SWRDA - Green Awards & Airport Expansions

south west | the environment | news report Monday May 05, 2008 15:01 by SWRDAwatch

SWRDA fronts a new green award, but is thier green strategy taking us into the red?

SWRDA fronts a new green award, but the questions around it's own green direction keep biting it back.

SWRDA are reeling – the revelations by bloggers and the local papers on the expenses scandal over swanky visits to Cannes that we are paying for (via our taxes) have taken their toll on morale. Insiders tell us that things at SWRDA-towers, by Temple Meads is not great. The quango is in damage limitation mode, and rightly so – questions are being asked about the accountability, the bureaucratic power and the money wielded by SWRDA. Remember, while SWRDA have huge power over the region, they don't answer to the region, only to the rapidly sinking government.

So it might have been that the trotting out of the 'green' award of the South West C+ Carbon Positive Award might have been a great way to turn bad press into good, as the press release trumpeted the RDA claims that;

"As an RDA we are committed to making all our investments net zero carbon by 2013. We are also leading the region's transformation to a low carbon economy by helping businesses embrace the opportunities of climate change and tackle the challenges of global warming."

Sounds great, but there is a question remaining, just a tiny one – what about Bristol Airport expansion? Bristol Airport itself, being supported and funded by SWRDA plans expansion until 2015 and even it's modest admissions over CO2 say it will RISE (and NOT be net zero);

“Emissions from flights from Bristol International Airport amount to 0.4% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from the South West region. This could rise to 0.7% at 9 million passengers per annum if all other emissions remain the same. Climate change is a global issue and action is needed at national and international level. Emissions trading is the most effective market mechanism for achieving improvements in the aviation industry and an important component of Government policy is the inclusion of aircraft emissions in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Bristol International supports this approach and will play its own part in minimising greenhouse gas emissions through the use of energy saving measures....”

So how can SWRDA claim they are planning to make all investments net zero, when one of their investments is saying it's CO2 will rise? Are they looking to emissions trading to balance the books? Even if they were this also relies on the figures offered by the airport as being correct, a point contended by the Stop Bristol Airport expansion Campaign;

“By 2019, if a high altitude multiplier of 1.9 is applied, BIA's emissions will be equivalent to 1.387 million tonnes of CO2, more than the current emissions of the whole of B&NES (1.1 million tonnes), and almost the same as the current emissions of North Somerset (1.5 million tonnes). Bristol, B&NES and North Somerset councils are all committed to cutting their own emissions and those in their areas by 60% by 2050, and much of these cuts will be cancelled out by the growth in emissions by BIA.”

So perhaps that is where the answers come from – that Bristol, B&NES and North Somerset councils all need to cut emissions so that SWRDA's pet expansion project can keep pumping out the CO2 – and so the books are balanced.

With such amazing green-innovation and stewardship, SWRDA deserve a long trip to Cannes with all mod-cons at our expense! Hurrah for SWRDA! ....oh hang on Bristol is not the only airport looking to expand in the region...oh dear....back in the CO2 red again.

Another fine mess you've got us into SWRDA.

references
http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/news/release.asp?Release...=2514
http://www.nobristolairportexpansion.co.uk/questions.ph...impcc
http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about_us/masterplan.aspx