Report of Manchester City Council, Manchester Climate Change Agency and Manchester Airports Group

This report provides a further update on progress since the 9 December 2021 report the Committee received which considered the relationship between aviation and the city’s carbon emissions. It sets out the Council’s role in relation to reducing aviation emissions and its relationship to Manchester Airports Group (MAG) who own and operate three UK airports including Manchester Airport.

Two separate updates are appended to the report. The first is from the Manchester Climate Change Agency which provides in an extract from the 2022 Update to the Manchester Climate Change Framework setting out the citywide position in relation to aviation emissions. The second is from MAG and provides an update on the international position in relation to aviation emissions, the approach taken by the UK Government and MAG's own work to reduce emissions from flights to and from  Manchester Airport and from ground operations.

The Committee considered the joint report of Manchester City Council, Manchester Climate Change Agency and Manchester Airports Group that provided an update on progress since the 9 December 2021 report the Committee received which considered the relationship between aviation and the city’s carbon emissions.

Key points and themes in the report and accompanying presentation included:

·         Setting out the Council’s role in relation to reducing aviation emissions and its relationship to Manchester Airports Group (MAG) who own and operate three United Kingdom airports, including Manchester Airport;

·         An update from the Manchester Climate Change Agency which provided an extract from the 2022 Update to the Manchester Climate Change Framework setting out the citywide position in relation to aviation emissions; and

·         An update from the MAG on the international position in relation to aviation emissions, the approach taken by the UK Government and MAG's own work to reduce emissions from flights to and from Manchester Airport and from ground operations.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         Recognising and welcoming the leadership demonstrated to date by the Council, MAG and the Manchester Climate Change Agency on this important issue;

·         Noting however that the projections provided remain incompatible with restraining carbon emissions to 1.5%

·         Noting that the report and information provided was more open and transparent;

·         Previous updates had included graphs to articulate the rate of emissions against projected targets and asked that these be included in any future updates;

·         The need to reduce domestic business travel and calling for an improved, sustainable and reliable rails service to support this;

·         What were that targets for increased passenger numbers and associated travel at the airport;

·         More needed to be done by Government, including consideration of the introduction of a frequent flyer tax;

·         Was the Jet Zero Strategy target of 10% of fuel must be sustainable alternative fuels (SAF) by 2030 challenging enough;

·         What was the approach taken to private jets at the airport; and

·         Asking for MAG to take their leadership to the next level within the sector so that the sector accelerates its activity to reduce emissions.

Neil Robinson, Manchester Airports Group responded to questions and comments by stating that MAG had welcomed the rigorous challenge and debate with partners on the issue of addressing aviation emissions and they were keen to lead on this issue with the wider industry. He stated that MAG had delivered on their commitment to decarbonisation, noting that all MAG’s airports continue to be certified as carbon neutral. He advised that the majority of flights undertaken from Manchester airport were for leisure, adding that the number of private jets using Manchester airport was very small. He advised that most domestic flights were to destinations which either crossed over a body of water, or where the alternative mode of transport would take longer than 4 hours. The exception was Heathrow, a large airport that acted as a hub for other international destinations. He stated that it was important to manage emissions associated with whatever mode of transport was taken.

In terms of decarbonisation, Neil Robinson, Manchester Airports Group informed the Committee that the projected industry figures were very broadly a 10% reduction in aviation emissions over the next decade, facilitated due to efficiencies realised by aircraft entering the fleet; a further 20% increase in the following decade to be achieved as a result of the increased take up of SAF and a further 40% increase in the next decade due to an acceleration of technologies, adding that these projections reflected those of the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy. He stated that the industry would still have associated residual emissions and it was important to be honest and transparent about this. He commented that as the scale of decarbonisation nationally accelerated, emissions associated with the aviation industry would appear to remain high, but it was important to understand these figures in relative terms.  He advised that the Jet Zero Strategy demanded that any residual emissions would need to be compensated for, either via carbon removal or carbon offsetting. He stated that the increased costs associated with these requirements would drive and further stimulate industry efficiencies and technological improvements. Members asked that further information on the carbon offsetting proposals were circulated following the meeting.

Neil Robinson, Manchester Airports Group advised that with exception of the impact of COVID-19 the airport had witnessed sustained growth, as high as 10% year on year growth in passenger numbers and it was anticipated that future growth would be continued. He advised that it was important to acknowledge the significant economic and social value that the airport brought to the city and wider city region. He commented that the airport accounted for approximately 25,000 jobs on site with an additional 75,000 jobs in the associated supply chain. He stated that any growth needed to be delivered within safe and agreed environmental limits. He stated that the emissions limits imposed on the industry would stimulate improvements across the sector and incentivise technological progress within the industry. In terms of projected passenger demand he advised that this modelling would be provided following the meeting.

In regard to SAF, he stated that a lot of the initial safety concerns had been addressed, adding that a significant amount of work had been done in the industry to provide an assurance in this regard. He stated that the challenge now was to facilitate the production of this at scale. He advised that significantly large investment would be required and as such any potential investor needed an assurance that they would see a viable return. He advised that in other countries a price support mechanism had been introduced to support this investment and he called upon the Government to introduce the same in the UK. He stated that this presented a great opportunity to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the UK, and in particular in the North West. He also commented that discussions were ongoing as to how the manufacture of SAF could be an opportunity to use residual waste from Manchester and support a circular waste economy.

The Leader of the Council stated that MAG in partnership with the Council and the Manchester Climate Change Agency were taking national leadership on the issue of aviation emissions. She called for increased national leadership on the issue from the Government and an increased commitment to the delivery of reliable and sustainable rail travel. She stated that she supported the delivery of HS2, commenting that the introduction of improved connectivity would reduce the need for internal domestic flights. 

Decision

To note the report.