Developing Australia’s Aviation Climate Change

Action Plan

Andrew Ure

Director, International Division

Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy

Efficiency

Overview of Australia’s Action Plan� Suite of strategies to address emissions from international

and domestic aviation

� Encompasses measures to reduce emissions from aircraft

operations and within airport boundaries

� ICAO’s goal - 2% annual average fuel efficiency improvement

� Baseline: Emissions data available from 1990

Domestic fuel efficiency data from 1990Domestic fuel efficiency data from 1990

International fuel efficiency data from 2008-09

Track emissions from a base year

� Action structured around responsibilities of implementation

bodies: AirServices Australia, airlines, airports, government

and air traveller

� Quantification of potential CO2 savings where possible

Australian Government Initiatives

� Committed to economy-wide emissions reduction targets

of at least 5% by 2020 and 60% by 2050 below 2000

levels.

� Proposes to set a fixed domestic carbon price from 1

July 2012 as an interim measure until a full emissions

trading scheme can be introduced in 3−5 years

� Targeted assistance for the development of new biofuel � Targeted assistance for the development of new biofuel

technologies

� Alternative Transport Fuels Strategy

� National Carbon Offset Standard from 1 July 2010

� Development of carbon footprinting tools

Air Traffic Management Measures

� Australia operating at maximum ATM operational efficiency of

98-99%. Future challenge: maintain peak performance with

growth in air traffic.

� Ongoing ATM procedures to improve aircraft operational

efficiency

─ Flextracks – flexible routes optimised for prevailing weather (saves ~3.4 tonnes CO2 per flight from the Middle East to Australia)2

─ RNP approaches and departures (saves ~403 kg CO2 per approach)

─ Gate-to-gate management (saves ~600 kg CO2 per Melbourne-Sydney flight)

─ International collaboration – ASPIRE (saves ~18 tonnes CO2 per flight across the Pacific)

� Airservices Australia is employing the use of the Air Traffic and

Operations Management Simulator (ATOMS) to quantify

potential benefits of individual ATM procedures

Airline Emissions Reduction Measures

� Fleet renewal

� Weight reduction measures

� Improving load factors

� Voluntary offsets for air passengers

� Voluntary offsets by airlines

Airport Initiatives

� More efficient use of ground support equipment

� Reducing the use of APUs

� Solar panels

� Solar-powered airfield lighting

� Improved energy efficiency in airport buildings

� Land transport linkages� Land transport linkages

Alternative Aviation Fuels

� Sustainable Aviation Fuel Road Map for Australia and

New Zealand – May 2011

� Australian Government Alternative Transport Fuels

Strategy – Sep 2011

� Commitment to establish an Australian Biofuels

Research Institute

� Qantas in joint ventures with Solena and Solazyme to

develop “drop-in” alternative jet fuels

� Microalgal biofuel projects at Australian universities –

Adelaide University and James Cook University

� Challenges: (1) Commercialisation (2) Competition

from other transport sectors for alternative fuels

Next Steps

� Liaise with key industry players to develop Australia’s

Action Plan.

� Quantify potential gains for individual measures where

possible

Thank You

Australia’s aviation emissions, 1989-90 to 2008-09

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1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

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Australia’s annual domestic aviation emissions,

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Australia's aviation emissions from domestic aircraft operations

Domestic Aviation Emissions

Domestic Aviation Emissions Intensity

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1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

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Australia’s international aviation emissions, 2008-09 and 2009-10

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