment is sustainable It was welcomed by environmental “As a first step, power fuels should be
aviation fuels. Promoting their commercial- groups who agreed the industry, and explicitly mentioned and considered in
isation will do more than any tax.” passengers, should be encouraged to do the ICAO Global Framework for Aviation
“Today the negative impact of fossil fuels more. Alternative Fuels and the IATA Sustainable
is not charged into the fuel price.” It is a strategy unsuccessfully used Alternative Aviation Fuels Strategy; so far
It is a view Siegemund shared, but said before, however. In 2008 Dutch authorities both of them have been primarily targeting
there is much to do to promote them. introduced such a levy only to abolish it a biofuels.”
year later as passengers simply flew from
“Today the negative impact of fossil fuels is neighbouring countries. Although he said he recognised the
not charged into the fuel price; fossil fuels benefits of offsetting initiatives, he argued
are even subsidised. This makes it very hard Siegemund said this is why it is vital to they are in fact stifling innovations as
to integrate new fuels with less negative find “global solution for a global challenge”. industry players opt to invest in offsetting
impacts into the market.” “That’s why it is so important to define projects rather than new solutions, mostly
power fuels quotas for all ICAO members
The Global Alliance Power fuels, a as soon as possible,” he said, adding because they are less costly.
cross-sector alliance of companies and although some countries and airlines are “We know fossil fuels cause, and will
associations brought together by Dena has taking their responsibility seriously, others cause, very high additional costs in the
called on ICAO members to turn their at- continue to impede necessary action, often future,” Siegemund concluded, power
tention to power fuels - electricity-based, “very important ICAO members and main fuels are key to achieving net emissions
renewable fuels. polluters”. reductions. As for their use adding a few
Power fuels are synthetic gaseous or percent to the cost of a ticket, he’s not
“If we could achieve an agreement of
liquid non-biofuels that draw their energy the top five or top 10 airlines to use, for all phased. “In this context it is very important
to realise what kind of social and income
BETTER FUELS OR HIGHER from green electricity to be used as energy inner EU flights from 2025 for example, 2% groups most frequently fly, and what
carriers and feed stocks.
and from 2030 10% power fuels, that would
They include hydrogen; synthetic gas be a breakthrough deal,” he said. impact not flying has on basic consumer
needs. In comparison to other sectors,
TAXES? such as methane, propane, ammonia; and huge task for the industry and regulators. increasing prices in aviation would have
Finding a solution that works for all is a
synthetic liquid fuels like methanol, as
very limited negative effects on low income
By Andrew Tunnicliffe well as Fischer-Tropsch products such as Siegemund said he fully understood its groups.”
kerosene. Siegemund said they represent
the only real option to reducing GHG complexity and the need for a comprehen- Given the findings of the IATA, it is a bold
sive approach, stretching beyond individual
emissions. “Additionally power fuels will airlines, airports and countries. statement but one that may well is fair.
there is an understanding that such improve fuel quality and help reduce Instead, it requires a solution which Perhaps its key selling point is, however,
connections have to be increasingly particle emissions too,” he said. encompasses the full transportation is that it is not a tax; the additional charges
will go towards improving sustainability
With pressure growing on the IS THE AVIATION SECTOR DOING supplied by other transport modes.” infrastructure. and not into government coffers. That is
aviation sector to clean up its carbon ENOUGH? Contrary to popular belief, the industry A POWER FUEL QUOTA COULD The first step says Siegemund, is to look a much more “sellable” narrative to the
act, some EU countries think they have a With predictions the industry will annually has been looking to reduce its environ- HOLD THE ANSWER at domestic transportation networks and world’s legion of frequent flyers. Q
solution in the form of a tax. carry almost eight billion passengers within mental impact for some time. More than a The alliance said the first step
The Global Alliance Power fuel believes the next 15 or so years, according to the decade ago it set out plans to cut emissions should be to determine a global
there is an alternative as Deutsche Energie- International Air Transport Association by the middle of the century to half the quota for the blending of power
Agentur GmbH acting head of renewable (IATA), opponents are increasingly level of those in 2005. fuels, suggesting 2% to begin
energies and mobility Stefan Siegemund encouraging the public to shun flying, and The International Civil Aviation with, paid for by passengers
explained. governments to take action. Organization (ICAO) said the industry through an increase of fairs of
The industry has been looking to reduce While that approach has its critics too, should look to develop and use more 2%. This would rise in line with
its environmental impact for some time. Siegemund has sympathy with the so-called fuel-efficient aircraft and sustainable rises in the blend.
low-carbon fuels, increase the efficiency
With scientists, environmental groups “flygskam” - which translates from Swedish of its operations and make greater use of However, the limited
and politicians warning the world faces a to mean “flight shame” - trend. technologies. availability of these fuels is
climate emergency, pressure continues to “From an environmental point of view a challenge acknowledges
build on the booming aviation sector to there are very good reasons to stop and In 2016 almost 300 airlines agreed on Siegemund.
find ways to reduce its carbon footprint. reduce flight connections on short and an initiative to offset more than 2.6 billion “If there was a clear commit-
“For the aviation industry it has to be middle distances.” tonnes of CO² emissions by 2035. ment from the aviation industry
clear, things can´t just continue,” warned “From an environmental point of view to use a certain amount of
Siegemund. there are very good reasons to stop and power fuels, technology
“The aviation industry has to assume reduce flight connections on short and AVIATION TAX GETS MIXED RESPONSE providers would quickly take
more responsibility for its impact on middle distances, especially where train or However, the commitments weren’t the next steps and scale-up
greenhouse gas (GHG) emission increases,” bus connections already exist,” he said. enough for some. This year nine EU production capacities,” he said.
he said. “Even in parts of the aviation industry, governments raised the prospect of “Competition would rise which

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