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$Trillions Needed
to Cut Emissions
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the world needs to in- vest $10 trillion between 2010
and 2030 to reduce global CO2 emissions by 3.8 billion tonnes annually.
Every year of delay adds an extra
$500 billion to the cost.
In addition to reducing CO2, the IEA
calculates that fuel savings by the energy
industry, transport and building sectors
would be $8.6 trillion.
According to IEA Executive Director
Nobuo Tanaka, “The message is simple
and stark: if the world continues on the
basis of today’s energy and climate policies, the consequences of climate change
will be severe. Energy is at the heart of
the problem — and so must form the
core of the solution.”
Power companies in IEA member
countries are by far the largest single
emitters of CO2.
The IEA says the 2008 financial crisis
and subsequent economic recession has
led to a three percent drop in global CO2
emissions this year — steeper than at
any time in the last 40 years.
In anticipation of the UN Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month, the agency suggests the
current economic downturn has created
an opportunity to stabilize greenhouse
gas emissions in line with an increase in
global temperature of around two degrees Celsius.
The IEA suggests the use of fossil fuel
peaks before 2020 with energy-related
CO2 emissions just six percent higher
in 2020 than in 2007. To achieve this,
OECD countries would have to reduce
annual emissions by 1. 6 billion tonnes
and China by a further one billion.
By 2020 OECD and non-OECD
countries will need to invest an extra
$215 billion and $200 billion respectively
in clean power and next-generation
hybrid and electric vehicles concludes the
IEA. ACW
Arab Support For
Copenhagen?
IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani has called on Arab airlines to save costs and CO2 emissions with a single Arab air traffic control
environment.
Bisignani said overall airline carbon
emissions are expected to fall seven
percent this year — five percent as
a result of the global recession and
two percent as a result of IATA’s CO2
emissions program.
Speaking to the Arab Air Carriers Association, he noted that cargo
volumes in the Middle East and
North Africa region (MENA) are up
12 percent from December 2008 but
are still 16 percent below pre-crisis
levels.
“Planes are fuller but yields are a
disaster. $80 billion will disappear
from the industry top line in 2009.
That’s a 15 percent drop in total revenues,” he said.
Despite a 13 percent growth in
MENA capacity, IATA says the region’s airlines will lose $500 million
in 2009.
To reduce costs and ensure a sus-
tainable future Bisignani said that
the Arab world can “no longer
afford the archaic restrictions on
market access and ownership that
were agreed 65 years ago with
the bilateral system. The flag on
the tail cannot secure the future
of this industry. Aviation is not a
diplomatic activity.”
He also noted that governments “must provide the right incentives for efficiency” and cited
the “failure” of Jordan to control
airline charges at the Queen Alia
International airport.
In May 2007, the Jordanian
government awarded a $700 mil-
lion, 25-year contract to Airport
International Group (AIG) to
expand and operate the Queen Alia
International Airport in Amman. AIG
is a consortium of Aéroport de Paris
Management and construction company J&P Overseas.
“The government of
Jordan has always had
a progressive vision for
aviation as an economic
driver.”
In exchange for building a new
terminal due for completion in July
2011, AIG can increase charges without consulting its airline customers
over the life of the exclusive concession. At the same time, 54 percent of
AIG’s gross income goes to the Jordanian government.
Added Bisignani, “The government
of Jordan has always had a progressive vision for aviation as an economic driver. I am surprised that the
government of Jordan ignored the
ICAO principle of user consultation in
