There is a lot of myth, controversy and
confusion about the role of aviation in today’s global environment and the
industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability. On both sides of the
fence you can find ‘scare-mongering’, and ‘green washing’.
Part of what I hope to do during this blog
is address many of the issues, controversial and non-controversial, that
surround aviation and the environment. The industry itself, to me, is much like
Canadians in general; they rarely claim the bragging rights they are due,
rather they just keep pushing forward doing their job, assuming that most of us
‘will get it’, or appreciate it. In
terms of the environment, however, it is clear that we ALL need to be better
informed on the issues, the accomplishments, the risks of the status-quo.
Before I start, you need to know that my
bias is that I work for a large Canadian aerospace manufacturing firm. My
overall job is macro-economic analysis and strategy relating to the aerospace; and one component of that job is environmental
sustainability and aviation.
So here’s a view of the industry from
30,000 feet:
The air transport industry generates a
total of 32 million jobs globally:
5.5
million direct jobs in airlines and airport industry
780,000
jobs in civil aerospace; airplane and engine manufactures, etc.
8.3 million indirect jobs through purchases of goods and services
from companies in its supply chain
2.0
million jobs through spending by industry employees
17.1
million jobs through air transport’s catalytic impact on tourism.
Translating that, this means that the air
transport industry alone is bigger than most developing nations and countries
in economic terms. It generates some 8% of worldwide gross domestic product or
some $3,560 billion US. (Aviation manufacturing impact in Ontario, Canada
amounts to some $7 Billion (CAD) annually and more than 25,000 jobs). Globally,
the aviation industry transports 2.2 billion people annually AND represents 35%
of all freight transported worldwide.
These are not insignificant numbers and are
used to provide you, the reader, with a sense of the scope and importance of aviation
in a global community. Clearly, the industry is not going to disappear. Rather it needs to address environmental issues in a means that is sustainable, in terms of economics and society.
Here’s the
current aviation environment environment”
The research
from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that air
transportations’ contribution to climate change represents some 2% of the
man-made CO2 emissions worldwide and is expected to grow to 3% by
2050.
The amount of passenger traffic in the next
20 years is expected to double and then likely to double again by 2050. The
difference between the expected CO2 .growth rate and traffic growth
suggests that the industry has already begun addressing aviation environment
concerns. For example:
- aircraft entering today’s fleet are 70% more fuel-efficient ago
and;
- 20 decibels quieter (i.e. 75% quieter) than 40 years
The international aviation community, in
the form of IATA (International Air Transportation Association) has committed
itself to “working towards” carbon-neutral growth and to no overall increase in
carbon emissions in spite of traffic growth, as a first step towards a
carbon-free future. Lofty goals, the next few years will demonstrate the nature
and extent of the international communities’ commitment in the form of giving
form and developing action plans to meet these goals.
That’s the big picture, there are more
details, and more to talk about moving forward!
Please post comments and questions. If you
want detailed citations, contact me directly.
