AEF in the media, plus meetings with NGOs, Government advisors and industry

1st February, 2012

Rumours about Government interest in a Thames Estuary airport have sparked quite a bit of media interest over the past two weeks. AEF gave comment through our website as well as to the BBC lunchtime news and Sky News. We have also been advising RSPB. The organisation has fought off several proposals in the past for an airport in the estuary, which would have a significant impact on birdlife, and hosted an event which AEF attended to bring together organisations opposed to the building of a new airport and consider common messages.

Meanwhile the CAA has recently published a number of documents relating both to the environment and airport capacity and we have given comment in three separate articles on our website – see this latest news item and the links at the end.

We have also, in the past two weeks, taken part in two events focussing on UK emissions policy. Nic attended a seminar organised by DECC (the Department of Energy and Climate Change) to demonstrate their ‘pathways’ tool which indicates alternative scenarios for compliance with the UK’s 2050 emissions target. And Cait, together with representatives from several other NGOs, met with the Committee on Climate Change to discuss their work on accounting for aviation’s CO2 emissions.

Looking beyond the UK, Tim joined Brussels-based T&E for a meeting with the head of aviation policy at the European Commission to discuss the Airports Package – a suite of proposed policies affecting how European airports operate – and international issues. He also visited aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls Royce to discuss technological issues related to the UK and ICAO (UN) environmental agendas, including the potential use of aviation biofuels and the setting of a global CO2 emissions standard for aircraft.