Transport Secretary calls for international action to decarbonise global aviation

DEARBONISING the aviation sector requires global action, new Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan will tell the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal. The UK is attending the Assembly with the aim of reaching agreements that help secure the sustainability and resilience of global aviation.

During the Transport Secretary's opening statement, ICAO; the United Nations' body in charge of ensuring aviation is safe, secure, and environmentally friendly; will be urged to adopt a long term goal to clean up the sector and reduce its emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

The Secretary of State will also highlight the need for countries around the world to learn lessons from the international response to the Covid19 Pandemic, and to ensure the global aviation sector is better prepared for future threats, such as public health crises.

Her intervention comes after the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, launched by the UK at COP26, met on Monday in Montreal. Now bringing together Governments from 56 countries across the world, the Coalition calls for ambitious action by ICAO and is committed to promoting use of new fuels and technologies to tackle aviation's contribution to climate change.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is expected to say:- "We value international aviation's important contribution to global commerce, travel and tourism, and to economic growth globally. Now it must do so sustainably. Failure here puts the future of aviation itself at risk. We cannot ignore the threat that rising temperatures pose to our planet. This year alone we have seen extreme weather events affect all of our Regions. As 1 of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, aviation has an important role to play in tackling climate change."

Suzi Kerr, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, Environmental Defense Fund, said:- "There's a bright future ahead where we can all thrive in a stable climate, and where we can chart a more sustainable flightpath while protecting ecosystems and supporting communities. Now is the time for countries to set a long term path, define waypoints and ambition in the short term, and enhance transparency and cooperation. Coordination and cooperation, such as through the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, and engagement with civil society are critical to this effort."

The Assembly will be asked to agree to focus on new aircraft technologies and unlocking the full potential of sustainable aviation fuels on a global scale.

The push for stronger international action comes after the Government published its Jet Zero Strategy in July, which set out how UK aviation will achieve net zero emissions by 2050 through new fuels, technologies and other measures, and made clear how crucial international action and collaboration through ICAO is to effectively address aviation's emissions.

The UK has also committed to introduce a Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) mandate from 2025, requiring at least 10% of jet fuel to be from sustainable sources by 2030, with increasing proportions of SAF blended from 2025.

Turning to support for Ukraine, the Transport Secretary will reaffirm the UK's continued condemnation of the Russian Government's reprehensible actions which violate international law, the UN Charter, and global aviation rules.

Dads and bloody conversations

BEING a Dad of teenage daughters can be challenging, and navigating puberty and the topic of menstruation can leave many Dads feeling out of their depth or turning to others for help.

New data from intimate wellbeing brand, INTIMINA, reveals that 57% of British Dads consider menstruation an awkward topic of conversation with their daughter, with 20% of Dads feeling uncomfortable discussing it. Of these, 38% are afraid to start a conversation around menstruation because they fear they don't know enough about the subject. Conversely, 76% of UK Dads feel it is their responsibility to know about the menstrual cycle to help their daughter.

Prompted by numerous questions from single Dads on how to approach the topic of menstruation with their children, INTIMINA conducted a survey of over 1250 Dads across the UK, USA, France, Italy and Spain, designed to find out how much Dads really know about the menstrual cycle and how comfortable they feel talking to their daughters about it.

Whilst they feel it's more natural for mums to teach daughters about their menstrual cycle, Dads are willing to be a part of the conversation

A staggering 95% of British Dads surveyed think it is the mother's responsibility to teach their daughter about her menstrual cycle, whilst respondents were 45% as likely to view it as a father's job. What's more, 47% believe responsibility should sit with a 3rd party, eg:- a Teacher (33%) or a Doctor (15%).

However, 78% of UK Dads say that they have spoken with their daughter about menstruation at least once, with 17% of these saying they speak about it frequently. In addition, 76% of British Dads surveyed have bought their daughter period products, including:-

► Pads (64%)

► Tampons (23%)

► Period pants (20%)

► Menstrual cups (6%)

For Dads around the world, menstruation remains an:- 'awkward topic'  As teenage girls navigate the physical and hormonal changes that come with puberty, broaching the subject of menstruation can seem anything but easy.

INTIMINA's recent study shows that menstruation is still viewed as an uncomfortable topic of conversation, with 57% of UK Dads claiming they find it awkward discussing periods with their daughter. What's more, the data shows that this isn't a UK specific issue; Dads around the globe still feel uncomfortable talking about the menstrual cycle with their daughters.

According to British Dads, the reasons they find menstruation a difficult subject include:- it's a sensitive topic (44%), they feel like they can't relate to it (40%), they fear they don't know enough about the subject (38%), they worry their daughter will ask a question they don't know the answer to (29%) or that they will say the wrong thing (29%).

Most UK Dads feel a responsibility to know about the menstrual cycle for their daughter and are eager to learn

76% of UK Dads surveyed by INTIMINA feel it is their responsibility to know about the menstrual cycle for their daughter. Although 70% feel they know enough to explain it if asked, 59% agree that they would like to be more educated on the topic.

When asked where they would turn to for more information on the menstrual cycle, 61% of Dads said they would go to female family members. Other selected sources included:- educational articles (42%), female friends (39%), educational content such as books (29%) YouTube videos (27%) or educational social media accounts (15%). Only 3% of surveyed Dads said they would ask their male friends or male members of their family.

Overall, the findings are hopeful. The data from INTIMINA shows that menstruation is becoming less taboo in the UK as Dads seek to learn more to support their daughters. Even though these findings are encouraging, there are still many Dads out there who need a bit of reassurance and additional education when it comes to period talks. When initiating conversations about menstruation with teenage daughters, tools such as INTIMINA's The Wonder Girls Guide Book (also available as an audio book) can be really useful.