Aviation leaders have called for the world's airlines to take a global, sector wide approach to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
"The aviation industry takes its environmental responsibility seriously," says IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani. "Our vision is for carbon-neutral growth on the way to a carbon-free future and we have challenging targets to guide us."
IATA wants the industry to take four actions to address climate change: the adoption of challenging industry targets to reduce emissions; the management of aviation's carbon emissions through ICAO under a new Kyoto II framework; an investment in better infrastructure, particularly air traffic management; and fiscal and legal frameworks that promote the development of biofuels for the sector.
IATA chairman and Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler also calls for a sector wide approach.
The issue of reducing emissions is best dealt with at a global level by a single agreement for the entire airline industry, encompassing all air transport operators, Tyler says.
An industry-wide working paper representing key stakeholders in the sector calls for reducing the sector's emissions to 50% of 2005's levels by 2050. The industry will present the paper to ICAO's high-level meeting on international aviation and climate change that will commence this week in Montreal, he adds.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
