LOOP News

5 APR 07: CARBON OFFSET SCHEME FOR BUSINESS AVIATION

GOING GREEN
BBGA launches carbon offset scheme

A CARBON offset scheme has been launched for British business aviation based on the amount of fuel used.

The scheme was announced by the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) at its annual meeting at the end of February. It's a voluntary scheme but the BBGA estimates that if all business GA flights were included, it would cost the industry £3 million.
"Why should we do this?" said Mark Wilson, CEO of the BBGA.
"Altruistically, it's to help the planet. But it's also to improve the image of the industry.
"We're small but we provide a focus [for the environmental lobby] and it reflects badly on our industry if it appears we are not behaving responsibly.
"It's critical to show we are taking action ourselves if we are to avoid having the EU's Emission Trading Scheme hoisted on us. That's OK for commercial air traffic, but not for GA."

The BBGA's scheme will involve three areas of offsets:
1 Forestry. The BBGA's scheme will work with the World Land Trust and target native and endemic wildlife and habitat.

2 Fuel. Although aviation cannot use bio-fuels at present, it can help support projects which can.

3 Technology. Again, aviation already implements all possible efficiency gains but it can help fund emission-reducing technology in other areas.

Aviation Minister Gillian Merron was at the conference and said: "I'm delighted that BBGA is today launching an industry-wide carbon offsetting scheme.

"Together with the efforts the industry is already making to ensure it operates the most efficient aircraft on the most efficient routes, an industry-wide scheme like this makes the point to government and everyone else that GA is aware of its environmental obligations."

W: www.bbga.aero

CONFERENCE IN BRIEF
AVIATION Minister Gillian Merron was upbeat about GA but told the conference, "It's vital that GA looks at ways to tackle noise pollution - particularly as many airfields are located in tranquil areas of countryside."

"SHORTAGE of the right staff," was cited as the biggest obstacle to increased productivity in a survey of BBGA members. However, the majority of companies were continuing to invest and expand.

"CREATING an integrated secure border for the 21st century," is the mission of a government dept, the e-Borders team. It's exploring ways of monitoring air passengers coming into the UK through passport details and iris recognition 'gates' - already in use in trials at Manchester and Birmingham.

VARIOUS initiatives are being taken to increase the number of licensed aircraft engineers by SEMTA [Science, Engineering, Manufacturing Technologies Alliance]. They include a pilot scheme to make the NVQ Level 3 correlate with the LAE qualification.

THE Treasury is being lobbied to remove VAT from the cost of flight training.

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LOOP News

5 APR 07: CARBON OFFSET SCHEME FOR BUSINESS AVIATION