Green sky thinking for EU aviation

Airbus, Dassault, Saab and Rolls Royce have struck a deal with the EC worth
e1.6bn, in forming their Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative.

As flight passenger numbers increase 5% each year, pressure has mounted to
find a greener alternative to current forms of aviation technology. The four
companies have secured financial assistance from the EC, which will stump up
half the cash required to fund the initiative.

“The programme is so huge that if we don’t work with the EC, we’ll never
succeed,” says Myriam Goldsztejn, Dassault’s deputy director of research and
technology.

The companies are funding the other half of the project with their own
capital, an investment which speculators think will be reaped back in the form
of carbon credits on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, as well as being able to
use reduced emissions figures in their environmental key performance indicators
as part of the business review. The programme aims for:

• 50% reduction in CO2 emissions through better fuel economy;
• 80% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions;
• 50% reduction in noise; and
• Improved design to include more environmentally-friendly manufacturing,
  maintenance and disposal of aviation products.

Useful links
Go to
www.asd-europe.org/Content
for details on the Clean Sky JTI
www.euractiv.com/en/transport