People

Sir Richard Branson
17 October 2007

Chairman of the Virgin Group Richard Branson has pledged to put £1.6bn into new green technologies. High on his wish list is to create a biofuel for flying planes.

We need to make the biofuel breakthrough, and begin designing aviation systems that are CO2 neutral.

Branson on biofuels

£1.6bn is a lot of money

It could buy most of the world's media. CO2 in the atmosphere must be reduced rapidly and it's up to companies with a stake in transportation to develop the technology to achieve that.

Will biofuel take-off?

The breakthrough is a few years away. We are working on fuels in the R&D stage which look very promising.

If we can make biofuels popular it will send an important message to corporations around the world.

I personally fear most for the massively dense populations of the very low-lying areas of the world.

Branson on climate change

Increased flights - more hot air?

Even if we [Virgin] grounded our planes tomorrow, somebody else would be flying them.

We're persuading airports to tow aircraft so that they don't have to taxi for half an hour with their engines running. A new runway would avoid planes circling and burning fuel while waiting for runway space.

And your commercial space venture?

Our long-term goal is environmentally benign space launches. We also see it as the first step in investing in a new way forward for long-haul transportation outside of the atmosphere.

Plane or train?

Virgin is the only company that has ever bid to build a high-speed line from London to Edinburgh. We are still keen to do that and connect it with the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Domestic air travel is twice as damaging as international air travel. People should think twice before flying domestically.

Branson on air travel

Is a green future on the horizon?

Not very many businesses are green yet. But they will be, because this is about human survival, economic survival...I believe that the only profitable businesses in 30 years time will be green.

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