Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, signaled that international aviation wants to be part of any climate deal in Copenhagen when he called on world leaders attending UN climate talks in New York to support an airline industry agreement setting a target to reduce net carbon emissions from aviation by 50 per cent by 2050.
Walsh – part of an
International Air Transport Association (IATA) delegation at the New York talks this week that also includes
SAS Group,
Air France–
KLM and
Qatar Airways – described the industry agreement as “unprecedented” and an “ historic opportunity for
aviation to join the mainstream of the world's efforts to combat climate change”.
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International aviation emissions were not included in the Kyoto Protocol 12 years ago. Now we have a chance to rectify that omission – and we must seize it,” he said.
The agreement reached between 230 IATA airlines, along with aircraft manufacturers, air traffic control providers and airports, sets the industry a series of targets.
It undertakes to improve CO2 efficiency by an average of 1.5 per cent per year up to 2020; stabilise net
CO2 emissions from 2020 (ie achieve carbon-neutral growth); reduce net CO2 emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, compared with 2005 levels; and to submit to the UN a framework and mechanisms to deliver these targets by November 2010.
"The global air industry has worked very hard to agree this common plan of action, which would give the UN full control over monitoring and regulating aviation emissions worldwide,” said Walsh.
"This would enable aviation to play its full part in the global effort that will be decided at Copenhagen to stem greenhouse gases across all economic sectors."
While welcoming the agreement as “an important first step”, Steve Howard, ceo of The Climate Group – the international NGO behind this week’s climate talks in New York – expressed disappointment that the aviation industry had not been more ambitious in setting its targets.
“The mid-term targets to 2020 proposed by IATA could certainly be more ambitious as they simply reflect business-as-usual improvements in airline efficiency,” he said.
“Although it’s true that airlines have limited ability to reduce their emissions directly, the use of market based instruments such as emissions trading would enable the aviation sector to pay for emission reductions in other sectors immediately and at least cost.”
He suggested that the Climate Group’s own work with the industry earlier this year had set out how this could be achieved.
It is reported that some airlines have also been pushing for tougher targets – in particular that the 50 per cent reduction should be in absolute terms, without the help of carbon offsets or carbon credits which the IATA has decided will be necessary.
However, Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s director general and ceo, said the targets set by the
aviation industry were “tough” with “an aggressive timeline”.
“Our four-pillar strategy of technology investment, efficient infrastructure, effective operations and positive economic measures will make our vision a reality and is already showing results,” he said.
But, with an eye to the world leaders attending the New York talks, he said the industry’s success in achieving its targets was dependent of governments playing their part.
“They must implement more effective air traffic management: the introduction of NextGen air traffic management in the USA and the Single European Sky in Europe have the potential to save 41 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Governments must also create the legal and fiscal framework to support the development of sustainable biofuels for aviation,” he said.
Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins was also keen that the the aviation industry’s initiation should not be used as a “smokescreen that lets governments off the hook”.
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Emissions from flying must be cut, but this must be done without using offsetting – a con which allows companies and countries to avoid making desperately needed carbon cuts.
"Cleaner planes have a part to play, but Government intervention is also needed to ensure that aviation emissions are slashed – this must include the scrapping of ludicrous plans to allow UK airports to expand,” he said.
The aviation industry presented its proposals to the UN Secretary General’s Summit on Climate Change yesterday, part of Climate Week NY°C.
With more than 100 world leaders in attendance, the aim of NY°C is to galvanise support from governments, business and society in general, to pave the way for a meaningful climate deal to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.
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