Environment

Rolls-Royce believes that technology, applied on an industrial scale, lies at the heart of society's response to climate change. The scale of this challenge should not be underestimated. The development and application of such technologies is in itself a formidable task, and must be accompanied by a step change in consumer behaviour.

We are committed to applying our science and engineering skills to help overcome the challenges.

The Group is in a unique position to address these difficult issues, due to its long history of optimising the environmental performance of its products. For example, since the 1950s our engineering expertise has helped to reduce aircraft noise by 75 per cent and fuel burn by 70 per cent on a passenger per kilometre basis.

We are therefore well placed to contribute to the search for technological solutions to climate change.

In 2007, Rolls-Royce was announced as the leading member of the Environmentally Friendly Engine programme, a UK government and industry initiative to develop technologies which will halve the amount of aviation fuel used per passenger. The Group was also awarded a contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to develop a technology demonstrator for high-thrust, reduced fuel consumption military aerospace platforms. We also continue to play a leading role in aiming to achieve, by 2020, the environmental goals set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe.

The drive to improve our products' environmental performance spans all of our businesses. For example, in the marine sector our latest Bergen K gas engine, which is certified to power the world’s first major car and passenger ferries running on liquefied natural gas, produces up to 90 per cent less oxides of nitrogen and 20 per cent less carbon dioxide than traditional diesel engines.

The Group is developing megawatt-scale, solid oxide fuel cell systems that will deliver significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, relative to existing fossil fuel power generation. A 250 kiloWatt unit is planned to be tested in 2008. Other product developments include exploring the feasibility of renewable power sources, such as tidal stream and offshore wind.
The Group published 'Powering a Better World', a report on the environmental performance of our products and our Group, in April 2007.