CO2 emissions
Climate changes due to the greenhouse gas are addressed by the Kyoto Protocol, which plans a reduction on average of 8% of the emissions by 2008-2012 in reference to the situation in 1990. Although international air transport is not taken into account in the domestic inventories of the signatory countries and that its contribution to CO2 emissions is assessed at 2 to 3% only of the total emissions coming from human activities, ICAO has been asked to study how air navigation could contribute to this process.
Three means have been identified:
- Technical progress: Despite an impressive technological development, progress in this field does not compensate for the effects of growth in the sector.
- Economic measures: Among the economic measures considered to stimulate the reduction of emissions, the most promising one consists in examining a trading emission mechanism applied to air transport. The other measures are a possible « emission » charge applied on the en route charges, as well as voluntary measures such as the renewal of fleet through the introduction of more fuel saving aircraft, so less polluting.
- Improvement of procedures: A better airspace management has been identified as a means of reduction of 6 to 12% of the en route emissions, in particular thanks to the use of more direct routes and to infrastructure improvement. The restructuring of our airspace introduced the concept of flexible sectorisation, and a closer collaboration with our military colleagues allowed to implement level 3 of the Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA). These two measures entailed a decrease in delays, and as a consequence shorter flight durations with a corresponding decrease in fuel consumption and CO2 emission. The collaboration with the Eurocontrol Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by introducing more direct flight routes whenever possible and by keeping aircraft on the ground with the engine cut off until there is a slot available, rather than having them taking off and consuming fuel unnecessarily. Belgocontrol’s involvement in the definition of the future Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) planned by the Single European Sky and the improvement of the airspace management under our control, notably by a progressive integration of the military, follow the same lines.
Several years ago, the air navigation service providers introduced various measures in order to reduce CO2 emissions. As such, Eurocontrol has identified that the introduction of six additional flight levels in January 2002 (RVSM - Reduced Vertical Separation Minima) decreased CO2 emissions by one million tonnes, or the equivalent of three whole days’ worth of air traffic in Europe. The implementation of Flexible Use of Airspace in Europe allows an additional reduction of 400,000 tonnes every year. In 2005 alone, this efficient management of air traffic flows allowed a 1.1 million ton decrease of CO2 emissions caused by air transport.
Air traffic controllers must be made aware of the environmental problem related to air transport. For this purpose, these subjects are inserted in the syllabi of the training centre.
The subject is not only complex, but also very interdependent. A lengthening of a departure route in order to improve noise hindrance leads to an increase of the consumption, thus of the greenhouse gas emissions. Priorities must be set by the political world, but taking into account the impact on capacities, economy and employment. And for Belgocontrol, safety is and remains the priority.
For more information about the environmental impact of aviation and the measures taken to reduce it, visit the website www.enviro.aero
