TPT May 2020

G LOBA L MARKE T P L AC E

Neil Robinson, chair of Sustainable Aviation, said: “Climate change is a clear and pressing issue for people, businesses and governments across the world. We know aviation emissions will increase if decisive action is not taken, and that’s why UK aviation [is committed] to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, through an international approach, working with governments around the world and through the UN. “The UK is well positioned to become one of the leaders in the green technologies of the future, including sustainable aviation fuels and electric flight, creating highly skilled and well paid jobs in the process, and we look forward to working in partnership with ministers to help realise these opportunities.” Responding, Grant Shapps MP, and UK secretary of state for transport, said: “The fight against climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the modern world, but the aviation sector’s commitment is a huge step forward in creating a greener future. “Aviation has a crucial role to play in reducing carbon emissions, and with the help of new technologies, renewable fuels, and our continued international co-operation through the UN agency, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, we’ll be able to strike that balance, creating a greener and cleaner future.” General industry news 14,000 sensors join the race to attract a skilled workforce The US chip maker, Intel Corp, is investing heavily in ‘smart buildings’ in Israel in a bid to attract the country’s top technology talent. Intel is among the biggest employers and exporters in Israel, and is planning an $11bn investment in a manufacturing facility in the country. Said to be home to more start-ups per capita than any other country, Israel is suffering from a shortage of talent. According to Start-Up National Central, a non-profit research organisation, multinationals including Intel, Apple and Google have “snapped up local start-ups and set up research centres” making the available skilled workers hard to find, and keep. In 2018 around 17,000 positions went unfilled in Israel and the figure continues to increase. Intel’s new glass-covered, ten storey development centre in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikva, has a gym, massage parlour, and 14,000 sensors to monitor motion, light and air to make sure workers are comfortable. The sensors detect when someone enters a room and adjust the lighting and air conditioning, and will introduce fresh air when the carbon dioxide levels rise. If the efforts prove to give Intel the edge in hiring, rival companies are expected to follow suit. “Anything you offer as a perk, whether it’s a gym membership or a paperless work environment, or additional days for maternity leave or a go-green policy, all of these things are going to help you,” said David Gantshar, chief executive of California-based Shepherd Search Group. The building has LEED Platinum certification, the highest standard of green construction, requiring a double-skin facade

busiest shipping routes, the Panama Canal, which handled nearly 14,000 transits in 2019, has introduced a charge of $10,000 for all vessels over 125 feet long. The canal relies on water from nearby Gatun Lake and has been hit by drought, prompting the Panama Canal authority to bring in a variable surcharge, based on the level of Gatun Lake, to ensure the canal has enough water to operate. The authority said the charges were a consequence of a lack of rainfall, and claim the charge is a short-term measure needed to tackle the impact of climate change. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents over 80 per cent of the global merchant fleet, said it was surprised by the charge after working with the canal authority on a separate increase in tolls, due to come into effect in April. “The industry is currently facing increased price pressures globally, as demand has been hit hard by the coronavirus and markets are adjusting to the new regulations on sulphur levels,” said ICS secretary general Guy Platten, referring to new rules requiring ships to use cleaner fuel. He said the global shipping sector is already operating “on the slimmest of margins”, paying billions of dollars in extra fuel costs due to the rigid new sulphur emissions rules that came into force in January. The coronavirus epidemic has disrupted supply chains and shipping worldwide, leading to commercial losses for certain types of shipping such as container lines. “ICS calculates that, at current water levels, the freshwater charge alone could cost global shipping $230mn. In a worst case scenario this could be as high as $370mn per year,” Mr Platten said. “Cost hikes in this range, without sufficient warning, place undue pressure on the industry at a sensitive time, when we are being asked to invest in a low emissions future.” He urged the canal authority to: “rethink the hasty introduction.” A study has estimated that at least $1tn of investment in new fuel technology will be needed if the shipping industry is to meet UN targets for carbon emissions cuts by 2050. UK Sustainable Aviation coalition backs government’s 2050 target Members of the UK Sustainable Aviation coalition support the UK government’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The move follows the publication of a Sustainable Aviation review, “ Decarbonisation road-map: a path to net zero ” that sets out exactly where reductions could be made, including smarter flight operations, new aircraft and engine technology, modernising UK airspace the use of sustainable aviation fuels and market-based policy measures. Sustainable Aviation members believe the UK can grow its passenger numbers by 70 per cent – as forecast – while reducing net emissions to zero from the current 30 million tonnes of CO 2 per year. A “sustainable aviation fuels road- map” was released at the same time as the Decarbonisation road map, identifying the specific role that sustainable aviation fuels could play in meeting the zero commitment. It forecasts that the UK could be a world leader in the development of sustainable aviation fuels, meeting 32 per cent of the nation’s demand for aviation fuel by 2050.

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MAY 2020