IATA urges governments to support airline industry approach to climate change

IATA challenged (06-Oct-2009) governments to take four specific actions to support the aviation industry's approach to climate change:

• Adopt challenging industry targets to stabilise and eventually reduce aviation's carbon emissions;
• Manage aviation's carbon emissions through ICAO under a new Kyoto II framework, by treating aviation as a global industrial sector;
• Invest in efficient infrastructure, particularly air traffic management; and
• Establish fiscal and legal frameworks to promote the rapid development of biofuels for aviation.

An industry-wide commitment on environment was formalised in a common industry working paper representing airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers. This paper will be presented by the industry to ICAO at its High Level Meeting on International Aviation and Climate Change in Montreal on 07-Oct-2009. It contains the following targets:

• Improving fuel efficiency 1.5% on average per year through 2020
• Stabilising emissions with carbon-neutral growth from 2020
• Reducing emissions 50% by 2050, compared to 2005 [more]

IATA: "The aviation industry takes its environmental responsibility seriously. Our vision is for carbon-neutral growth on the way to a carbon-free future and we have challenging targets to guide us... Aviation is unique among industries. When it comes to environment, no other global industry is as united, ambitious or determined. Our message to governments at ICAO is simple. We need a global sectoral approach to reducing aviation emissions. And governments should incorporate our industry targets as part of their solution. Working together, with ICAO, aviation will be a role model for industry cooperation with the UN in driving important change," Giovanni Bisignani, Director General & CEO. Source: IATA, 06-Oct-2009.