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News
Halving Emissions by 2050
-Aviation Brings
its Targets to Copenhagen-
Copenhagen - The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) brought the aviation industry’s environmental goals to Copenhagen.
Airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers
are calling for a global approach to reducing aviation emissions and are
united in a commitment: to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5%
per year to 2020; to stabilize carbon emissions from 2020 with
carbon-neutral growth; and to a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50%
by 2050 compared to 2005.
“We are the only global industry coming to Copenhagen with
a strong track record and a commitment to cut our emissions in half by
2050.These goals clearly show that the aviation industry is even ahead of
its regulators in its approach to climate change,” said Giovanni
Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, as he presented the industry
position to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) in Copenhagen.
Bisignani’s presentation was part of an official side
meeting hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
the UN’s specialized agency for aviation. The Kyoto protocol gives ICAO
the responsibility for aviation’s international emissions. Throughout
ICAO’s 65-year history, it has worked with industry to create the global
standards that governments around the world have implemented to ensure
that aviation is safe, secure and efficient and environmentally
responsible.
Bisignani urged governments to act. “The only way that we
can meet our targets is by working in cooperation with governments
through ICAO. I call on governments in Copenhagen to give ICAO a clear
mandate to report back to COP-16 with a Global Sectoral Approach that
will enable the aviation industry to deliver real results against
concrete targets,” said Bisignani.
A Global Sectoral Approach, through ICAO, to manage
aviation’s emissions will ensure a level playing field. The approach
consists of three main elements:
- Full
accounting for aviation’s emissions as a global industrial sector,
not by state
- Global
coordination of economic measures to ensure that aviation will not
pay more than once for its emissions
- Access to
global carbon markets
Accommodating the Needs of Developing Nations
A Global Sectoral Approach through ICAO can accommodate
the needs of developed and developing nations. “A good precedent is when
ICAO tackled the tough issue of noise, working with the industry. We set
global standards that accommodated the needs of developed and developing
nations. Today air transport is 75% quieter than four decades ago.
Working together in a similar way, we can meet our environmental
challenges,” said Bisignani.
A Strategy Already Delivering Results
The aviation industry is already working towards its
climate change goals through its four pillar strategy. The strategy
focuses on investing in new technology, flying smarter, building
efficient infrastructure, and taking advantage of positive economic
measures.
“This united industry strategy is not just words.
Shortening routes, spreading best practice in fuel management and using
more efficient ways to land are among the measures that we are
implementing to reduce emissions. Since 2004, our four pillar strategy
has saved over 70 million tonnes of CO2. Last year aviation’s carbon
footprint was just under 670 million tonnes of CO2. That will shrink by
7% this year—5% from the recession and 2% as a direct result of our
strategy,” said Bisignani.
Looking forward, Bisignani highlighted the potential of
sustainable biofuels. “A few years ago they were a dream. Today we can
say that five airlines have tested them successfully. They are safe and
they have the potential to reduce our carbon footprint by up to 80% over
the lifecycle of the fuel. We expect certification by 2011 at the latest.
We have been diligent with our homework. Now governments must create the
right legal and fiscal frameworks to support their commercialization and
distribution,” said Bisignani.
View Giovanni
Bisignani’s speech
-IATA-
Contact:
Anthony Concil
Director Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
Notes for Editors:
- IATA is the
global association for the airline industry. IATA’s 230 member airlines
comprise 93% of scheduled international traffic.
- The
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the specialized
UN agency for international civil aviation.
- In October
2009 ICAO convened a high level meeting on environment. The meeting
confirmed the desire of governments to deal with aviation and
climate change through ICAO. The meeting concluded with a
declaration with the following commitments:
1. States to work together to achieve a global annual average
fuel efficiency improvement of 2% to 2050
2. ICAO and its contracting states to evaluate the possibility
of more ambitious goals by the next ICAO Assembly (2010), taking
into consideration industry’s collective commitments and the special
needs of developing nations
3. ICAO to establish the process to develop a framework for
economic measures
4. ICAO and its contracting states to encourage the development
and use of sustainable biofuels
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