Environmental Policies at Europe's Airports
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Foreword The study author, Jeffrey Gazzard, is currently Jeffrey Gazzard has represented environmental President of the Union Européene Contre les NGO’s on air transport and environment issues Nuisances des Avions, an umbrella group at UN IPCC meetings, UN FCCC COP assemblies representing grassroots citizen’s organisations and UN WHO policy development consultations, around Europe’s major airports. He is also a as well as numerous similar national and European steering group member of Friends of the Earth fora. He is a frequent speaker and panellist at Europe’s “The Right Price for Air Travel” commercial, government and NGO conferences campaign, a board member of the UK’s Aviation and events. Environment Federation and is an active campaigner seeking to control and reduce the negative environmental effects of air transport at local, national and international levels. Author’s note I would like to thank my colleagues for their I would also like to thank all those who either support and encouragement during the research, generously wrote commentaries or gave writing and production phases of this report. In permission for us to reproduce articles from particular Hilde Stroot at Milieudefensie, other published sources in this report. I would Amsterdam, for her efforts in managing like to personally thank all the funding questionnaire responses and analysis; Paul de organisations that supported this project. Clerck, also at Milieudefensie, for initiating and supporting the project in his role as co-ordinator Whilst I wrote the report, its publication reflects of “The Right Price for Air Travel” campaign; Tim a team effort that I am proud to have been a part Johnson, Director of the Aviation Environment of. My hope now is that the policy suggestions it Federation, London, for reviewing the various draft contains are acted upon and not simply filed and stages of the report; and especially Ilse Chang of forgotten! Milieudefensie, for her advice, encouragement, support and above all, patience, throughout the whole period of its inception, production and publication. Jeffrey Gazzard, Amsterdam, The Netherlands & Knutsford, UK I Table of contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 6 Part one: Airports and the Environment 9 Part two: The Immediate Impacts 18 - Noise - Air Quality - Third Party Safety - Water Quality - Waste, energy efficiency and climate change List of References 69 Annexes 70 1. Survey methodology and response 2. List of airports that were sent the questionnaire 3. List of airports that returned the questionnaire 4. Questionnaire 5. Summary of Individual Airport Results II Executive Summary Once established, coherent sustainable national policies and targets can then be translated into airport development standards. National aviation policies and planning regimes throughout Europe appear overwhelmingly pre- We also strongly support the recent Commission disposed towards unrestrained airport of the European Communities “Air Transport and development. Although environmental impact the Environment” Communication and the U.K. assessments are required by law, the resulting Department of the Environment, Transport and studies can be variable in content, tactical not the Region’s Aviation Policy development strategic in outlook, as well as difficult to programme and recommend their analyses and understand. processes as excellent starting points for policy development. At airport level, communities and local governments struggle to comment And because we want urgent action taken, knowledgeably on proposed developments and we will be formally asking all European often lack the resources to do so effectively. Governments to confirm by Autumn 2000 that Transport Ministries and Civil Aviation Authorities they have similar 30-year sustainable aviation constantly promote the sector’s expansion using policy development initiatives underway. outdated “predict and provide” techniques. Mitigation measures are seen as ineffective and Such policy frameworks should include: increasingly outpaced by growth, with technological solutions that are designed to - early and progressive removal of inappropriate reduce pollution at source struggling to cope subsidies to the air transport sector and the too. imposition of a tax on kerosene and/or emissions charges and effective trading “Predict and Provide” should be replaced by schemes, and VAT on ticket sales and aircraft sustainable national aviation policies with clear purchases short, medium and long term targets for - development of a 10 year programme to controlling and reducing air transport’s transfer short haul flights of up to 1000 km on environmental impacts over a 30 year timeframe. to rail For example, a long-term aim could be to - land-use planning policies that facilitate and stabilise greenhouse gas emissions. A medium ensure the physical separation of affected term goal could be to achieve noise impacts populations and airport development to reduce around airports that meet World Health noise and third party risk problems Organisation guidelines. - tough international standards for future noise and greenhouse gas reduction at source, i.e. National policies in this field should form part airframe and aeroplane engine performance, of a country’s overall sustainable transport currently in need of urgent attention through objectives for air, road and rail and reflect ICAO sustainable commercial and personal needs. They - emissions from all internal and international air should relate to climate change policies and transport movements and activities should be Kyoto targets as well. inventoried and published by nations and clear evidence provided of greenhouse gas In addition, we strongly recommend that the reduction performance by the air transport policy suggestions contained in the UN World sector against national and international Health Organisation’s Charter on Transport, UNFCCC/Kyoto-derived targets Environment and Health are incorporated directly - airport-linked noise and other health impacts into sustainable air transport policies. should also be measured against appropriate 1 international standards with greater direct A three zone policy with land use restrictions involvement and responsibility for both Health applied to domestic and commercial and Environment Ministries, and Environmental development and transport links based on Protection Agencies in policy development, rigorous risk assessment, consequence and cost as well as compliance monitoring against benefit analysis, including societal risk, should standards, guidelines and targets with underpin PSZ policy development. mandatory legal penalties - immediate action to significantly reduce car Wherever major terminal, runway or other dependency as a means of access to and from capacity enhancing developments trigger airports environmental impact assessments, mandatory - clear and unambiguous statutory responsibility third party risk assessment should also be for environmental protection across the sector’s undertaken as part of the EIA process. range of impacts Noise Although airports are perhaps the most obvious target, airline operators and the manufacturing With regard to noise, the main area for reporting sector of the industry need to accept too that air improvement would be to publish clear and transport’s “favoured nation” status is under a complete details of the status and progress/roll cloud, quite literally of its own making. They out of home insulation schemes and their should be prepared to play their part in effcetiveness and acceptance comtrolling and reducing the sector’s impacts. We felt that airlines infringing noise and track The way society consumes fossil fuel powered keeping policies should be identified and the transport of all types simply has to change details published – “naming and shaming”. and the air transport industry is no exception. We would also like to see the development of Previously acceptable targets such as better fuel common and comprehensive operational efficiency per passenger kilometre and “quieter” measures to reduce noise that could be individual planes no longer mitigate against the implemented at all airports, e.g. take off and worrying pollution burden forecast growth rates approach techniques, tight track keeping inevitably bring. The freedom we are told air regulations, appropriate fines and further travel gives us could yet prove illusory, carrying as sanctions for repeat offenders, mandatory use of it does such an unacceptably high environmental fixed electrical power and so on. price tag. All aircraft are given noise certificates when Third party safety manufactured. Real life measurements at many airports show that these “official”figures are Whilst crashes with significant civilian casualties regularly exceeded. Noise regimes and are infrequent, most aircraft accidents occur on monitoring systems at airports should be take off and landing and forecasts of annual standardised, with infringement levels set losses from aircraft manufacturers show an according to certified figures, plus a small increasing upward, albeit slowly moving, trend. allowance, for all aircraft types on both approach and take off. Urgent reviews of third party risk around airports should be carried out and strict land use policies Governments, regulators and organisations such developed to reduce the numbers of people at as ACI Europe should set, in the first instance, risk, preferably with independent Health and recommended minimum annual reporting Safety authorities taking the leading role.