Chikage Miyoshi

The Environmental Case for the High-Speed Train in the UK: Examining the London–Manchester Route

ABSTRACT This article investigates the potential for environmental benefit from the introduction of the High Speed Train (HST) on the London–Manchester route in the UK, focusing on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The lifecycle carbon emission of HST is assessed, and its sensitivity to demand changes is analyzed for several scenarios. Based on the UK Government demand assumptions, the analysis shows relatively limited potential for reduction in CO2 emissions. In 2033, overall CO2 reduction due to HST operation on the route is estimated at 100,000 tCO2 per annum, which is less than 0.1% of the total UK domestic transport emissions in 2007.

The Economic and CO2 Emissions Performance in Aviation: An Empirical Analysis of Major European Airlines

The sustainability of aviation in global supply chains is of increasing importance to airline management and policy makers. With mounting environmental pressures and market volatilities, airlines need to find strategies for simultaneously managing their economic and environmental (emissions) performance, two objectives that can support but also contradict each other. This chapter aims to evaluate the relative performance of airlines’ carbon and cost efficiency and how this relationship has changed over time. We compute and compare the carbon efficiency of 14 major European airlines for the period of 1986–2007. As jet fuel is the most important resource in the aviation supply chain, we examine whether there is a relationship between fuel prices and carbon efficiency. We also test whether unit cost, distance flown and load factors have an impact on airline carbon efficiency. The results show that the fuel prices and their volatility have affected and improved carbon efficiency of airlines. Our findings also confirm previous anecdotal evidence suggesting a significant negative relationship between carbon efficiency and unit cost.