AEF at the UN, Qatar’s new, high-carbon fuels, and our advice for energy risk managers

16th October, 2009

During the last two weeks we’ve been out and about working on global climate negotiations, EU emissions trading, and UK tranquillity.

Tim attended a 3-day high level meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation – the last one before the Copenhagen talks in December – though there was no agreement from states that aviation emissions should be capped (more on our website soon).

AEF board member Jeff Gazzard has, meanwhile, had a couple of media appearances, questioning the environmental credentials of the first Qatar Airways flight from Gatwick using gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel in a Financial Times article and discussing air freight on the Jeremy Vine show (after the Archbishop of Canterbury was quoted in the Times as saying that unsustainable air-freighted food should be gradually replaced by home-grown produce).

Following our meeting with the CAA to consider tranquillity issues, Nic represented AEF at a conference on tranquil spaces, organised by the Greater London Authority, which included discussion about protection of ‘quiet areas’ in the context of noise action plans.

And Cait had a surprising speaking engagement at a conference for energy risk managers, where she talked about AEF’s views on emissions trading and why the EU ETS will fail to tackle the growth in aviation emissions unless backed up by other measures.