1. Safe Landing have responded to the UK Government ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก "๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ" Consultation: "updated evidence and analysis to inform our strategy for net zero aviation" which closed last week: gov.uk/government/conโฆ
A thread ๐งต...
2. We believe a variety of scenarios are missing:
- limits on air traffic growth, particularly of long-haul aviation as recommended by the IEA.
- carbon prices becoming far higher, far earlier.
- total climate impact modelled, including non-CO2 emissions.
3. The updated Jet Zero consultation models 4 scenarios, all of which project a large growth in UK aviation over the next three decades to 2050. This growth is even greater in the updated 2022 scenarios than in the scenarios originally modelled in the initial 2021 consultation.
4. Such growth flies in the face of advice from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), the IEA and the IPCC saying that we must limit air traffic. We believe this level of growth will lead to an industry crash and is actively dangerous for future job security of aviation workers.
5. Part of the reason for this growth is a lack of UK Government policy restricting airport expansion, as advised by their own independent climate change advisors: the CCC. As a result, despite this advice, there are many airports around the UK with significant expansion plans.๐ซ
6. Another reason for the growth is lack of regulations to properly price aviation pollution and ensure the 'polluter pays' principle, as advocated by Jet Zero. This is particularly true for the 'CORSIA' (outside UK/EU) prices which are far below the real cost of emissions. ๐ฐ๐ฅ
7. All updated scenarios also include an increased use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) despite evidence that these canโt be scaled to the quantities modelled without competing with other sectors for limited resources and causing adverse social & environmental impacts.๐ดโฝ๏ธ
8. The scenarios also assume overly optimistic assumptions about the rate of aircraft efficiency improvements and the development & deployment of "zero emissions" aircraft such as electric and hydrogen.
Crossing our fingers and "hoping for the best" isn't in our aviation DNA ๐ค
9. As aviation workers within this technically-minded sector, weโve assessed the options relied on by the Jet Zero scenarios, and believe they are overly-optimistic and unlikely. In some cases, they are dangerous to the environment, the economy, society and our own industry.
10. If we return to โbusiness-as-usualโ growth based on improbable technological developments, we risk having the rug pulled from under us, and will face a cliff-edge of sudden air traffic reduction. This will inevitably cause a major industry crash and danger to workers. ๐ฅโ๏ธ
11. We'd like to avoid such a crash by seeing necessary policies applied through early design, rather than late disaster. If there's to be any security for those of us in the industry, we recognise that a credible path to net zero aviation is essential. Jet Zero is not that path.
Safe Landing sends solidarity to the workers of the GKN factory in Campi Bisenzio, near Florence (Italy), who are fighting for jobs, for their community, for the wider working class and the future of the planet. ๐งต
The workersโ recent appeal can be read in translation (by @NotesFrom_Below) at the link above, with links to more information and resources (thanks @PeopleNature).
Their own website, in Italian, is at (Insorgiamo = Let's Rise Up)insorgiamo.org
@NotesFrom_Below @peoplenature In 2021 the workers, who were laid off when GKN was bought by (British) asset-strippers Melrose Industries, occupied the factory. They managed to push back the closure, and generate a wonderful campaign of resistance and solidarity.
Over the next days @XRebellionUK is holding a series of events and protests - #TheBigOne. We, aviation workers' organisation Safe Landing, will be taking part, including in events specifically about connecting climate struggle and workers' struggles.๐งต
@XRebellionUK Here is our new leaflet introducing Safe Landing. Come and find us to get a copy or copies! More about some of what we'll be doing at The Big One below.
@XRebellionUK TOMORROW - Thursday 20th April 1-2pm @ Patchworks, London: "Why Climate and Trade Union Activists Should Work Together": Climate justice means social and economic justice, engaging with trade unions, developing worker-led plans. Join the discussion. More: extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/paโฆ
๐๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ โ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ผ๐
As sentiment shifts, the industry must engage in debate on how to temper growth.
Article by @peggyhollinger of @FinancialTimes: ft.com/content/bbfe74โฆ
1/ โIt will be very difficult to avoid demand management,โ says one veteran aviation industry executive. โOur solutions are medium to long-term. The sheer speed of climate change is such thatโ.โ.โ. we need to reduce emissions much more drastically than we thought.โ
2/ It is increasingly apparent that the sectorโs decarbonisation road maps, which rely on the widespread use of sustainable aviation fuel, operational efficiencies and technological breakthroughs, will struggle to deliver net zero emissions by 2050.
1. The UK Govt's Dept for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy recently announced ยฃ685m of funding to support green aerospace technology. Martin Chalk (@CaptChalk) the General Secretary of British Airline Pilots Assoc. (BALPA) (@BALPApilots) responded๐งต: balpa.org/Media-Centre/Pโฆ
2. @CaptChalk also flagged BALPA's "Environment and Sustainability" position paper which can be found here: balpa.org/Positions/Enviโฆ.
This states that: "we are in the midst of a climate crisis and have a moral and legal obligation to ensure our future is a sustainable one."
3. @BALPApilots also believe that in order for aviation to reduce its carbon emissions in a timely way that an "unprecedented rate of change and innovation" is required.
This is consistent with our view that business-as-usual aviation expansion isn't a sustainable way forward.